Connect with us
ferrari pulsejet patent ferrari pulsejet patent

News

Ferrari takes a page out of the Tesla Roadster’s notebook

Credit: U.S. Patent Office

Published

on

Ferrari is taking a page out of the Tesla Roadster’s notebook after the Italian supercar company recently applied for a patent for a “pulsejet” system that aims to increase vehicle performance and is similar to what Elon Musk has in store of the reiteration of its first-ever car.

Although the Italian carmaker first filed the patent for High-Performance Car with Gas Pushers in 2019, it was only published to the U.S. Patent database a few days ago. As The Drive reported, the basic concepts are extremely similar to that of the Tesla Roadster, which Elon Musk plans to use cold-gas thrusters for lightning-fast acceleration and, more outlandishly, potential hovering capabilities.

Ferrari calls it a “pulse jet” system, and it could be used for anything from faster acceleration, quicker braking, or even more maneuverability around turns.

One thing that is for sure, however, is that the supercars of the future are planning to reach face-melting speeds and performance through the implementation of compressed air tanks and cold-gas thrusters. The latter is what Tesla intends to use for its next-gen roadster.

Advertisement

Ferrari plans to have the tanks placed in the front of the car, facing forward for braking, on the rear of the car facing backward for acceleration, and two additional tanks strategically placed on the sides to help with turns:

“A car having: a frame; four wheels, which are mounted on the frame in a rotary manner’ a body, which covers the frame’ at least one compressed air tank’ and at least one gas pusher, which is connected to the compressed air tank, is integral to the frame and has a plurality of nozzles, which face outwards, can be activated in order to generate respective air jets, are arranged parallel to and beside one another, have the same orientation and are sized so as to generate different pneumatic thrusts give the same pressure of the compressed air flowing in; a pressure sensor, which determines a pressure inside the compressed air tank; and a control unit, which activates the plurality of nozzles in a coordinated manner so as to generate, as a whole, a desired pneumatic thrust based on the pressure inside the compressed air tank.”

ferrari patent

Credit: U.S. Patent Office

Ferrari even plans to recapture energy from braking to keep the tanks full by using compressors attached to the vehicle’s axles.

Tesla has talked about the Roadster utilizing cold-gas thrusters for some time. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has discussed potential hovering capabilities and incredible acceleration rates utilizing cold-gas thrusters for the Roadster:

“I want it to hover. I’m trying to figure out how to make this thing hover, without, you know, killing people. I thought, maybe we could make it hover, but not too high…At a minimum, I’m confident we could do a thruster where the license plate flips down, James Bond-style, and there would be a rocket thruster behind it, and that gives you three tons of thrust.”

Advertisement

tesla roadster hover

Tesla Roadster SpaceX Edition Animation (Credit: Instagram | @pslavi_3d_vfx)

The Roadster is still being developed, and Musk once said that Tesla could deliver it this year if the company avoids any “mega-drama.” However, it seems the vehicle won’t make it to the market this year, as Tesla continues to focus on mass electrification.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla Semi spotted with ground truth validation equipment as launch looms

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

The Tesla Semi was spotted mounted with ground truth validation equipment as the company nears its looming launch. The Semi is Tesla’s Class 8 all-electric truck, and has been utilized in its earlier stages by many companies like PepsiCo. and Frito-Lay, who have been using it in a pilot program.

The Semi was spotted in Sunnyvale, California, and sports a typical ground truth validation unit that Tesla routinely uses on its vehicles. Ground truth validation is essentially the process of training supervised algorithms to ensure they can perform reliably. Tesla typically performs this on vehicles that are being released soon:

The Semi being spotted with this type of validation rig is important because it means the company is working on solidifying a Full Self-Driving model for its commercial vehicle offering. This would be a massive development for not only Tesla but also the logistics industry as a whole.

There are strict regulations on driving hours for commercial truck drivers, and autonomy is a way to potentially combat these issues. FSD is already a widely effective way that owners of typical passenger vehicles take stress out of travel. Even launching a semi-autonomous platform for truck drivers to use to increase safety, reduce fatigue, and increase productivity would be a huge development.

Tesla Semi gets strange-but-understandable comparison from Jay Leno

Advertisement

The Semi has already proven to be an ideal solution for companies that use commercial logistics. It has increased efficiency and reduced operating costs for many companies that have been able to use it in pilot programs.

There are expected to be some bumps along the way. Tesla saw some challenges with FSD on the Cybertruck, as it had never had a vehicle with cameras at that height, so some of the features with FSD were not immediately available. Just a week ago, Tesla launched Actually Smart Summon (ASS) for Cybertruck, nearly three years after the vehicle was first delivered to customers.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

President Trump touts new Air Force One with Musk technology

Published

on

Credit: Air Force

President Donald Trump unveiled an upgraded Boeing 747-8 at Joint Base Andrews on June 19, 2026, describing the Qatar-gifted aircraft as an interim Air Force One equipped with advanced communications systems, including Starlink, Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite internet service.

The plane, valued at around $400 million and modified for presidential use, serves as a bridge until the delayed VC-25B replacements arrive. Trump highlighted its luxury features and new technology during remarks to service members.

Trump stated:

“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before. It’s the highest level and, uh, including Starlink. My friend Elon is going to be very happy, but, uh, Starlink and we have, uh, four or five different sets of double and triple communications like people haven’t seen.”

Advertisement

He added:

“And it represents what can happen with hard work, innovation, and aggressive timelines because we did this quickly and yet there’s never been communication like is on this plane.”

The aircraft features a redesigned red, white, and blue livery and has been outfitted with Starlink satellite connectivity alongside other secure systems.

Trump praised the plane’s uniqueness, calling it among the world’s most luxurious. The gift from Qatar and subsequent modifications have drawn attention, with the jet positioned as a solution for presidential travel. It is expected to support operations, including potential ceremonial roles such as Fourth of July flyovers.

The event marked the formal introduction of the converted jet, which will help maintain capabilities while the primary Air Force One fleet undergoes modernization. Defense observers note the inclusion of commercial satellite technology like Starlink as part of efforts to ensure resilient communications, crucial to keep the country running as the President is in the sky.

Advertisement

President Trump’s comments underscored appreciation for rapid upgrades and innovation in equipping the aircraft. The plane remains a U.S. government asset and is slated for eventual transfer related to presidential library purposes after its service.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Cybercab launch is imminent after latest sighting at Giga Texas

Published

on

Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla just gave what is perhaps its biggest signal yet that the launch of the Cybercab, its autonomous ride-hailing-geared car, is imminent.

The Cybercab has been spotted outside of Gigafactory Texas in massive numbers over the past few days, with hundreds of units being stored on property just days after the vehicle received a Certificate of Conformity from the EPA.

Today, things were a bit different.

Cybercabs spotted on Giga Texas property today had an addition: a Cybercab decal on the side, reminiscent of the “Robotaxi” ones that were placed on Model Ys just as the company launched its ride-sharing platform about a year ago.

Advertisement

Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer noticed the change today:

Advertisement

Tesla could be signaling that the Cybercab is preparing to enter the Robotaxi fleet in the coming weeks or months with this move. It seems more symbolic than anything; Tesla is ready to throw Cybercabs in the ride-hailing platform just as it did with Model Ys last year.

The addition of the Certificate of Conformity awarded to the Cybercab is another major factor working to Tesla’s advantage. The company now has permission from the EPA to allow the vehicle to operate on public roads and enter the chain of commerce. It’s officially street legal.

Tesla Cybercab specs revealed: range, curb weight, range ratings, and more

The big question that remains is whether Tesla will be able to operate the car without a safety monitor, especially considering it plans to put the car out there without a steering wheel or pedals. With the Cybercab only having a seating capacity of two, it is hard to believe Tesla will even consider putting a Safety Monitor in the car.

Advertisement

It did recently self-certify as Level 4 and has the ability to operate driverless vehicles in the State of Texas under a law that took effect on May 28. You can read more about that here:

Tesla’s Robotaxi dreams just took a massive step toward reality

We’d imagine Cybercabs will be on the roads as soon as July, but August will likely be a better estimate of when the car will be entered into the Cybercab fleet. It all depends at where Tesla is, as they’ve truly prioritized safety with the rollout of the Robotaxi platform.

Advertisement
Continue Reading