- Tesla has filed a patent for an inflatable “range extender.”
- It sits in the bed of the Cybertruck and can be used to improve aerodynamics when towing.
- Unfortunately, it looks absolutely ridiculous.
If you thought Tesla couldn’t make the Cybertruck look any more outrageous, you’re wrong. The automaker filed a new patent for what is—and I swear I’m not making this up—a giant balloon aimed at giving the truck more range.
It’s utterly strange. But it’s also a fascinating way of solving one of the biggest challenges of electrifying big pickup trucks: limited range while towing. Is this an adequate replacement for the range-extending drop-in battery pack that Tesla advertised when the Cybertruck first went on sale and then canceled? Let’s dive into what this patent actually shows.
Photo by: Tesla
Tesla calls it an “inflatable aerodynamic deflector.” Technically it’s classified as a “rear spoiler” in the eyes of the U.S. Patent Office.
The giant pouch is made from is made from drop-stitch fabric, the same kind of stuff that a paddle board or life jacket is made from. It sits deflated in the bed of the truck until its needed for towing. It’s then inflated to form its very Cybertruck-esque profile. Its wedge-shaped design acts to guide air more smoothly around the back of the Cybertruck to reduce drag by moving it above whatever is being towed.
Here’s why this matters: Towing absolutely murders an EV’s range. Once you slap a trailer onto a vehicle, and you’ve basically hooked up a giant, heavy parachute to the back. The increased weight and hit to aerodynamics can easily halve the total distance a vehicle can travel. Tesla’s inflatable fix smooths the airflow and is meant to reduce that penalty.
Now, towing taking a toll on range isn’t a problem unique to EVs. Gas and diesel-powered trucks have the same problems. However, unlike trucks powered by liquid fuels, EVs take a bit longer to get back on the road once their range is tapped out (especially those trucks with giant 100-plus-kilowatt-hour battery packs). And, let’s be real, charging up on the road isn’t cheap either.
The irony here is that Tesla once said that it would build a “real” range extender that sat in the bed of the truck. Tesla delayed and then quietly and inexplicably killed the auxiliary battery. No real details were given, but the product did have its issues. Innovative as it was, it also cost $16,000, took up a third of the bed, and could only be installed at a service center. Even then, it still couldn’t quite enable the truck to hit the once-promised 500 miles of range.
To be fair, this idea isn’t all that bonkers. Long-haul truckers have used bolt-on fairings and side skirts for years to make trucks and trailers more aerodynamic to save on fuel. Tesla’s idea is to do something similar for the same reason. But rather than glue on more panels that could fly off on the highway, its idea is to make something easily stowable and lightweight.
Of course, it’s important to remember that this is just a patent—it doesn’t mean that Tesla will actually launch the inflatable contraption. But if it did, it would surely be just as eye-catching as the truck itself. Will it save range? Probably. Will it look ridiculous. Absolutely.
