Elon Musk oversees Tesla and Starlink, the company that provides internet access through its satellite system. What if the two were combined to provide Tesla cars with connectivity everywhere they roam? A new patent points exactly in that direction.
Tesla has filed a patent application for a vehicle roof assembly constructed from radio-frequency-permeable materials. This filing suggests that the electric carmaker is preparing to integrate hardware from its sister company, SpaceX.
Embedding antennas directly in Tesla cars’ bodywork would effectively turn them into mobile terminals for the Starlink satellite internet constellation.
No more glass and steel
Standard automotive materials are notorious for blocking signals from non-terrestrial networks, which currently forces users to mount satellite dishes on the exterior of their vehicles to access satellite data. The patent outlines a departure from the glass-and-steel headers used on current production models.
Tesla’s proposed solution involves replacing these panels with polymer blends, including polycarbonate. These compounds are transparent to radio waves, allowing hidden receivers to maintain a line of sight with orbiting satellites. The car’s design remains neatly integrated.
The engineering required to replace structural glass or metal with plastic composites does present challenges. The filing proposes a complex multi-layer construction designed to replicate the strength of a standard roof while managing noise and vibration.
Tesla claims this configuration would meet US federal safety standards, but whether it will comply with the stricter European regulations remains a question. It wouldn’t be unlikely that the technology would be rolled out in the States first.
Directly linked, anywhere
For drivers in rural locations, the benefits are evident. Reliance on 4G and 5G networks often leaves electric vehicles isolated in dead zones, cutting off access to navigation data, music streaming, and over-the-air software updates.
A direct link to the satellites would theoretically provide a constant data stream independent of local providers’ infrastructure. The primary use appears to be consumer convenience (and data harvesting) rather than vehicle control.
This potential integration highlights the unique position of Musk’s corporate ecosystem. While Tesla and SpaceX operate as independent entities, their technological roadmaps could increasingly overlap. All in all, no other car manufacturer has the luxury of designing a vehicle specifically to house hardware for a satellite network owned by its own CEO.
However, the manufacturing realities may prove difficult for a car maker that can’t rely on the industry’s best quality control. Tesla has faced criticism regarding panel gaps and waterproofing on its existing metal and glass structures.
Introducing a sophisticated, multi-layered polymer assembly could introduce new points of failure. There is also the question of durability. Plastic composites degrade differently under UV exposure compared to automotive glass.
