Tesla Roadster to Have LiDAR? New Patent Details Active Aero System Ahead of Oct. 1 Debut

Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) had a newly published patent filing surface over the weekend that outlines an active rear wing designed to sit hidden in the bodywork ahead of the Roadster reveal on October 1st. 700 KG Downforce The filing, which the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made public on September 24 and was cited by Electrek on Friday, describes a two-section wing that can transition from fully tucked away to fully extended in under three seconds. It also says the system can adjust the wing’s angle in under a quarter-second. Read Also: Tesla Reopens Roadster Reservations Ahead of Oct. 1 Reveal: Here’s What You Need to Know The application is labeled US 2026/0285418 A1 and carries the title "Deployable and Active Rear Wing Assembly with Safety Features." Tesla filed it in August 2025 as a continuation of a March 2025 submission that is now marked abandoned, the report said. The patent text includes a specific aerodynamic claim: "0 kg of downforce in DRS mode, and up to 700 kg of downforce in high downforce mode at top speed," with the example scenario tied to speeds above 100 mph, according to the report. A dedicated controller would manage the wing using inputs such as speed, steering, braking, GPS location, and "autonomous driving sensor data." Safety is a major theme in the filing, with Tesla describing both a mechanical release that allows the wing to fold back after a sufficiently strong impact and a sensor-driven approach intended to start retracting ahead of an anticipated rear collision. The patent’s sensor list includes cameras, radar, and lidar. ‘Cold Thrust System’ Amid the patent filing and the teaser for the Roadster, reports from last month suggest that the Roadster could have a “cold thrust system” used in Space Exploration Technologies Corp.‘s (NASDAQ:SPCX) Falcon 9 rocket. Notably, Musk, in an appearance on the All In Podcast earlier this month, teased that the Roadster reveal would be a memorable event. It’s also worth noting that a user on the social media platform X on Sunday, @DragTimes, revealed a purported email from Tesla that said the event would have a “unique” outdoor experience which could be rescheduled should the weather be unfavorable. Let's hope for good weather! pic.twitter.com/F7p6W8AHhT— DragTimes (@DragTimes) September 28, 2026 Price Action: Tesla shares declined 0.57% to $370.00 during overnight trading. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Read Also: Trump Weighs Diesel Export Ban 'Very Seriously' Amid Rising Prices — Gets a Blunt Economist Response: 'Seriously Don't' Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link. Photo courtesy: Rokas Tenys on Shutterstock.com