Tesla's CEO has been carefully dropping hints that he might "do something controversial" with his company's collection of technology patents, and now we know what he's on about. Speaking at the UK launch of the Tesla Model S yesterday, Elon Musk said that he specifically wants to open up the designs for his Supercharger system in order to create a standard technical specification that other electric car makers can adopt. As part of this, it's possible that Tesla might need to give away some intellectual property about components within the cars themselves, but the general idea ties in with a commitment Musk made a while ago about not wanting Superchargers to become a "walled garden." Besides, it makes a lot of sense -- especially when you imagine what it'd be like today if we had to put up with manufacturer-specific gas stations.
Then again, Superchargers are more than just fancy plug-in points: they're also a business model in which electricity is given away "free for life" for Model S owners, with all costs factored into the upfront price of the car. Musk is very clear that other EV makers would have to subscribe to this same business model if they want to partner up. They'd also have to contribute a "fair" proportion to the maintenance and running costs of the ever-expanding Supercharger network itself -- costs which he insists aren't very onerous, especially since the physical locations are often given to Tesla rent-free, and in some cases they're powered by solar panels. Rival companies might turn their noses up, of course, and in fact they're already battling over alternative charging standards, but it's clear that the offer is there if they want it.
Filed under: Transportation
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