Tesla Offers to Give Away Its EV Patents

Electric carmaker Tesla Motors Inc. is offering to share its entire portfolio of patents with all who ask.

CEO Elon Musk declares the company won't initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who uses its technology in good faith.

Musk, who had been hinting at the giveaway in recent weeks, says the move will help accelerate growth for the struggling electric car industry. He also predicts the move will help attract top engineering talent to Tesla.

Musk articulates his thinking in a blog post on the Tesla Web site: "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."

Tesla has been granted some 203 patents and has another 280 pending applications, according to a regulatory filing.

It isn't clear which patents might be of interest to other EV developers. But one group likely to draw attention relates to Tesla's high-power Supercharger charging stations. The solar-powered facilities, which have been accessible only to Tesla customers, can restore half the energy capacity of a Model S in about 20 minutes.

BMW AG confirms to the Associated Press that it has discussed a possible Supercharger partnership with Tesla to support its just-introduced line of electric vehicles.