The War of the Currents
Edison vs. Tesla: From the Late 19th Century to Today
At the end of the 19th century, the world was undergoing a major electrical revolution. Cities were lighting up, factories were becoming automated, and electricity was emerging as the driving force of progress. But behind this technological leap was a fierce, almost mythical, battle: the War of the Currents, pitting Thomas Edison, advocate of direct current (DC), against Nikola Tesla, the visionary genius behind alternating current (AC).
A war of ideas, technology… and ego.
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Edison: The King of Direct Current
Thomas Edison, already famous for inventing the incandescent light bulb, firmly believed that direct current (DC) was the future. He had invested heavily in this system, which powered the first electrical grids in New York City.
Direct current is simple: electricity flows in a single direction, from the generator to the user.
However, it has a major flaw, it does not transmit efficiently over long distances. Powering an entire neighborhood required multiple generating stations, making the system expensive and inefficient.
Despite this limitation, Edison held his ground. He had influence, fame, investors, and media support, and no intention of giving way to a competitor, especially not a certain Nikola Tesla.
Malgré tout, Edison s’accroche. Il a le pouvoir, la notoriété, les investisseurs et les médias. Il n’a aucune intention de laisser sa place à un concurrent… surtout pas à un certain Nikola Tesla.
Tesla: The Visionary of Alternating Current
Despite the media war, science ultimately prevailed.
In 1893, Tesla and industrialist George Westinghouse won a historic contract to power the Chicago World’s Fair entirely with alternating current.
A few years later, the construction of the Niagara Falls hydroelectric power plant confirmed the superiority of the AC system. For the first time, electricity could be transmitted over hundreds of kilometers.
The future of power distribution had been decided.
From Edison to LOVO: The War Is Never Truly Over
More than a century later, a new electrical revolution is underway.
While Tesla made large-scale power distribution possible, today’s challenges are different: energy efficiency, safety, flexibility, and sustainability. In a world where every watt matters, the battle between “more power” and “more intelligence” has returned.
This is where innovations like LOVO’s low-voltage lighting system truly stand out.
By reducing supply voltage, fragile components such as transformers are eliminated, safety is significantly improved, and installation is simplified. The result is a safer, more durable, and more cost-effective lighting system, perfectly suited to modern buildings and the demands of the 21st century.
Résultat : un système plus sûr, plus durable et plus économique, parfaitement adapté aux bâtiments modernes et aux besoins du 21ᵉ siècle.
Tesla envisioned a world where electricity would be simple, accessible, and universal.
LOVO takes that vision even further, making lighting intelligent, modular, and free from constraints.
