A radical new patent from Tesla has provided a potential hint at a technology that the electric vehicle maker can utilize to meet the new Roadster’s ambitious 0-60 mph targets. If the technology outlined in the patent does come into fruition, it could help the Roadster stay planted on the ground even as it executes extremely rapid and demanding driving maneuvers.
The Roadster’s 0-60 mph time
When the new Roadster was announced way back in late 2017, Elon Musk stated that the upcoming vehicle would have a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds. This was impressive, but the new Roadster has become so late that this metric is no longer industry-leading. Even Tesla’s own Model S Plaid, a large and heavy family sedan, can now hit a 0-60 mph time in 1.99 seconds, all for a price that starts just under $100,000.
Back in February 2024, Elon Musk stated that Tesla “radically increased the design goals for the new Tesla Roadster.” He stated that there will never be another car like the Roadster, if it could even be called a car. Musk also added that Tesla is now looking to achieve a 0-60 mph time in less than one second with the new Roadster, though this would be the “least interesting part” of the vehicle.
Inasmuch as a 0-60 mph time of 1 second or less sounds insane, these figures are achieved by vehicles like top fuel dragsters, which could accelerate well under 1 second. Of course, these vehicles are specialized machines and not road legal by any means, so the Roadster would still be in a class of its own if Tesla does manage to achieve a sub-1-second 0-60 mph time.
Tesla’s new aero patent
A new patent from Tesla has now outlined a technology that could be a perfect fit for the upcoming all-electric supercar. Tesla’s patent is for a multi-mode active aero system that uses fans and deployable skirts to generate controllable downforce. This should pave the way for optimal vehicle grip and performance across varying conditions, from the track to the drag strip.
Tesla describes the patent’s technology as follows:
“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).”
If Tesla could indeed create a fully bounded region under the new Roadster using the technology outlined in the patent, the company could all ensure that the all-electric supercar always has perfect traction when it launches. It could also help the vehicle handle better in corners, which would be useful if the Roadster were to attempt setting records in tracks such as the Nurburgring.
Check out Tesla’s patent below.
Tesla Roadster Patent by Simon Alvarez on Scribd