Tesla Motors, Inc. has triumphed in New Jersey after a bill was passed by the state assembly’s Consumer Affairs Committee last week allowing the electric car company to open two new showrooms in the state, and to resume sales in its two existing distribution centers. The new bill reverses a March ruling from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission that banned the direct-to-the-consumer sales approach of the Palo Alto, Calif.-based carmaker. The March decision sparked disappointment from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who took to social media to accuse Governor Chris Christie and the NJMVC of “back-door tactics,” and promise that legal action would be sought to reverse the ruling. New Jersey was the third state to ban the sale of Tesla automobiles, following Arizona and Texas.
Tesla’s belief in long-range electric automotive technology has not wavered, as Musk again took to his blog Thursday to announce he would not take legal action against those that wish to use the company’s patented technology in good faith. Musk wrote that it was the company’s goal to further technology, rather than stifle progress. Originally Musk obtained patents to avoid being overwhelmed by larger auto companies mass manufacturing of electric cars, something that has yet to happen, he wrote.
“Technology leadership is not defined by patents, which history has repeatedly shown to be small protection indeed against a determined competitor, but rather by the ability of a company to attract and motivate the world’s most talented engineers,” he wrote. “We believe that applying the open source philosophy to our patents will strengthen rather than diminish Tesla’s position in this regard.”
