Why Elon Musk Just Opened Tesla's Patents to His Biggest Rivals - Businessweek

More on Tesla's "open-source-inspired" patent strategy

"Musk believes that opening up the patents around the charging technology could lead to important partnerships. He has talked this week to executives from BMW about sharing the cost of building recharging stations and creating a common infrastructure.

Tesla’s nationwide network of recharging stations and its plans to build huge battery factories really bring Musk’s point home. No other automaker is making anything like these types of investments in electric cars. At best, Tesla’s rivals are trying to make more interesting electric cars than they have in the past. Musk would like to see the industry step up its game and move from treating electric vehicles like a hobby to making them a top priority."

Why Elon Musk Just Opened Tesla's Patents to His Biggest Rivals - Businessweek