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Tesla turns up vehicle safety with clever ‘crash can’ patent
Tesla’s electric cars are already among the safest vehicles on the road today with their impressive safety ratings. But even the best cars still have room for improvement, and one can count on Tesla to be the manufacturer that will do what it can to make its already-safe vehicles even safer. An example of this could be found in a recently published patent that describes a “crash can” that can help protect occupants better in the event of a collision.
The patent, titled “ADVANCED THIN-WALLED STRUCTURE FOR ENHANCED CRASH PERFORMANCE” describes a specific design for a “crash can,” a thin-walled metal structure that is built into the crash zones of a vehicle. These metal structures are built to absorb the energy of an impact, and are designed to deform in a stable manner during events such as a crash. Crash cans are typically a square, single-cell tube directly mounted to the front of the frame of the vehicle.
Tesla’s crash can patent takes the same concept but raises it up a couple of notches higher. Instead of using a simple square, single-cell tube, Tesla’s patent describes a “multi-cell structure that includes at least four hollow cuboids.” The four walls of the hollow cuboids meet at 90-degree angles and at least two of the cuboids share a wall. Tesla describes its design in the section below.
“In some embodiments a crash can for a vehicle includes a multi-cell structure that includes a hollow cuboid and four hollow isosceles trapezoidal prisms. The hollow cuboid has four walls and the four hollow isosceles trapezoidal prisms each have a long base, a short base, and two legs. The four hollow isosceles trapezoidal prisms are arranged around the hollow cuboid such that the long base of each hollow isosceles trapezoidal prism shares one of the walls of the hollow cuboid.”
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- (Credit: US Patent Office)
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- (Credit: US Patent Office)
Illustrations of Tesla’s “crash can” patent. (Credit: US Patent Office)
This updated design, while seemingly a minor change, actually improves the safety of a vehicle during a crash. According to Tesla, the crash can design in its recently-published patent provides a more stable deformation process. This increases the amount of energy that can be absorbed in a collision.
“One advantage of the various embodiments of the crash cans disclosed herein is that the multi-cell structure of the crash cans provides a more stable form of plastic deformation when the crash can is subject to the force of a collision relative to a single cell (tube) structure. Further, the various geometries described herein may further provide more stable plastic deformation relative to conventional geometries. As described herein, plastic deformation is the process of absorbing energy when the crash can is subject to a collision. Various exemplary crash cans provided herein increases plastic deformation, and thus the amount of energy absorbed, by increasing the probability that the crash cans buckle in a progressive manner. Thus, the multi-cell structure of the exemplary crash cans increases the probability that when subjected to axial force the crash cans will buckle in a stable top-down, progressive folding of the structure.
“Increasing plastic deformation in this manner grants the multi-cell crash can several advantages. For example, increasing plastic deformation in turn increases the amount of energy that will be absorbed during a collision, resulting in lower deceleration for the occupant(s) and critical components of a vehicle involved in a collision. This, in turn, results in an overall safer experience for the occupant(s) and critical components, providing for a lower chance of injury or damage. Additionally, increasing the probability that the multi-cell crash can buckles in a stable manner increases the predictability of how the crash can will react when subject to a collision, which in turn increases the predictability of how the rest of the vehicle will react. This allows for greater predictability of what an occupant will experience and allows for more precise planning on how to keep the occupant safe.”
The full text of Tesla’s novel “crash can” patent could be accessed here.
Among the carmakers in the auto segment today, Tesla is arguably the most obsessive when it comes to its vehicles’ safety. Each one of Tesla’s electric cars has performed well in crash tests, with the Model X SUV proving to be near-impossible to topple, and the Model 3 acing the safety tests of the NHTSA, Euro NCAP, ANCAP, and even the IIHS. With improvements such as those described in its recently-published “crash can” patent, Tesla’s electric cars today, as well as its upcoming vehicles, could prove even safer.
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.
Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer noticed the change today:
Tesla Cybercabs are now getting “Cybercab” logos on the side of them!
Tesla did the same with Model Ys that were given “Robotaxi” logos: https://t.co/DanANtw1m7 pic.twitter.com/FqOhH0S9Ks
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 19, 2026
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.
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.
Elon Musk has publicly questioned Moody’s credit assessments following the rating agency’s decision to assign SpaceX a Baa1 investment-grade rating, two notches above Tesla’s Baa3. The comments came amid discussions comparing the two companies’ financial profiles.
SpaceX earned its first-time Baa1 rating with a stable outlook from Moody’s. The agency highlighted the company’s leadership in orbital launches, the growing recurring revenue from its Starlink satellite network, strong vertical integration, U.S. government contracts, and emerging opportunities in AI infrastructure.
These factors were cited as supporting robust cash flows, margin expansion, and financial flexibility.
Musk responded directly: “Tesla’s credit rating is ridiculously low tbh,” and added, “Yeah, makes no sense. Tesla has over $40B in cash, no debt, and is consistently profitable!” His remarks underscored Tesla’s balance sheet strength and profitability at a time when many traditional automakers continue to report losses in the shift to electric vehicles.
Yeah, makes no sense.
Tesla has over $40B in cash, no debt and is consistently profitable!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2026
Tesla maintains a leading position in the global EV market, with diversification into energy and storage, battery technology, and robotics through projects like Optimus. Recent financial updates show the company generated positive free cash flow of $1.4 billion in Q1 2026, supported by operating cash flow of $3.9 billion. Cash and short-term investments stood at approximately $44.7 billion.
Moody’s has affirmed Tesla’s Baa3 issuer rating with a stable outlook in periodic reviews, acknowledging the company’s EV leadership, technology strengths, including AI for autonomous vehicles, solid profitability, and strong liquidity.
Tesla (TSLA) scores Baa3 Moody’s rating for ‘stable’ outlook
However, the agency has also noted challenges in the automotive segment and expectations for margin pressures.
Musk’s critique highlights a common debate about how traditional rating methodologies apply to high-growth, capital-intensive technology companies. SpaceX benefits from long-term government-backed contracts and diversified, recurring revenue streams, while Tesla’s valuation reflects heavy investment in future technologies such as autonomy and robotics.
Both ratings remain investment-grade, yet the one-notch difference has fueled online discussion about potential inconsistencies in evaluating innovative firms.
The exchange comes as SpaceX explores financing options following its recent valuation milestones, while Tesla continues executing on its multi-year roadmap. Musk’s pointed response serves as a reminder that credit ratings, though influential for borrowing costs, represent one lens through which markets assess corporate strength—and that company leaders often view their financial positions through the lens of long-term innovation and cash generation rather than short-term risk metrics alone.
A new report from Reuters claims that a transport authority in Sweden is pushing back against the approval of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite because it will travel over speed limits.
The report says the Swedish Transport Administration (TRV) recommends the European Union votes against FSD’s approval. TRV believes it should not be approved until Tesla disables FSD’s ability to speed.
TRV sent a letter to the European Union’s Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles (TCMV), which is set to meet on June 30 to discuss the potential approval of the Tesla FSD suite in the country. Tesla, which has received various approvals in Europe over the past two months, has not provided a comment.
Teslas operating on FSD do travel over the speed limit, depending on the Speed Profile that is chosen. Drivers have the ability to disengage FSD at any point; Tesla specifically states that those supervising the suite are responsible for its actions.
Let’s cut to the chase: humans operating any vehicle speed almost daily in the United States. Realistically, speed limits in the U.S. are more frequently treated as speed minimums. However, other countries are different, and driving behaviors are less aggressive.
TRV believes that “allowing automated systems to systematically exceed legal speed limits…risks undermining both the legal framework and the expected safety benefits of vehicle automation,” the report stated. It’s surprising that Tesla has not received this claim from other countries previously.
This could be a good argument to bring Max Speed back, the setting that previously allowed the driver to choose the absolute fastest the car would travel.
This would still put the responsibility of supervision in the hands of the driver. It would allow the driver to choose whether the car would travel over the speed limit or not, acknowledging that they set the speed, and if they get pulled over, there would be no ability to argue it.
However, it does not seem as if this is something Tesla will do, especially considering many U.S. drivers have requested the feature in an effort to eliminate speeding or at least tone it down. The company has not shown any interest in bringing it back.
Tesla has approvals for FSD in Europe in Estonia, Lithuania, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Tesla gives its biggest signal yet that Cybercab launch is imminent
Elon Musk challenges Tesla credit rating from Moody’s after SpaceX gets a higher one
