News from the IT community on November 5th: Although Tesla Model S has ceased production, the company is still working hard to ensure that other automakers cannot copy its design at will. The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently granted Tesla a design patent for the "automobile body," which closely matches the design of the latest Model S model, several months after the production of this sedan was discontinued.
This patent, with the number US-D1156251-S, was officially approved on November 3rd local time. Although the patent document does not directly mention Model S, the design drawings within it clearly indicate the corresponding vehicle model.
What designs are protected by patents?
The drawings in the patent documents show various angles of the car, including the front, rear, left and right sides, top, bottom, as well as multiple three-dimensional views.
These drawings showcase the iconic sloping roof lines of the Model S model, as well as design elements such as the front lip, side skirts, rear spoiler, and rear diffuser.
Franz von Holzhausen ( Franz von Holzhausen ), Tesla's chief designer, and Julian Bilodo ( Julien Bilodeau ) are listed as the inventors of this patent.
It is worth noting that Tesla submitted this patent application as early as May 2025, long before Musk announced the suspension of production for Model S and Model X at Tesla's fourth-quarter financial report conference in January of this year.
The protection period for this design patent is 15 years, which means that the design of Model S will be protected until 2041.
Design patents only protect the appearance of a product and do not cover its functions or working principles. In this case, if other automobile manufacturers launch models that are too similar in appearance to Model S, Tesla would be able to take legal action based on this patent.
Draw a full stop to these classic car models
This patent also turns a new page in the history of Tesla's first flagship model.
On March 31, Tesla officially ceased accepting new orders for Model S and Model X, and launched a special edition of Signature Edition, marking the end of production for these two models.
Since its delivery began in June 2012, Tesla's Model S has accumulated over 400,000 units delivered. This model, which has proven that electric vehicles can enter the mass market, has been continuously sold for about 14 years.
Later, Tesla executives also explained the reasons for discontinuing these two models. According to them, in order to keep the older platform, which was launched in 2012, up to date with increasingly stringent safety standards, the company needed to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades. In addition, Tesla also needed to free up factory space to produce the humanoid robot Optimus.
Thereafter, Tesla has dismantled the Model S and Model X production lines located at its Fremont factory to make way for the production of Optimus. Currently, Optimus has officially entered the mass production phase.
Patent protection and open-source initiatives are not in conflict.
IT noticed that Tesla's move to apply for a design patent this time is somewhat special, as the company has always adopted a relatively open attitude towards patents in the past.
As early as 2014, Tesla publicly promised not to file patent lawsuits against companies or individuals that used its technology for legitimate purposes.
This patent approval also occurred after Musk announced that he would open-source Model S and Model X.
However, these two things are not necessarily contradictory. Tesla can still make engineering documents, repair manuals, and software available to car owners and repair shops, while continuing to protect the vehicle's exterior design through patents.
As of now, Tesla has not announced the specific open-source dates for the documents related to Model S and Model X. At this stage, the exteriors of these two models are still protected by patents, so car enthusiasts who are looking forward to seeing the open-source materials will need to wait a little longer.
