Tesla Motors’ CEO may have started a trend that could change the way the auto industry works.

Back in mid-2014, Tesla’s Elon Must did the unthinkable: he unveiled most of the company’s secrets by sharing the company’s electric car technology details with other automakers. Instead of protecting its patents, the company allowed others to draw from its discoveries.

One month after Musk’s bold—and to some critics, suicidal—move, BMW followed suit. But that’s not all, according to several reports, Ford has also joined the club.

According to news sources, Ford is giving all other automakers access to its portfolio of patents concerning its electric vehicle technology. Some of the patents recently released by Ford include details on several features such as Ford’s battery charging system, regenerative braking, and other technologies that allow the drivers to be monitored. Another patent made available by Ford offers automakers across the globe details on how to improve their vehicles’ performance.

According to Ford, this move was embraced by its executives because it wants to help the auto industry to move forward. In other words, Ford’s director of Ford Electrification Programs, they want to see more, not less, innovation.

The electric vehicle technology continues to grow globally. Many companies are working to develop electric cars or improve the designs they have already worked on. With the help of companies like Tesla, BMW, and Ford, other automakers will be able to develop competitive technologies that will benefit the driver.

In the next years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hopes to see the auto industry developing more economic vehicles. To meet the agency’s goals, automakers will have to launch a race against time. When Ford and other companies share their patents concerning their electric vehicles, experts say, automakers are actually pushing others to ramp up production of electric vehicles so the auto market remains a level playing field.

But why are companies so willing to do that? Because many drivers are still not very comfortable with the idea of driving electric cars. If consumers are not excited about the idea, automakers could have a hard time meeting the EPA’s standards.

As the auto industry adapts, it also wants to offer consumers what they want: affordable cars that run on gas, a technology they are used to. Electric vehicles that are also packed with several safety features are only going to be affordable when more car makers are developing and selling their own.

While technology helps drivers by making sure they are safe and their trip is an enjoyable one, consumers are also concerned about featured they are not familiar with, hence the need for the auto industry to innovate as promptly as possible.

For more details on this trend and how this could affect the auto industry and the lives of drivers across the country, follow this link for more details.