Elon Musk has revealed his plans to make Tesla like Android for electric cars. The Tesla operating system is intended to be made open source for other automakers. Musk shared this plan during a discussion on Twitter Space with Ford CEO Jim Farley.
“Just as Android helped the mobile phone industry as a common standard, we are looking at potentially making more of our software open source,” Musk said, as quoted by TechCrunch.
Musk’s move puts Tesla in direct competition with Google and Apple, both of which are reportedly developing operating systems for cars.
Musk’s statement was in response to Farley’s acknowledgment of the challenges in creating “vehicles with continuously updatable software.” Musk told Farley that Tesla is “ready to help on the software side.”
The conversation on Twitter Space was an announcement event for the collaboration between Tesla and Ford. The two companies are working together to provide Ford electric vehicle users access to Tesla’s Supercharging network across the United States and Canada.
In return, Ford will be using Tesla’s “plug” in their second-generation electric vehicles, including trucks and SUVs, starting in 2025.
It’s worth noting that Musk’s statement may not necessarily translate into Tesla’s official policy. Currently, Tesla utilizes a periodically updated operating system for its electric vehicles, similar to mobile phones.
Google and Apple are also striving to offer similar solutions to automakers. Google’s Android Automotive OS is an open-source operating system based on Linux, specifically modified for cars.
Apple announced its automotive operating system, CarPlay, in June. CarPlay is designed to control various vehicle instruments.
Both companies also provide “connectivity” programs for smartphones and cars. Google has Android Auto, while Apple offers Apple CarPlay.
