Elon Musk confirms that Tesla Motors is reviewing ways to accelerate the growth of the electric car market.
The folks at Tesla Motors are thinking of telling the rest of the car industry many of its trade secrets, in the hope of forcing faster development in electric vehicle (EV) technology.
Elon Musk, Tesla boss, explained that Tesla “don’t want to cut a path through the jungle and then lay a bunch of landmines,” hinting his latest idea involves opening up details about its technology patents.
Speaking with the BBC, Musk went on to say that he hoped breaking down technology barriers would accelerate the growth of the electric car market. This would mean the blueprints of Tesla’s proprietary technology in its luxury all-electric Model S would be made public. Other manufacturers could then use the knowledge, build on it and improve the EV market as a whole.
Currently, the biggest EV issues that need to be addressed include their limited range, long recharge times and high price. Many EVs manage just 100 miles on a single charge, with charge times in excess of 8 hours. Many electric cars also cost significantly more than their petrol- or diesel-powered alternatives.
The Model S can manage 300 miles on a single charge, but the large batteries that allow such range mean it doesn’t come cheap. It is currently on sale in the UK priced at £50,000.
Musk’s ambition is to revolutionise the car market, saying: “we want to make an electric car that’s better than any petrol car.” Competition keeps innovation fresh, though it’ll be interesting to see if Musk’s shareholders are as enthusiastic to remove the protection from their investment.
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