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Tesla’s ‘rotor geometry’ patent hints at more efficient electric motors

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Tesla has invented a technique for increasing its all-electric vehicles’ power and torque by simply adjusting the shape of some of its electric motor’s components.

A recently published US patent application titled “Geometry of Rotor End Ring and Stator End Turns” describes how Tesla accomplishes this. According to the application, certain internal parts of an electric motor can be modified to reduce power losses from leaks in the magnetic field that effectively make the motor smaller.

The primary components of electric motors – the rotor and the stator – together generate the motion used to operate a vehicle. Simply, a magnetic field produced by electricity running through copper wires in the stator cause the magnetized bars of the rotor to spin. However, when the motor is operating at high speed, some of the electromagnetic force is lost, reducing the motor’s power.

Figure 2 from Tesla’s U.S. Patent Application No. 2019/0097508 | Credit: Tesla

Tesla has identified two places where this loss can be reduced – the end parts of the stator and rotor. The copper wiring in these parts is wrapped around cutout shapes, and after some testing, Tesla’s engineers learned that different shapes give different results. Per the application, “geometries for rotor end ring and stator end turns can be chosen in a way that improves performance or other characteristics of the motor.”

Overall, electric current flow becomes concentrated in different spots on the motor depending on the ‘geometry’ of these parts, thus an opportunity to limit any losses has presented itself by controlling where the concentrations happen. Tesla has filed this application to protect the process (‘method’) of building a motor with the geometry knowledge made part of the design and testing.

The process is described in the application’s Abstract as follows:

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“A method of making an AC induction motor includes: providing a rotor and a stator for the AC induction motor; determining, for different geometries of an end ring of the rotor, a location of a first centroid of current density in the end ring; determining, for end turns of the stator, a location of a second centroid of current density in the end turns; selecting a geometry for at least the endring of the rotor so that an axial distance between the first centroid of current density and the second centroid of current density is minimized; and assembling the AC induction motor, wherein the end turns and the end ring have the selected geometries.”

Figure 3 from Tesla’s U.S. Patent Application No. 2019/0097508 | Credit: Tesla

Although the publication was only recently available to the public, this application is related to another patent that was filed in 2015, meaning that Tesla is likely already implementing the findings and invention into their manufacturing process. This is rather unsurprising considering the company’s tendency to constantly improve its vehicles’ components as soon as the upgrades are available. Elon Musk himself has mentioned this on Twitter, stating that Tesla’s electric cars are “partially upgraded every month as soon as a new subsystem is ready for production.” This was also highlighted by President of Automotive Jerome Guillen last December, when he highlighted that the designs of Tesla’s batteries are always evolving.

Automotive teardown expert Sandy Munro concluded following a thorough analysis of an early-production Model 3 that the vehicle’s electric motors are among the best in the industry today. In an appearance at YouTube’s Autoline TV, Munro noted that the Model 3’s electric motors are more efficient and more cost-effective than the motors found in the Chevy Bolt EV and the BMW i3. “They’ve got magic. The electric motor is smaller and lighter than everybody else, but outperforms everybody,” Munro said.

The full text of Tesla’s “Geometry of Rotor End Ring and Stator End Turns” patent can be accessed here.

Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

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Tesla Service just made a simple change for iOS users that makes a big difference

The Live Activities will now provide owners with a quick view of the service status on their vehicle, including the expected arrival time of the repair technician, the actual arrival time, and the estimated completion time.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has improved the transparency and communication it has with customers when their vehicles are being serviced with a very simple addition to its app.

The addition will only impact iOS users as it utilizes Apple’s Live Activities feature, which is utilized for other Tesla features, most notably during Supercharging to alert owners of their state of charge, charging rate, session cost, and time remaining.

Now, Tesla is using the Live Activities feature of iOS to alert customers of the status of a repair through Service, something that definitely improves the overall interaction between the owner and the company.

The Live Activities will now provide owners with a quick view of the service status on their vehicle, including the expected arrival time of the repair technician, the actual arrival time, and the estimated completion time.

Credit: @robkten | X

It also uses Apple’s Dynamic Island for an even more streamlined look at repair status.

The change was first noticed by Not a Tesla App. Some owners have said that the change has been available for about two months, but we had also not noticed it until now.

Tesla has been working to improve its Service division, especially over the past few months, as Raj Jegannathan, Vice President of IT/AI-Infra, Apps, Infosec, and Vehicle Service Operations, has revealed the company is working to make things easier for owners.

It is no secret that getting in touch with Tesla Service is easier said than done. In fact, CEO Elon Musk has even had to step up on X to get some issues resolved.

Elon Musk is stepping up for Tesla Service in a big way

But Tesla has done a good job of confronting the shortcomings, especially when it comes to communication between the Service Center and owners.

It started a pilot program at select service locations that shared local and regional leader contact information so customers could reach out if they had an issue with diagnostic, warranty, or estimate issues.

Tesla also enabled an extended in-app messaging option, which gives owners 24 hours to contact Service regarding any complaints they might have. Previously, the messaging option was only available for two hours.

The small change made to utilize Live Updates gives Tesla owners the opportunity to peek at their Service status without being overly communicative and pestering employees. It’s a small change, but it’s a good one.

Unfortunately, it is not available for Android users quite yet.

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Tesla job postings seem to show next surprise market entry

The company has several job postings for various roles, including Associate Sales Manager, Advisors in Sales and Delivery, and Service Technicians.

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Credit: Felipe Marambio | LinkedIn

Tesla’s recent job postings on its Careers website seem to show its next market entry, and it is a bit of a surprise.

Moving forward, Tesla is basically looking to expand its footprint wherever possible. It has already made a major splash in various global markets, and it has managed to make its way to several regions where things were more difficult and delayed.

Most notably, this includes India, where Tesla just recently started operations.

However, the company is now looking to expand in the Western Hemisphere, and recent job postings from Tesla show that it has its eyes set on a new South American market: Colombia.

The company has several job postings for various roles, including Associate Sales Manager, Advisors in Sales and Delivery, and Service Technicians.

The locations include Medellin and Bogota, two of Colombia’s most populated and important regions.

Tesla’s presence in South America is extremely limited, and if it decides to launch in Colombia in the coming weeks, it will only be the second country on the continent where the company has a dedicated presence.

Tesla has only two Supercharger locations in all of South America, both in Chile, and both are located near Santiago, a major city situated in the center of the country. One major thing Tesla will need to do after launching in more countries across South America is to establish a more dedicated charging presence.

Tesla Superchargers follow Model 3 and Model Y to South American country

It is surprising Tesla has not tried to enter Argentina or Brazil, but demand has to be there, and South America is not necessarily a hotbed for electric vehicles.

However, last year saw significant growth in the market for EV demand, with a 187 percent increase year over year, led by Brazil and Uruguay. These statistics come from Bloomberg.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla Q3 deliveries could exceed expectations: Wolfe Research

“Q3 is poised to be a strong quarter,” the firm noted.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) could deliver a stronger-than-expected third quarter, as per Wolfe Research, which stated that the EV maker’s vehicle deliveries could reach between 465,000 and 470,000 units this Q3 2025. 

Such results would represent a 22% increase from Q2, topping consensus estimates of 445,000. “Q3 is poised to be a strong quarter,” the firm noted.

U.S. and China demand

In the U.S., Wolfe attributed part of the volume lift to consumers accelerating purchases ahead of the expiration of a $7,500 federal EV tax credit. The firm is also optimistic about China’s deliveries, which the firm noted is trending above prior expectations. Wolfe estimated 165,000–170,000 deliveries in China for the third quarter, or about 10,000 more than its earlier forecast, as noted n a Yahoo Finance report.

The firm noted that these figures do not yet include meaningful contributions from the newly launched Model Y L. “We estimate 165-170k deliveries in Q3, or ~10k above our prior est,” Wolfe stated, though these volumes “largely do not reflect the recent launch of the Model Y L.”

Earnings outlook

Wolfe noted that it expects Tesla’s Q3 earnings per share to fall between $0.55 and $0.60, which is above the current consensus of $0.49 per share. The firm forecasts automotive gross margins, excluding regulatory credits, of about 16.5% to 17%. 

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Looking ahead, Wolfe warned that Q4 could prove more challenging due to U.S. demand being pulled forward by tax incentives. Still, Wolfe suggested that factors like stronger seasonal demand in China and Europe could become tailwinds that could help the company’s volumes in the fourth quarter. The ramp and rollout of the Model Y L and upcoming affordable models could also help bolster the company’s Q4 volumes.

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