Tesla has announced that the design and engineering details of the original Tesla Roadster are now fully open source. The announcement, made by CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday, signifies a major shift in Tesla’s approach to its proprietary technology.
Musk revealed that all of the design and engineering information related to the first Tesla Roadster model is accessible to the public. “All design & engineering of the original @Tesla Roadster is now fully open source. Whatever we have, you now have,” said the Tesla CEO, along with a link to Tesla’s service website.
All design & engineering of the original @Tesla Roadster is now fully open source.
Whatever we have, you now have.https://t.co/5d10soAYr8
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 22, 2023
This decision to open-source the Roadster’s blueprints and technical details is seen as a strategic step by Tesla to foster innovation and collaboration in the electric vehicle industry. The move allows individuals, companies, and researchers worldwide to access, study, and potentially build upon the technology that powered Tesla’s first electric sports car.
The original Tesla Roadster, introduced in 2008, was a landmark vehicle in the electric automotive industry, being the first highway-legal all-electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells and the first electric car to travel over 200 miles per charge. By making its design and engineering open source, Tesla is offering an unprecedented look into the technology that set the stage for its subsequent line of electric vehicles.
Tesla customers are still waiting for the second-generation Roadster to make it to production. Tesla showed off a real prototype in November 2017 at its Tesla Semi event. It’s been six years and counting and we hope to see the Roadster debut sometime in 2024 but that doesn’t seem likely.
