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Tesla patent hints at possible Model S, X refresh with new HVAC system
Details coming out of a new international patent application filed by Tesla reveals an infotainment-controlled HVAC system that could be intended for an upcoming Model S and Model X refresh.
A similar HVAC control system has already been rolled out by Tesla in its compact electric sedan, the Model 3. The Model 3 uses two intersecting planes of air for vertical control. Lateral fins hidden within the electric car’s dashboard provide horizontal air control while also providing a clean, minimalistic look. Tesla’s filed patent describes features that are similar to Model 3’s air vent system that’s controlled through its 15″ center touchscreen. Patent US2017 / 058015 titled “Infotainment System with Air-Vent Control,” describes a system to manipulate the airflow inside the vehicle through the vehicle’s media control unit.
The air vent assembly includes a first vent portion placed in front of the driver and a second vent portion that is placed in front of the passenger. These vent portions may be elongated as compared to traditionally known designs of air vent assemblies in that they have longer, more linear vents instead of more circular or boxy vents.
Embodiments of the present disclosure enhance the capabilities of this air vent assembly to provide air flow in a leftward, rightward, onward, and a split configuration using a single rotary actuator. In certain embodiments, the user interface may also allow a user to define the degree to which the vents may cause air to flow in the rightward, leftward, or split direction.
Similar to Model 3’s unique HVAC system, the one described in the patent application also allows passengers to customize the airflow within the vehicle according to passenger preferences.
In certain embodiments, the user customizes the airflow, for example, the specific direction of the airflow. This can allow for a more comfortable experience for the occupants of a vehicle. For example, certain occupants may desire for air to be directed towards themselves while other occupants may desire the temperature of the vehicle cabin to be set to a certain value without having air directly impinging on themselves.
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An illustration of Tesla’s recent patent on an infotainment-controlled HVAC system. [Credit: World Intellectual Property Organization]
With anticipation running high that Model S and Model X is due for a refresh, an update to its HVAC system would not only unify the dashboard design across its fleet of vehicles but could also simplify production. For one, Tesla’s unique air vent system requires less hardware and thus minimizes the need for multiple suppliers. Using a simpler design, Tesla’s thinner HVAC system can efficiently utilize space in the dashboard, and provide a much more expansive interior feel. Such a system, as proven by the Model 3, would also give drivers better road visibility.
While Tesla’s international patent application did not specifically mention a vehicle model, illustrations included in the document resembles the design of the Model S and Model X’s dashboard. Figure 1, for example, features a dashboard that is similar to the all-electric luxury sedan and SUV. Apart from a similar-looking instrument cluster and infotainment system, the illustration also features a dashboard curvature that’s aligned with that of Model S and Model X’s current design. Armrest cupholders located between the front seats at the bottom of Fig. 1 also draws resemblance to ones found in the Model S and Model X.
Adopting an HVAC system that’s akin to the Model 3 for the Model S and Model X would likely be a welcomed change for Tesla enthusiasts. During his testing and teardown of the vehicle earlier this year alone, Detroit veteran Sandy Munro, who issued a harsh critique of the electric car’s build quality, admitted in a later comment that the Model 3’s HVAC system was “brilliant,” citing its simple yet ingenious design.
Aside from major refreshes, Tesla continues to improve the components of its vehicles over time. As revealed by Elon Musk in a recent conversation with Consumer Reports’ Jake Fisher, the Tesla CEO noted that improvements have been rolled out to the Model 3 since its production began, from better interior materials that reduce road noise to a software update that improves the vehicles’ controls. Tesla’s flagship Model S and Model X are no strangers to this, and a revamped HVAC system can only improve the experience for its driver and passengers.
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Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya has cautioned investors shorting SpaceX shares, drawing a direct parallel to the intense short-selling pressure Tesla faced in its early public years.
Responding to reports of elevated short interest in the newly public rocket, satellite, and AI company, Palihapitiya noted that similar dynamics played out with Tesla, where aggressive short sellers ultimately “went broke.”
SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) went public on June 12, 2026, in the largest IPO on record, pricing at $135 per share. Shares quickly surged to an all-time high of $225.64 just days later, briefly implying a valuation exceeding $2 trillion. The stock has since retreated sharply amid valuation concerns, lockup expiration fears, and broader market dynamics.
By early August, it traded near $108–$125, representing a roughly 50 percent decline from the peak and bringing the market capitalization closer to the $1.5–1.7 trillion range. On August 4, shares closed up more than 9 percent at $125.33 ahead of earnings before facing pressure in after-hours and premarket trading.
Short interest has climbed dramatically. According to S3 Partners data widely cited in market reports, short positions reached approximately 219.3 million shares by late July, about 34 percent of the limited public float of roughly 640 million shares, and represented a notional value of around $24.6 billion.
Utilization of shares available to borrow hit 95 percent, with borrow fees rising. This level of shorting exceeded the dollar value of short bets against Tesla at the time and built rapidly ahead of two catalysts: the company’s first post-IPO earnings and an August 6 lockup expiration that could free up to 911.5 million additional shares.
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CEO Elon Musk has issued warnings of his own. In mid-July, as short interest approached one-third of the float, he posted that “the survival probability of firms who maintain a significant short position in SpaceX over time is very low,” reiterating his view that the company could ultimately be worth more than Earth if it achieves its goals.
On August 4, just before earnings, Musk responded to the latest short-interest data by saying, “I try to warn them, but they just double down.”
SpaceX delivered its first quarterly results as a public company after the close on August 4. Second-quarter revenue rose 92 percent year-over-year to $7.8 billion, beating consensus estimates near $6.8–6.9 billion.
The net loss narrowed to $541 million, or 9 cents per share, better than the roughly 23–24 cent loss expected. Starlink/connectivity contributed about $4.3 billion (up 66 percent), while the AI business generated $2.6 billion (up roughly 250 percent). Capital expenditures were heavy at $18.4 billion, largely tied to AI infrastructure. Management projected a $100 billion annualized revenue run rate by year-end 2026 and outlined a path toward $1 trillion in annual revenue by 2030.
The combination of Chamath’s historical reminder, Musk’s repeated alerts, and the company’s ambitious growth targets underscores the high-stakes debate surrounding SPCX. Short sellers are positioned for near-term supply pressure from the lockup, while long-term bulls point to Starlink scale, Starship progress, and AI compute expansion as reasons the bears may ultimately face the same fate as many early Tesla skeptics.
Investor's Corner
SpaceX and Nvidia team up on Musk’s orbital AI bet
SpaceX revealed a new Nvidia satellite partnership, then Musk pledged an exclusive Nvidia hardware commitment.
SpaceX and Nvidia are now working together on the hardware that will power Musk’s orbital data center ambitions. SpaceX announced on X on Tuesday that it is partnering with Nvidia to design the compute payload for Starmind AI1, the first satellite in a planned constellation built to run AI workloads directly in orbit. Each Starmind satellite will carry Nvidia’s Rubin GPUs and Vera CPUs, according to the post, which included renderings of the payload design.
The announcement landed hours before SpaceX’s first earnings call as a public company, where Musk went further, saying the company has committed to building its AI infrastructure exclusively on Nvidia hardware. “We think the Vera Rubin architecture is the best architecture. We think it’s the best AI computer, and we greatly value our close cooperation and partnership on many levels with Nvidia,” Musk told investors on the call,. “So we’re exclusive to Nvidia.”
Musk said SpaceX plans to deploy Nvidia’s Vera Rubin NVL72 rackscale system, codenamed Kyber, both on the ground and in space. He set a target of 2 gigawatts of compute capacity online by the end of this year, scaling to roughly 10 gigawatts by the end of 2027.
SpaceX’s newest Starmind will make earth data centers obsolete
Starmind has been in development since Musk confirmed the name in June, following an xAI trademark filing that tipped off the project before SpaceX made it official. The idea is massive in scope and instead of moving data down to ground based servers, satellites equipped with onboard processors and large solar arrays would compute AI workloads in orbit and beam results back to Earth. SpaceX has already filed with the FCC for a constellation of up to one million satellites to support the effort, citing constant solar power and the absence of zoning restrictions as advantages over terrestrial data centers.
The Nvidia exclusivity marks a shift in tone from just two weeks ago, when Musk was busy knocking down a report that SpaceX had ordered $52 billion worth of Nvidia GPUs through Foxconn, calling it fake news at the time. The dollar figure in that rumor may have been wrong, but the underlying direction seems correct. SpaceX’s AI division already leases Colossus compute capacity to Anthropic and Google, and Tuesday’s earnings report showed AI revenue climbing sharply as those deals ramp up.
Nvidia shares rose roughly 3% in Tuesday trading on the news, while SpaceX stock climbed nearly 9% during the day before giving back gains after hours as investors digested the earnings report’s capital spending figures.
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SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) reported a beat in revenues and EBITDA in its first earnings call report while also minimizing losses as its business continues to gain momentum.
After its IPO in July, SpaceX saw some tough losses on Wall Street due to a major selloff after a delay in its 13th Starship test flight. The ship launched later that week and completed what was arguably the most successful IFT operation in the Starship program’s history.
Nevertheless, the company is continuing on and reported some encouraging financials while also promoting what appears to be a robust outlook moving forward in its Space, AI, and Connectivity divisions.
SpaceX to report first-ever earnings today: here’s what to expect
Earnings Results
- Revenues: $7.8 billion reported vs. $6.7 billion expected
- Adjusted EBITDA: $3.5 billion vs. $2 billion expected
- Net loss of $541 million, an improvement of $467 million from net loss of $1.0 billion
Additionally, CFO Bret Johnsen had these comments:
“2026 has been a momentous year so far, and the second quarter demonstrated the true power of SpaceX. Revenue growth accelerated across all our business segments and we delivered strong operating leverage, with significant margin expansion led by our new AI compute agreements. Our unparalleled leadership in launch, Starlink subscriber growth, new enterprise and government partnerships, and best-in-class AI infrastructure underscore our ability to drive meaningful scale and deliver attractive returns. As a newly public company, we are delighted to welcome our broad base of shareholders and bondholders. We ended the second quarter with $100 billion of cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, and $47.5 billion in backlog. This financial strength gives us substantial capacity to invest in Starship, Starlink Broadband and Mobile satellites, and our AI platform, while maintaining a disciplined long-term capital allocation framework.”
Space Business Highlights
SpaceX shared some of its biggest Space Business Highlights for Q2:
- Space revenues grew 55% sequentially and 29% year-over-year to $962 million, driven by a higher number of large customer launches and a favorable customer shift compared to the prior year
- Total costs and expenses for the Space segment were up by $389 million year-over-year, as we continued to accelerate R&D investments in our Starship program, which we believe will reduce the cost to orbit by 99% or more relative to the historical average, and unlock significant revenue potential across all business segments
- Leading launch provider for the world with 78 launches and 1,041 metric tons of mass to orbit deployed over the six months ended June 30, 2026, primarily allocated to Connectivity for the deployment of our Starlink constellation
- Starship V3 development continued to advance towards full and rapid reusability:
- Completed Starship V3’s first suborbital mission in May, Flight 12, which achieved a successful lift off from our new Starbase pad, a precision landing of Starship’s upper stage, and deployment of modified V2 Starlink satellites
- Subsequent to the second quarter, completed Starship Flight 13 in July, which achieved all flight objectives including deploying 20 production V3 satellites, demonstrating in-space relight of a Raptor engine, and executing the softest ever splashdown of Starship, providing critical views of an intact heatshield
SpaceX will report its earnings today at 4:30 P.M. EDT.
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SpaceX shorts get warned by Musk ally, echoing Tesla’s early struggles
SpaceX and Nvidia team up on Musk’s orbital AI bet
