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Tesla patent reveals Semi truck seat suspension in the works for added safety

The Tesla Semi. (Credit: CHP – Donner Pass/Facebook)

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Tesla has submitted a patent that would improve its Semi-truck’s centered seat design by utilizing a suspension system on the architecture of the driver’s seat to add additional safety to the operator of the vehicle.

The patent notes that scissor-lift designs are commonly used in large vehicle seats, like in a semi-truck. This design includes pivoting legs that cross each other, allowing seats to be adjustable. However, this architecture has some drawbacks, especially when an accident occurs. In the event of a collision, the “all belts to seat” (ABTS) development requires the frame of the seat to withstand the expected loads of the occupant and distribute them to the vehicle body. However, the scissor-leg designs were not originally intended for ABTS solutions and are not efficient at distributing the loads,” the patent states. The intention is to make the seat safer and more comfortable, an idea that could save drivers of the Semi in the long run.

“For a driver, adjusting the height of the seat can be important in ensuring a safe driving position. For a passenger, height adjustment can provide increased comfort. Truck seats with scissor-lift designs can be raised or lowered using an airbag positioned underneath the seat, with the scissor legs being more, or less, extended based on the state of inflation.”

Tesla’s proposed suspension seat design. (Credit: U.S. Patent Office)

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Safety and comfort are of the utmost importance to truck drivers, as many of them are traveling across the country in the Semi they are operating. Many drivers work at a rate of pay that depends on the number of miles they travel in a given shift. This can attribute to long periods of time behind the wheel, making it important for the driver to feel comfortable and safe at all times. According to the Federal Highway Administration, truck drivers can travel between 45,000 and 100,000 miles a year. This makes it pertinent for truck-makers to design vehicles that are comfortable enough to allow extended driving sessions.

The design Tesla is proposing would increase safety in the event of a crash, while also benefiting drivers of different heights. When adjusting the height of the seat, the driver is inflating or deflating an airbag to either raise or lower their positioning. Depending on the inflation of this airbag, the spring force can change, and this can cause differing results in the event of an accident.

“Many seats feature suspension for the comfort of the occupant. In truck seats with a scissor-lift design, the airbag also serves as a spring to provide suspension, and a damper can be added to absorb shock. However, because the airbag is also used to control the seat height, ride characteristics are affected by the height adjustment,” Tesla states in the patent’s background.

Tesla plans to include this suspension system by having a “multi-post architecture” that would couple sleeves to sets of lift links. They also plan to modify the height adjustment system that would coincide with the seat’s suspension.

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“The height adjustment system comprises a four-bar linkage. The height adjustment system is positioned on top of the suspension system. The vehicle seat further includes a plate riding on the suspension system, the sleeves are coupled to the plate, and respective first ends of the pairs of lift links are pivotally coupled to the plate. The multi-post architecture includes posts coupled to a plate configured for fore/aft adjustment on a track,” Tesla wrote.

Overall, Tesla seems to be designing its Semi to be the safest tractor-trailer on the road, hands down. Safety is a priority for the company to begin with, but the development of new methods to create a safer driving experience stands strong and firm with concepts outlined in by the company in these recent patent applications.

The Semi has been ordered by multiple companies that are looking for a more environmentally-friendly logistics option. It will begin a limited production sometime in 2020.

The full text of Tesla’s suspension seat design could be accessed here.

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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

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Texas township wants The Boring Company to build it a Loop system

The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge.”

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Credit: The Boring Company

The Woodlands Township, Texas, has formally entered The Boring Company’s tunneling sweepstakes. 

The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” which offers up to one mile of tunnel construction at no cost to a selected community.

The Woodlands’ proposal, dubbed “The Current,” features two parallel 12-foot-diameter tunnels beneath the Town Center corridor near The Waterway. Teslas would shuttle passengers between Waterway Square, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Town Green Park and nearby hotels during concerts and large-scale events, as noted in a Chron report.

Township officials framed the tunnel as a solution for the township’s traffic congestion issues. The Pavilion alone hosts more than 60 shows each year and can accommodate crowds of up to 16,500, often straining Lake Robbins Drive and surrounding intersections.

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“We know we have traffic impacts and pedestrian movement challenges, especially in the Town Center area,” Chris Nunes, chief operating officer of The Woodlands Township, stated during the meeting.

“The Current” mirrors the Loop system operating beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Tesla vehicles transport passengers through underground tunnels between venues and resorts.

The Boring Company issued its request for proposals (RFP) in mid-January, inviting cities and districts to pitch local uses for its tunneling technology. The Woodlands must submit its application by Feb. 23, though no timeline has been provided for when a winning community will be announced.

Nunes confirmed that the board has authorized a submission for “The Current’s” proposal, though he emphasized that the project is still in its preliminary stages.

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“The Woodlands Township Board of Directors has authorized staff to submit an application to The Boring Company, which has issued an RFP for communities interested in leveraging their technology to address community challenges,” he said in a statement. 

“The Board believes that an underground tunnel would provide a safe and efficient means to transport people to and from various high-use community amenities in our Town Center.”

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Tesla Model Y wins 2026 Drive Car of the Year award in Australia

The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall.

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Credit: Tesla

The Tesla Model Y has been named 2026 Drive Car of the Year overall winner, taking the top honor after being judged as the vehicle that “moves the game forward the most for Australian new car buyers.” 

The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall, but the vehicle’s Juniper update strengthened its case with new ownership benefits and expanded software capability.

Drive’s overall award compares category winners and looks at which model most significantly advances the local new car market. In 2026, judges pointed to the Model Y’s five-year warranty and the availability of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as a monthly subscription as key differentiators.

Priced from AU$58,900 before on-road costs, the all-electric crossover SUV offers a lot of value compared to similarly sized petrol and hybrid rivals. The ability to access Tesla’s Supercharger network across Australia also reduces friction for buyers moving to EV ownership.

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Owners can add FSD (Supervised) for AU$149 per month. While it still requires driver oversight, the system expands the vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance capabilities and reflects Tesla’s software-first approach.

“The default choice for a reason. The Tesla Model Y makes the transition to electric both effortless and rewarding,” Drive wrote.

The 2025 Model Y facelift also sharpened the vehicle’s exterior, highlighted by a distinctive rear light bar that gives the crossover SUV a more modern road presence.

Drive described the Model Y as a benchmark for combining practicality, efficiency and technology at an accessible price point. With eligibility for federal Fringe Benefit Tax exemptions through novated leasing, its value proposition has improved for numerous buyers.

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For 2026, the Model Y’s combination of range efficiency, charging access and software capability proved decisive. Ultimately, the award all but cements the Model Y’s position as one of the most influential vehicles in Australia’s evolving new-car market today.

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Elon Musk reiterates rapid Starship V3 timeline with next launch in sight

Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.”

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Credit: SpaceX/X

Elon Musk has confirmed that Starship will fly again next month, reiterating SpaceX’s aggressive timeline for the first launch of its Starship V3 rocket.

Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.” The CEO’s post was accompanied by a video of Starship’s Super Heavy booster being successfully caught by a launch tower in Starbase, Texas. 

The timeline is notable. In late January, Musk stated that Starship’s next flight, Flight 12, was expected in about six weeks. This placed the expected mission date sometime in March. That estimate aligned with SpaceX’s earlier statement that Starship’s 12th flight test “remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.”

If the vehicle does indeed fly next month, it would mark the debut of Starship V3, the upgraded platform expected to feature the rocket’s new Raptor V3 engines.

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Raptor V3 is designed to deliver significantly higher thrust than earlier versions while reducing cost and weight. Starship V3 itself is expected to be optimized for manufacturability, a critical step if SpaceX intends to scale production toward frequent launches for Starlink, lunar missions, and eventually Mars.

Starship V3 is widely viewed as the version that transitions the program from experimental testing to true operational scaling. Previous iterations have completed multiple integrated flight tests, with mixed outcomes but steady progress. Expectations are high that SpaceX is now working on Starship’s refinement.

An aggressive launch schedule supports several priorities at once. It advances Starlink’s next-generation satellite deployment, supports NASA’s lunar ambitions under Artemis, and keeps SpaceX on track for its longer-term Moon and Mars objectives.

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