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Given the anti-patent nature of this site, and [popbottle's] recent idea for pushing through patent applications, I thought this was relevant. Tesla Motors announced that they are making all of their technology open-source. As stated in the link, they realized that if one company held the patents on electric car technology, the market would never be large enough to justify the infrastructure changes needed for electric cars. Unsurprisingly, their stock is down today.-- DIYMatt, Jun 12 2014 http://www.teslamot...tent-are-belong-you [DIYMatt, Jun 12 2014] elonging https://twitter.com.../472579362387009537 [theircompetitor, Jun 12 2014] tesla https://www.google....aU-jIFIWkiQLurIDgDQstock chart [popbottle, Jun 13 2014] A bold move - I like it. Stock drop is not surprising, but it sounds like long term thinking.-- normzone, Jun 12 2014 Electric cars are over a hundred years old. Chances of Tesla inventing anything fundamental about EV s are pretty slim.
At about 30,000 dollars a car, chances of Tesla being a mass market auto maker are nil. We may all drive electrics when the oil runs out, but they won't come out of a Tesla factory. (Unless someone buys the the name out of bankruptcy, and slaps it on a real factory.)
They are doomed to play Apple to someone else 's Microsoft.-- popbottle, Jun 12 2014 Tesla is going to become the #1 US car manufacturer, because it hires the best engineers and is run by an engineer. Because of this, Tesla follows the data to better solutions. Its competitors are essentially all run by businessmen, who don't know style or good engineering and so can't recognize top performance as well as Tesla can.
I will buy a Tesla for my next car even if it means paying $10,000 more up-front because: 1. costs are the same in the long run and 2. car salesmen embody everything I hate and everything that is wrong with the modern world, and I can't wait for technology to destroy their lying-based industry.
The "all your base" reference in the announcement title was a nice flourish.-- sninctown, Jun 12 2014 " Tesla is going to become the #1 US car manufacturer, because it hires the best engineers and is run by an engineer. Because of this, Tesla follows the data to better solutions. "
As a QA guy, having herded the best and the worst of those cats, I can only hope that the attitude goes all the way. It should, given that if it doesn't the consequences would be Hindenbergian.-- normzone, Jun 12 2014 //Given the anti-patent nature of this site// Oh?
Everyone's stock was down today. Tesla stock is not a representation of the company's current, or even near future value. Tesla stock is a representation of elonging (see link) -- great for speculation, but proceed with care.
Elonging would be a great new MFD category-- theircompetitor, Jun 12 2014 //Given the anti-patent nature of this site// Did I miss that memo ?
//Elonging// heh. Meanwhile there's a dealership down the street from me.-- FlyingToaster, Jun 13 2014 What, do you all patent these ideas before you post them here? There must be some very confused patent clerks if that's the case.
//They are doomed to play Apple to someone else 's Microsoft.//
That's not a bad place to be. Apple has had more cash than the US government off and on over the last several years. I could see something similar happening with Tesla - other manufacturers will take over the mass market but they will continue to produce the sought-after, high end cars. Personally, I would love a Model S and I would have no problem paying $70,000 for one if I had the money. There is a surprisingly large market for cars in that price range and the Tesla is the best one for the money, in my opinion.-- DIYMatt, Jun 13 2014 You're right, it isn't an eco friendly car. It does give us transportation without oil though. If you have an electric car you have options on where you get the energy - nuclear, hydroelectric, hopefully not coal, etc. Even if it takes slightly more energy in total you can get it from renewable sources. And yes, since most of our electricity is produced by coal it probably would be worse for the environment if everybody switched cars right now, but it isn't going to happen overnight. We need new cars and new power sources, Tesla is moving at least one of those in the right direction.
There is also the fact that the Tesla is a really nice car independent of its power source. It's cool looking, really fast, competitively priced, and shares many parts with Mercedes. For 99% of the travel most people do the range will never be a problem which makes it a good every day driver.-- DIYMatt, Jun 13 2014 I forgot my umbrella on Wednesday. Does that count?-- not_morrison_rm, Jun 13 2014 // It does give us transportation without oil though. //
As does a camel, but for the daily commute it's probably not a good option.-- 8th of 7, Jun 13 2014 //Given the anti-patent nature of this site//
I think it's more “too-lazy-to-patent”.-- ytk, Jun 13 2014 Sounds like IBM all over again, they didn't do too badly, but the strategy never really played out as well for them as they might have hoped.-- Skewed, Jun 13 2014 //These are not eco cars yet. Takes more energy to make the car and short lifespan batteries than they'll ever use. A normal car's energy expenditure is 50% before it hits the road. For a Tesla/Prius just add a ton of battery tech.//
Please cite a source.-- MechE, Jun 13 2014 I read *Tesla forgot his pants*.-- xandram, Jun 13 2014 random, halfbakery