This is big.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, today announced that his company is open sourcing all of its patents. Could this be the spark that sets off the electric vehicle (EV) revolution?

In a post on the company’s blog, cheekily titled “All Our Patent Are Belong To You,” Musk explained the rationale behind the decision. It turns out that apart from selling some very desirable autos, the company was formed to mainstream EVs.

Tesla Motors was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport. If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal. Tesla will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology.

Musk’s views on patents has evolved since Tesla was formed. The company first created patents “out of concern that the big car companies would copy our technology and then use their massive manufacturing, sales and marketing power to overwhelm Tesla,” he said. That never happened.

“The unfortunate reality is the opposite: electric car programs (or programs for any vehicle that doesn’t burn hydrocarbons) at the major manufacturers are small to non-existent, constituting an average of far less than 1% of their total vehicle sales,” wrote Musk.

Tesla’s aim is to put a dent in the ever-growing market for gas-powered cars, he added. “We believe that Tesla, other companies making electric cars, and the world would all benefit from a common, rapidly-evolving technology platform.”

Read the rest of Musk’s post here.

Image courtesy of Tesla.