Photo: Tesla
Tesla took a radical step and offered all the design and engineering of the original Roadster to the community as part of the open-source push. Tesla Roadster enthusiasts can use the information to modify or maintain the Tesla Roadster without taking the car to a Tesla service center or a Tesla partner.
In 2014, Tesla announced that it would open source all its patents and would not initiate patent lawsuits against "anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology." That's not to say that Tesla gave up on filing for new patents, as I've covered many of them personally at autoevolution. Still, Tesla would let anyone use their knowledge, with the condition that third parties will not sue Tesla for patent infringement.
In his "All Our Patent Are Belong To You" manifesto published in June 2014, Elon Musk explained that Tesla created patents out of concern that the big car companies would copy its technology and then use their massive manufacturing, sales, and marketing power to overwhelm Tesla. But then he changed his mind, as Tesla's goal was to accelerate EV adoption for everyone.
Even back then, Musk was well aware that legacy carmakers had no intention to do that, with Big Auto's ambitions in the EV area being small to non-existent. This hasn't changed much since then, so Musk was right in following his open-source philosophy. Almost ten years later, Tesla is practically unchallenged in the EV market. Despite that, Tesla still files patents to protect its most sensitive technologies from falling into the hands of competitors. But it also offers some of its older technologies free of charge.
In the most recent move, Elon Musk announced that all the design and engineering of the original Tesla Roadster has been open-sourced. The information was published on Tesla's website, including service manuals, circuit diagrams, connectors, circuit boards, controllers, and diagnostic software. Since the Roadster was last produced in 2012, this information might not help other carmakers advance their EV programs. Still, it's a boon to Roadster owners and enthusiasts.
Access to the Roadster's inner workings allows independent garages to service and repair the Roadster. Theoretically, it could also enable people to build replicas, although that might involve advanced manufacturing and engineering capabilities. Let's not underestimate Chinese companies, though. I wouldn't rule out seeing DIY kits similar to the "Jeep in a box" projects.
It's intriguing why Tesla decided to open-source the Roadster now, but some speculated that it might have something to do with the second generation of the Roadster. Tesla Roadster is, just like the Cybertruck, long overdue. The latest information regarding the Roadster came earlier this year when Musk said the final design and engineering would be completed by the end of 2023. This means the Roadster could finally enter production next year, although nothing is guaranteed in the Tesla world.
In his "All Our Patent Are Belong To You" manifesto published in June 2014, Elon Musk explained that Tesla created patents out of concern that the big car companies would copy its technology and then use their massive manufacturing, sales, and marketing power to overwhelm Tesla. But then he changed his mind, as Tesla's goal was to accelerate EV adoption for everyone.
Even back then, Musk was well aware that legacy carmakers had no intention to do that, with Big Auto's ambitions in the EV area being small to non-existent. This hasn't changed much since then, so Musk was right in following his open-source philosophy. Almost ten years later, Tesla is practically unchallenged in the EV market. Despite that, Tesla still files patents to protect its most sensitive technologies from falling into the hands of competitors. But it also offers some of its older technologies free of charge.
In the most recent move, Elon Musk announced that all the design and engineering of the original Tesla Roadster has been open-sourced. The information was published on Tesla's website, including service manuals, circuit diagrams, connectors, circuit boards, controllers, and diagnostic software. Since the Roadster was last produced in 2012, this information might not help other carmakers advance their EV programs. Still, it's a boon to Roadster owners and enthusiasts.
Access to the Roadster's inner workings allows independent garages to service and repair the Roadster. Theoretically, it could also enable people to build replicas, although that might involve advanced manufacturing and engineering capabilities. Let's not underestimate Chinese companies, though. I wouldn't rule out seeing DIY kits similar to the "Jeep in a box" projects.
It's intriguing why Tesla decided to open-source the Roadster now, but some speculated that it might have something to do with the second generation of the Roadster. Tesla Roadster is, just like the Cybertruck, long overdue. The latest information regarding the Roadster came earlier this year when Musk said the final design and engineering would be completed by the end of 2023. This means the Roadster could finally enter production next year, although nothing is guaranteed in the Tesla world.
All design & engineering of the original @Tesla Roadster is now fully open source.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 22, 2023
Whatever we have, you now have.https://t.co/5d10soAYr8
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