The Sanity Behind Tesla’s Giveaway of Patented Technology Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk recently shook up the auto industry with a pledge to give away the company’s electric car patents for free. Rajshree Agarwal, the Rudolph P. Lamone Chair and professor in Entrepreneurship at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, calls the move a win for both the company and industry. Already, Indian automaker Mahindra has announced plans to pursue Tesla’s now-open secrets to advance its own electric vehicles.