In a stunning move to expand and encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, Tesla Motors turned and made all of its patents public-access. What does this mean?
In the words of visionary Elon Musk, who said in his blog post “All Our Patent Are Belong to You,” “Tesla will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology.” To be sure, Tesla Motors has nailed the ideal electric vehicle, and perhaps the best business plan to make electric vehicles a success. Unlike other automakers, whose electric vehicles are a *cough* money-pit, Tesla Motors only business plan is electric vehicles.
To foment further development in the field, Tesla Motors made its patents, including designs on lithium-ion battery construction, AC-induction motor-generators, and charging protocols, for example, open for any business to use. So far, the only one to take a bite, at least publicly, is the CarCharging Group (CCG), which is planning to “integrate Tesla Motors’ electric vehicle charging technology into its Blink Network,” which CCG bought after it declared bankruptcy.
In a press release, CarCharging CEO Michael D. Farkas said, “Like Tesla Motors, CarCharging believes that the market potential for electric vehicles is vast and we are dedicated to doing all that we can to assist in its acceleration. By sharing its technologies, Tesla Motors provides CarCharging with the ability to leverage all of the locations in its portfolio and offer a solution that is compatible for all EV drivers,” including Tesla Model S drivers. The most significant change, at least for now, will be integrating the Tesla Model S charging plug into its growing network of LII Blink Network charging stations.
Currently, Blink Network has CHAdeMO and the SAE J1772 charge couplers, neither of which are compatible with present and future Tesla Motors’ electric vehicles. Of course, the Tesla Model S comes with a J1772 – Tesla adapter, which renders the point moot, but having a dedicated Tesla coupler will make things easier for Tesla owners.
Photo credit: LCSeiler
