This is indeed not about suppressing competitors, but about turning competitors into customers.
This is an ordinary day, but it is also a day that may change the process of automobile intelligence. .
On July 29, Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted a Weibo: "Tesla opens up software licenses and provides powertrains and batteries. We aim to Try to accelerate the development of sustainable energy, not suppress other competitors!"
He tweeted the same thing before. This was actually a reply to a Twitter post in which German car companies like Volkswagen were looking to solve years of technical problems, praising Tesla as a great carmaker.
When responding to questions from netizens, Musk also said that open software licenses include Autopilot.
As early as June 2014, Tesla opened its electric vehicle patents. Musk said at the time, "Tesla will not initiate patent litigation against those who use our technology in good faith. We believe that opening patents will only strengthen, not weaken, Tesla's position."
Tesla’s opening up of electric vehicle technology has indirectly promoted the rise of a number of electric vehicle start-ups. At that time, there were many car-making teams in China studying Tesla's open source technology. For example, Xpeng Motors' initial product development greatly benefited from Tesla's open patent and supply system.
Today, Tesla has become a global leader in electric vehicles. It can obtain a market value of more than 300 billion US dollars because Tesla is not only an electric car company, but also an energy company and a software company.
Now, Musk has once again shown his "generosity" by opening up software technology, powertrain, and batteries - this is indeed not to suppress competitors, but to turn competitors into his customers , Tesla not only makes complete vehicles, but also serves as a supplier of core components for electric smart cars.
Among them, the most coveted by competitors should be Tesla’s unique industry-leading software technology.
Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess admitted at an internal communication meeting that Tesla’s software is ahead of Volkswagen and other automakers, and said Tesla’s lead gave him a “headache.”
What he is most worried about is the software used in Tesla’s Autopilot project: “There are 500,000 Teslas that act as a neural network, constantly collecting data, improving functions for customers every 14 days, and providing A completely new driving experience, and no other car manufacturer can do this now.”
In order to narrow the software gap with Tesla, the Volkswagen Group is implementing the “Tesla Catch-up Plan”. .
Recently, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann also admitted that Audi is two years behind Tesla in areas such as software and electronics.
Earlier, Thomas Ulbrich, Volkswagen Group’s board member responsible for electric vehicle business, said that Tesla is a full decade ahead of its competitors in electric vehicle manufacturing and software development. .
Ford Mustang Mach-E project engineers have also commented that Tesla’s technology and engineering in batteries and high-voltage electronics, and its ability to control these technologies, are five years ahead of the industry.
The Japanese media Nikkei BP was impressed by Tesla’s electronic technology after dismantling a Tesla Model 3. They wrote in the report, "The most outstanding thing about Model 3 is Tesla's integrated central control unit, the 'fully self-driving computer.' This technology, also known as Hardware 3, is the company's booming development The most powerful weapon in the electric vehicle market. This may end the automotive industry supply chain as we know it.” Nikkei BP judged that Tesla’s electronic technology is six years ahead of the competition. .
Under the industry trend of software-defined automobiles, software plays an increasingly important role in the automobile industry chain and automobile life cycle. Continental Group has stated that: in 2013, software accounted for about 10% of the value of cars; in 2023, the ratio will reach 40%; around 2025, software will account for more than 50%.
This is why traditional car giants are chasing Tesla, and why Volkswagen Group, Toyota Motor and others have established software companies.
Now, Tesla is opening up its software technology. What are the expressions of the car companies?
Automotive Business Review interviewed three car people regarding Musk’s speech today.
A deputy general manager of R&D of a mainstream Chinese automobile group who did not want to be named said: "Software development requires a development environment and the support of a large number of complete vehicles. Otherwise, the cost problem cannot be solved. At the same time, software development requires Continuous huge investment, 'one person eats the whole fish', is not in line with market rules."
Li Bin, founder, chairman and CEO of NIO, said: "The important thing is not what you say, but how you do it. Musk said that open software is not operable. It is not like Google opening Android, which requires the establishment of a complete system, so this is actually meaningless. I know very well what everyone wants to hear."
He Xiaopeng, chairman of Xpeng Motors, said: "There is too little information to judge yet."
That said, because of the special situation. Cao Guangzhi, a former employee of Tesla and current employee of Xpeng Motors, initiated a civil lawsuit. Tesla required Xpeng Motors to provide all autonomous driving source codes. In April this year, Xpeng Motors issued a document claiming that it was bullied by Tesla. This time Musk said that software technology should be opened up. It is not surprising for Xiaopeng to be skeptical.
In any case, Musk’s bold words today should have successfully attracted the attention of car companies.
If you use Tesla’s software technology, you may run the risk of being regarded as an “OEM Tesla” by users. If you insist on independent research and development of software technology, you may have to bear the consequences of falling behind, being beaten and abandoned by users.
How to choose, Tesla’s pursuers really need to weigh it carefully.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.