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TeslaGranted patentCars & transportInterest 7/10

Tesla patents electric fan system to boost car grip and cut drag

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Tesla has been granted a patent for an electric vehicle design that uses a ducted fan system to manage airflow under the car. The system pulls air in from the bottom of the vehicle and pushes it out the back through a widening channel, which helps keep the car pressed to the road while reducing air resistance.

Why it mattersThis design could make high-speed electric cars more stable and efficient by using the car's existing battery to power active aerodynamics.

In the filing’s own words

An electric vehicle comprising a ducted fan system configured to increase downforce and reduce drag. The ducted fan system can include a diffuser extending from an input on an underbody of the vehicle and to an outlet on a rear side of the vehicle. The ducted fan system can be connected to a high voltage battery and a control system of the electric vehicle. The electric vehicle can further include a second diffuser to enhance downforce.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An electric vehicle comprising: a ducted fan system comprising a diffuser and one or more electric ducted fans, wherein the diffuser comprises an inlet positioned on an underbody of the vehicle, an outlet positioned on a rear side of the vehicle, and an air pathway extending between the inlet and the outlet, wherein a cross-sectional area of the outlet is larger than a cross-sectional area of the inlet; one or more strakes positioned at the outlet, the one or more strakes extending vertically between a top side and a bottom side of the outlet and being disposed between adjacent electric ducted fans from among the one or more electric ducted fans; and wherein the one or more electric ducted fans are configured to draw air through the inlet and emit air through the outlet.

Facts

Company
Tesla (Tesla, Inc.)
Official title
Electric fan car
Patent number
US12746987B1
Application number
18415094
Filed
Jan 17, 2024
Granted
Sep 29, 2026
Inventors
8
Claims
15

Classified under

B62D 35/02 Operations & transportB62D 35/007 Operations & transportB62D 37/02 Operations & transport
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.