Tesla opens its patents for everyone to share EV knowledge

By Michael Karkafiris Motor Industry 13 June 2014 10:43 Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and one of the most talked-about personalities in the automotive industry, announced today that his company has opened all of its patents to make way for the competition to catch up and promote electric mobility for a wider audience. Open-sourcing your patents is a rather unusual strategy in the automotive world but Musk says that ‘Tesla Motors was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport. If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal.

Crazy Skoda concept set to wow crowds

TAKE ONE Skoda Citigo, chop its roof off, install some neon lighting under the chassis and you get the Skoda apprentices’ dream car, apparently. The CitiJet is the madcap brainchild of 16 budding Skoda designers, who were tasked with creating their ideal car out of an existing Skoda model. Effectively, a Citigo Sport has been turned into an open-top city slicker, but don’t ask how the roof closes because there isn’t one.

Calstart celebrates 20 years of clean transportation

Was anyone around 20 years ago in Southern California? Show of hands? Remember how different a time that was?