Tesla is to licence one of its most innovative technologies to other car manufacturers.
Company head, Elon Musk, told shareholders during an investors call that he plans to allow rivals to install Tesla's Full Self-Driving system in their cars - making its own vehicles, such as the Tesla Model S, a little less exclusive.
"We are very open to licensing our FSD software and hardware to other car companies," he said (as reported by Engadget). He also revealed that negotiations with industry peers were already underway: "We're already in discussions with a major OEM about using a Tesla FSD."
Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology has not been without issues in the past, with several accidents being reported over the years. However, it also benefits from much longer development time and road testing in real-world circumstances when compared with rival automated systems.
It still requires drivers to be present and at the wheel - which some car owners would prefer anyway. However, it is still more advanced than the company's Autopilot system as it uses more sensors and computing power.
There's no word yet on when other manufacturers might start to employ Telsa tech in their vehicles, nor which firms are considering it.
It won't appeal to all of them though, with several already employing their own self-driving technology or working on an equivalent.
For example, we recently drove 300 miles in a Mercedes EQS featuring level 2 automation and found the experience liberating.
It's clearly something that the best electric cars should embrace if they want to be considered a true step forward. And it seems that Musk and Tesla is willing to help... for.a fee.
We're not sure how Tesla owners will take the news though. They invest in the brand and its cars because of its unique and innovative technologies. But, by allowing other car makers to share the best of them - having already opened up Tesla's Supercharger network to other EVs - it might be diluting the message somewhat.
That being said, we're sure Musk has more up his sleeve for America's most popular EV manufacturer. We'll keep our ear to the ground to let you know, if so.
