Tesla has postponed the launch event for the new generation of Roadster to October 15th. Hopefully, this will be the last time car enthusiasts have to wait patiently for this new generation of Tesla Roadster.
The postponement of the press conference was quite dramatic in itself, and a new patent application disclosed on the official website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office ( USPTO ) has made the whole matter even more intriguing.
The new patent obtained by Tesla is named "Electric Fan Vehicle." The patent drawings show that four duct fans emit air streams backward to increase downpressure, thereby enhancing the stability of the vehicle when traveling at high speeds.
In the teaser image released by Tesla last month, four white streams of air can be seen spraying upwards. Tesla cleverly concealed the design details of the new generation of Roadster in this teaser image.
The Tesla community claims that the car company also vertically flipped the image, further increasing its confusion. However, after rotating the image 180 degrees to restore it to its original state, the meaning of this teaser image becomes clear (see the image below).
Interestingly, Musk initially promised to equip the vehicle with SpaceX air-cooled thrusters, which were designed to achieve a 0 to 60 mph acceleration in about 1 second, rather than duct fans used to increase downforce and improve handling performance.
"Electric Fan Vehicle" Patent Details
According to information from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Tesla submitted this patent application on January 17, 2024, and was granted authorization on September 29, 2026. The time it took to obtain this patent is just two days before the originally scheduled Roadster launch event.
The patent number with the United States Patent and Trademark Office is US 12,746,987 B1. Figure 1 in the patent document PDF shows the airflow channel at the bottom of the vehicle.
The patent abstract outlines the objectives of this invention as follows:
Abstract (Patent Numbers US 12,746,987 B1)
An electric vehicle that includes a duct fan system, which is used to increase the downward pressure and reduce air resistance. The duct fan system may be equipped with a diffuser section that extends from the vehicle's chassis air intake to the rear air outlet of the vehicle.
The duct fan system can be connected to the high-voltage battery and control system of electric vehicles. This electric vehicle can also be equipped with a second set of pressure amplification sections to further enhance the downward pressure.
The media believes that Tesla deliberately used the now-discontinued Model S electric sedan as a model in this patent.
If car companies directly use the new generation of Roadster engineering drawings, the design plans will be leaked before the scheduled press conference; coupled with the postponement of this press conference, the spoiler effect will be very serious.
But the core question remains: Is this patent really prepared for the new generation of Roadster? The most credible answer is in the hands of Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, who will unveil the mystery on October 15th in Austin, Texas.
It is entirely possible for Musk to abandon the previous SpaceX propulsion system plan, but if that happens, existing pre-order customers and potential buyers will be greatly disappointed.
A promotional video from Tesla last year showed a fan operating at high speed. At that time, I guessed that this was the fan accompanying the Roadster, but the launch event was subsequently postponed indefinitely, and the purpose of this fan has remained a mystery ever since.
This new patent provides a wealth of clues (Seth Parker's technical analysis of this patent can be read on platform X). However, if Tesla abandons the high-pressure cold air propeller scheme, it will be a major setback for the company.
Tesla Roadster Reservations and Pricing
Roadster has a large base of customers waiting in line to place orders. In 2017, Tesla unveiled the second generation of Roadster at its semi-trailer truck launch event, and immediately began accepting reservations, charging a deposit of $50,000.
Over the past 9 years, many prepaid users have chosen to cancel their subscriptions and have gone through a lengthy and slow refund process, yet a large number of initial subscribers have remained.
The pricing initially announced for the second-generation Roadster:
- Founder Series: $250,000
- Standard version: $200,000
Last month, Tesla reopened reservations, with a deposit still set at $50,000 ($5,000 to be paid by credit card and $45,000 by bank wire). However, the official website does not indicate any selling price.
Tesla will announce the pricing of the new Roadster at the upcoming press conference.
Tesla previously also needed to deliver approximately 80 units of Roadster to the winners of its referral reward program. This press conference will also clarify how the company will handle this backlog of delivery orders.
Responsible Editor: Liu Mingliang
