Tesla teases rocket‑like Roadster with bold aero patent

Shortly after a Tesla executive finally confirmed the rumored timeline for the upcoming Roadster project previously hinted by CEO Elon Musk, a radical new patent has suggested a technology that the company might use to meet the 0-60 mph targets for the supercar.

Indeed, when Musk announced the new Roadster back in 2017, he said that it would have a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, which was ambitious at the time, but not anymore, so Tesla, in its CEO’s words, “radically increased the design goals for the new Tesla Roadster,” putting the target at less than one second.

New patent to fuel the Roadster speed demon

Now, the electric vehicle (EV) maker seems to be well on its way toward achieving it, judging by a new patent that outlines a technology ideal for the upcoming Roadster. Specifically, the patent is for a multi-mode active aero system that utilizes fans and deployable skirts to generate controllable downforce. Specifically:

“The system operates by creating bounded (e.g., sealed or partially-sealed) regions beneath the vehicle through the selective deployment of skirts that interact with the ground surface. Fans positioned in airflow pathways that extend to these bounded regions generate low pressure within these areas by extracting air, creating downforce that enhances vehicle grip and stability (e.g., by creating a vacuum, or partial vacuum in the bounded regions).”

Meanwhile, the control system would manage the transition between different operating modes by adjusting skirt deployment and fan operation based on driving conditions, according to the detailed patent description.

As a reminder, Lars Moravy, Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, confirmed the major details about the long-awaited all-electric supercar with record-setting performance and efficiency after Musk shared a cryptic update about the “most epic demo ever” set to come out by the end of this year.

Elsewhere, the Tesla Model 3 has emerged at the top of the list among 20 newly tested vehicles in terms of safety, scoring an impressive 359 out of 400 possible points across all major safety categories in the European NCAP tests, making it Europe’s safest new car on sale in 2025.