AUSTIN, Texas — Tesla has been granted a patent for an "electric fan car" system that uses four electrically driven ducted fans to press a car onto the road at any speed, an idea so effective in racing that Formula 1 banned it decades ago. The grant lands just over two weeks before the next-generation Roadster takes the stage.
Patent US 12,746,987, granted Sept. 29, builds on the aero work Tesla revealed days earlier when it patented an active rear wing for the new Roadster. Where the wing shapes airflow over the car, the fans work underneath it.
How the Fans Work
According to the filing, an inlet on the underbody between the rear wheels feeds a duct that sweeps up to a wide outlet in the rear diffuser. Four axial fans sit in that diffuser, separated by vertical strakes, and pull air out from beneath the car. The result is suction that holds the tires to the pavement.
The key advantage is that the downforce does not depend on speed. Traditional wings and diffusers only generate meaningful grip once a car is moving fast. Tesla's fans can deliver it from a standstill, then spin down at highway speeds to avoid unnecessary drag.
