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Elon Musk hints at opening Tesla's EV patents [w/video]

During the Q&A portion of Tesla's annual shareholder meeting last week, CEO Elon Musk said something that caught our ear: "I'm contemplating doing something fairly significant on that front [promoting EVs] which should be kind of controversial with respect to Tesla's patents. But I probably want to write something so that I can take articulate it properly and explain the reasoning for the decision." We immediately asked Tesla for more information but it was the BBC that got to question Musk in person during the UK launch of the right-hand drive Model S (see press release and video below). "We don't want to cut a path through the jungle and then lay a bunch of landmines behind us" – Elon Musk The BBC asked Musk if his comment meant he was considering opening up Tesla's patents, and Musk responded with, "you're on the right track." A strong proponent of promoting EVs, Musk also said, "We don't want to cut a path through the jungle and then lay a bunch of landmines behind us." This wouldn't be the first time Musk has given away a big idea. His outlandish hyperloop high-speed train-like transportation system was open source from the get-go. Musk has also offered to let other automakers piggyback on Tesla's Supercharger fast-charging system. Musk's SpaceX company doesn't even file patents, but that's more to protect the ideas from the Chinese than to make getting to space an open source endeavor, Musk said. Tesla told AutoblogGreen it is offering "nothing further at this point" on the patent front, so we'll just have to guess away in the comments. Have at it, and you can watch Musk's comment at around minute 46 in the top video here. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Right Hand Drive Model S Arrives in the UK LONDON, June 7, 2014 First RHD customer deliveries in the world presented by Tesla CEO Elon Musk Tesla CEO Elon Musk delivered five new cars to customers in London today at an event to mark the arrival of right hand drive (RHD) Model S in the UK. The occasion marks the beginning of a planned rapid expansion in the country in the coming two years. Today, Tesla operates a store and a service centre in London. By the end of 2014, however, customers will be able to visit Tesla stores and service centres across the UK. Tesla will also continue to hold test-drive events around the country.

Wall Street loves Tesla's Elon Musk, values the brand higher than Fiat

Tesla's value on the stock market far exceeds the number of vehicles it contributes to the automotive market. According to a report from Automotive News, Tesla is currently valued at $8.8 billion. Almost unbelievably, though we've never claimed to have a firm grasp on the inner workings of the stock market, that's a full billion dollars more valuable than Fiat and three times more valuable than PSA Peugeot Citroën, says the report.
How unfathomable is that statistic? Consider the fact that Tesla, a ten-year-old company, just managed to turn its very first profit last quarter and has produced fewer than 10,000 vehicles in its lifetime. How does that compare to an automotive giant like Fiat? Well... it doesn't - The brand sold 44,772 Fiat 500s in the United States alone in 2012, and it owns or controls the Chrysler portfolio of brands along with Ferrari and Maserati... not to mention the hundreds of thousands of cars Fiat Group sells yearly in the rest of the world.
Granted, the number of vehicles sold by a brand is just a small portion of its value, but you may still wonder, Why is such a seemingly small player in the global automotive marketplace such a big deal on Wall Street? According to AN, it has a lot to do with its controversial and headline-grabbing CEO, Elon Musk, and the way he disseminates company information to his investors. How so? We suggest you take a good look at the article here for the whole story.

Mercedes' Tesla fighter will have 311-mile range

Mercedes-Benz is preparing to take the fight to Tesla, and it'll do it using an EV with up to a 311-mile range, the company's research-and-design boss told German publication Auto Motor und Sport (Google Translate warning). Perhaps more impressive than just the range, though, will be the modular nature of the EV platform, which will allow Stuttgart to easily adapt it to multiple vehicles. "We are working on an intelligent concept for a highly attractive electric vehicle with a range of [228-311 miles]," Mercedes' Thomas Weber said in the interview with Auto Motor und Sport. Weber added that this vehicle is coming "soon," although that word can have multiple meanings in this industry. Mercedes is taking Tesla and the all-electric vehicle increasingly seriously, as Automotive News reports. But while it continues to invest heavily in EVs and hydrogen fuel cells – roughly half of Daimler's $6.4 billion research-and-design budget went into research on low-emissions tech last year – the company is most heavily committed to plug-in hybrids. As previously announced, Stuttgart will field ten new PHVs by 2017, including electrified variants of the C- and S-Class.