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Tesla’s near-obsessive efforts to improve efficiency shown in new ventilated seat patent
It is no secret that Tesla’s electric vehicles are among the most efficient in the auto industry. This is shown in the gap between Tesla and its competitors when it comes to battery tech and just how far the company’s vehicles can last between charges.
The Model X, for example, is Tesla’s largest vehicle available today, yet it is far more efficient than competitors from veteran automakers such as the Audi e-tron and the Jaguar I-PACE, both of which are smaller and newer than the Silicon Valley-based company’s flagship crossover. Part of this is likely due to Tesla’s proprietary battery chemistry, as well as the design and components of its vehicles themselves.
Tesla optimizes its vehicles’ efficiency in several ways, from equipping its cars with software that optimizes the battery pack to using materials that simply consume less power. The less power is consumed by the car’s systems, after all, the more power there is that could be used to turn the wheels of the vehicle.
An example of this is described in a recently-published patent titled “Vehicle Seat with Integrated Temperature-Control System.” Tesla notes in its patent that heated seats could easily be very inefficient, as they require heat to travel through multiple layers of material.
“Attempts to provide air ventilation through the seat foam are typically insufficient to remove excess heat and provide a comfortable environment for the occupant. Further, conventional heating systems are bulky, occupy space in the seat which typically requires the seat to be thicker, and are inefficient in heating the seat as the heat typically must travel through multiple layers and heats regions of the seat that the occupant does not contact. Hence, there is a need for an improved temperature-control system for vehicle seats,” Tesla noted.
The electric car maker describes how its ventilated seat patent works as follows.
“The temperature-control system is associated with at least one of a seating portion and a backrest portion of the seat. The temperature control system includes a base layer. The temperature-control system includes an intermediate layer disposed adjacent to the base layer. The intermediate layer allows fluid to flow through it. The temperature-control system includes a cover layer disposed adjacent to the intermediate layer. The temperature-control system also includes at least one heating element disposed between the intermediate layer and the cover layer. The temperature-control system further includes a fluid pump to provide the flow of fluid through the intermediate layer,” the company wrote.
Tesla explains that the design outlined in its patent provides a low-cost, low-noise, power-efficient, and effective way of cooling or heating a vehicle’s seats. The company also explained that its patent could be incorporated in any seat, regardless of size and shape.
Tesla’s patent for its “Vehicle Seat with Integrated Temperature-Control System” could be accessed in full here.
Being a patent application, it is unknown if Tesla has or will utilize the design it described in the recently published document. Yet, regardless of this, it is difficult to not acknowledge the electric car maker’s constant efforts to improve its vehicles’ efficiency. In a way, the publication of this patent comes at a rather appropriate time for Tesla too, as the company is preparing to unveil its next vehicle, a pickup truck, later this year.
Pickup trucks are by tradition not the most efficient cars on the road, and even the Rivian R1T, a vehicle designed from the ground up to be all-electric, requires a massive 180 kWh battery pack to hit 400 miles of range. That’s a range that the Raven Tesla Model S is already approaching with its 100 kWh battery pack.
At this point in the EV race, it’s evident that the efficiency of Tesla’s electric cars is top-notch, and it will likely take a while before competitors can come close. Rivals will come for the company from several fronts, including veteran automakers and young, upstart manufacturers. But by being a moving target, it will likely be a very challenging task to catch up to Tesla. Very few companies out there could be just as dedicated and near-obsessive with improvement and innovation, after all.
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Tesla Robotaxi rival Waymo confirms massive fleet expansion in Bay Area
New data from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said Waymo had 1,429 vehicles operating in California, and 875 of them were “associated with a terminal in San Francisco,” according to The SF Examiner.
Tesla Robotaxi rival Waymo has confirmed that it has expanded its fleet of driverless ride-sharing vehicles in the Bay Area of California massively since its last public disclosure.
It is perhaps one of the most important metrics in the race for autonomous supremacy, along with overall service area. Tesla has seemed to focus on the latter, while expanding its fleet slowly to maintain safety.
Waymo, on the other hand, is bringing its fleet size across the country to significant levels. In March, it told The SF Examiner that there were over 300 Waymos in service in the San Francisco area, which was not a significant increase from the 250 vehicles on the road it reported in August 2023.
In May, the company said in a press release that it had more than 1,500 self-driving Waymos operating nationwide. More than 600 were in the San Francisco area.
Tesla analyst compares Robotaxi to Waymo: ‘The contrast was clear’
However, new data from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said Waymo had 1,429 vehicles operating in California, and 875 of them were “associated with a terminal in San Francisco,” according to The SF Examiner.
CPUC data from March 2025 indicated that there were a total of 1,087 Waymo vehicles in California, with 762 located in San Francisco. Some were test vehicles, others were deployed to operate as ride-sharing vehicles.
The company’s August update also said that it deploys more than 2,000 commercial vehicles in the United States. That number was 1,500 in May. There are also roughly 400 in Phoenix and 500 in Los Angeles.
While Waymo has done a good job of expanding its fleet, it has also been able to expand its footprint in the various cities it is operating in.
Most recently, it grew its geofence in Austin, Texas, to 90 square miles. This outpaced Tesla for a short period before the company expanded its Robotaxi service area earlier this week to roughly 170 square miles.
Tesla one-ups Waymo once again with latest Robotaxi expansion in Austin
The two companies have drastically different approaches to self-driving, as Waymo utilizes LiDAR, while Tesla relies solely on cameras for its suite. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made no mistake about which he believes to be the superior solution to autonomy.
News
Tesla launches Full Self-Driving in a new region
Today, Tesla launched Full Self-Driving in Australia for purchase by car buyers for $10,100, according to Aussie automotive blog Man of Many, which tried out the suite earlier this week.
Tesla has launched its Full Self-Driving suite in a new region, marking a significant step in the company’s progress to expand its driver assistance suite on a global scale.
It is also the first time Tesla has launched FSD in a right-hand-drive market.
Today, Tesla launched Full Self-Driving in Australia for purchase by car buyers for $10,100, according to Aussie automotive blog Man of Many, which tried out the suite earlier this week.
Previously, Basic and Enhanced Autopilot suites were available, but the FSD capability now adds Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control, along with all the features of the previous two Autopilot suites.
🚨 Tesla has officially launched Full Self-Driving in Australia for the price of $10,100 outright.
The move marks a significant step in Tesla’s progress to expand the suite on a global scale pic.twitter.com/zzHa8Ngqls
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 28, 2025
It is the first time Tesla has launched the suite by name in a region outside of North America. In China, Tesla has “City Autopilot,” as it was not permitted to use the Full Self-Driving label for regulatory reasons.
However, Tesla still lists Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as available in the U.S., Canada, China, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
The company teased the launch of the suite in Australia earlier this week, and it appeared to have been released to select media members in the region earlier this week:
Tesla FSD upcoming Australia release seemingly teased bv media
The rollout of Full Self-Driving in the Australian market will occur in stages, as Model 3 and Model Y vehicles with Hardware 4 will receive the first batch of FSD rollouts in the region.
TechAU also reported that “the initial deployment of FSDs in Australia will roll out to a select number of people outside the company, these people are being invited into Tesla’s Early Access Program.”
Additionally, the company reportedly said it is “very close” to unlocking FSD in customer cars:
BREAKING: Tesla has officially announced that FSD (Supervised) is launching in Australia, marking a huge milestone for the company.
The rollout will happen in stages. HW4 Model 3s and Model Ys will get it first. Tesla says it is “very close” to being unlocked in customer cars.… pic.twitter.com/r1dYnFRa6o
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 28, 2025
Each new Tesla sold will also come with a 30-day free trial of the suite.
Australia is the sixth country to officially have Full Self-Driving available to them, following the United States, Canada, China, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
Here’s the first look at the suite operating in Australia:
News
Tesla AI6 chips will start sample production at surprising Samsung site
AI6 is expected to be used in Tesla’s expanding lineup of high-volume products, such as the Cybercab and Optimus.
It appears that the initial sample production of Tesla’s next-generation AI6 chip would not start in Samsung’s United States-based facilities.
AI6 is expected to be used in Tesla’s expanding lineup of high-volume products, such as the Cybercab and Optimus.
Early AI6 production
As noted in a ZDNet Korea report, the production of initial samples of Tesla’s AI6 chip is expected to start at Samsung Electronics’ domestic foundry and packing facilities in South Korea. Mass production for AI6 chips will follow at the tech giant’s Texas-based foundry in Taylor, which is expected to start operations in 2025. Investment in mass production facilities for the Taylor plant are expected to start this year, the publication noted.
Samsung has reportedly finalized the process design kit for its second-generation 2nm technology. This node offers a 12% performance improvement, 25% lower power consumption, and an 8% reduction in chip area compared to its previous-generation counterparts.
Tesla’s AI6 deal
As per previous reports, Tesla has signed a $16.5 billion contract with Samsung for the production of its AI6 chips. In a post on social media platform X, Musk clarified that $16.5 billion is actually just the bare minimum. Considering that the demand for AI6 chips will be substantial due to the ramp of products such as Optimus and the Cybercab, it would not be farfetched if the deal becomes notably larger in the future.
Musk has shared his excitement for Samsung’s production of AI6 chips, with the CEO stating on X that he would “walk the line personally” in the facility to “accelerate the pace of progress.” In a follow-up comment, the Tesla CEO stated that Samsung is fully aware of what a real partnership with Tesla will be like. “I had a video call with the chairman and senior leadership of Samsung to go over what a real partnership would be like. Use the strengths of both companies to achieve a great outcome,” Musk wrote in his post.
Tesla Robotaxi rival Waymo confirms massive fleet expansion in Bay Area
Tesla launches Full Self-Driving in a new region
Tesla AI6 chips will start sample production at surprising Samsung site
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