This month marks the 158th anniversary of the birth of Nikola Tesla, so it seems fitting to pay tribute to this legendary inventor. The name “Tesla” belonged to this incredible innovator long before the innovative car company borrowed his moniker (for those who may not know).
Nikola Tesla is best known for his work in the field of electric power, specifically the alternating current. He holds 112 lifetime U.S. patents, and we have him to thank for the induction motor that powers nearly all our household appliances, from washing machines to fish tank pumps. With industrial applications for cranes, lifts, and paper and textile mills, there are few conveniences in our modern lives for which we do not have Mr. Tesla to thank.
The Denver Post ran a piece last month about a different Tesla – Tesla Motors, whose founders aptly named their company to pay homage to Nikola Tesla’s vision, without which their fully electric sports car and luxury sedan would not have been possible. CEO Elon Musk made headlines with his proclamation that Tesla Motors would be handing over the keys to its technology to anyone who wants it: their entire patent portfolio, up for grabs! And for free!
So what’s the catch? There will be no intellectual property battles – recipients who use Tesla Motor’s technology to develop their own electric vehicles may not engage in courtroom squabbles. Musk hopes that by divesting Tesla Motors of propriety technology, it will open the door to collaboration within the industry. Today, electric cars account for less than one percent of U.S. sales – a fact that Tesla Motors hopes to change by promoting partnership over profit.
Through entrepreneurialism and the power of innovation, solutions can be discovered. Removing barriers to the advancement of ideas could be just the thing needed to spark a change – in this case, moving the auto industry away from gasoline motors. It will take a tremendous effort to transform the industry, and Tesla Motors appears to be up for the challenge.
If only Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison (who ended up being staunch rivals) could have collaborated with a similar open-architecture platform. Imagine the additional innovations that might have evolved!
Sources:
- Denver Post, Tesla Handing Over the Keys to Its Technology, June 12, 2014
- Business Insider, Here’s Why Tesla Motors is Named for a Famous Serbian Inventor, August 8, 2014
- Rocky Mountain Institute, The Case for Giving Away IP: Entrepreneurialism & Collaborative Problem Solving at RMI, Summer 2013