Earlier this year, Tesla shared some code related to its Autopilot semi-autonomous driving system in addition to the kernels for the Autopilot boards as well as the infotainment system of the Model S and Model X that’s NVIDIA Tegra-based. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has now hinted that the company is open to sharing the code for its car security software with other car makers.
Musk tweeted that the company is planning to “open-source Tesla vehicle security software.” This will allow for the code’s free use by other car makers. He added that it’s “Extremely important to a safe self-driving future for all.”
This would eliminate the need for companies to develop their own connected car security technology from scratch as Tesla’s code would give them a platform to work off of. While the initial announcement by Musk has been welcomed in the media, he didn’t actually say when the company might do that. Moreover, the industry still has a ways to go before fully autonomous cars are allowed on public roads without a driver behind the wheel.
This gesture may essentially make Tesla’s connected car security approach an unofficial standard if a lot of rival manufacturers adopt its software. It would thus become a fact that Tesla’s marketing department will routinely remind us all about.