According to Business Insider, Elon Musk is having discussions about selling Autopilot to automotive competitors. Some experts believe one or more automakers will actually license Autopilot given the challenges of developing competitive driver assistance systems. Most experts rate Tesla’s Autopilot and GM’s Super Cruise the best Level 2 autonomous systems on roads today. Last year, Consumer Reports ranked Super Cruise slightly ahead of Autopilot in a test including 17 systems. Autopilot, however, ranked first in the “capabilities and performance” phase of testing.
Which automakers might license Autopilot? Business Insider asked several industry experts. Gene Munster, Managing Partner at Loup Ventures, believes customers for Autopilot will most likely to be among the new EV startup companies versus any of the established automakers. Companies like Rivian, Fisker and Lucid Motors fit that description.
As Tesla continues building out its overall business model, technology licensing might be a new component of its revenue and business expansion, along with the other important revenue generators beyond the sale of an electric vehicle.
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