Tesla Roadster Patent Shows A Hidden Wing That Can Make 1,543 Pounds Of Downforce

Tesla’s next Roadster, due to be revealed on October 1, is getting fresh patent attention for a potentially dramatic aero feature: a two-piece active rear wing designed to deploy when needed. A US Patent and Trademark Office filing published Sept. 24, 2026, titled “Deployable and Active Rear Wing Assembly with Safety Features,” describes a wing that sits flush when stowed and splits into a main section plus a leading-edge slat held 3 to 15 millimeters apart. It claims full deployment in under three seconds, with angle changes in under a quarter second, using inputs like speed, steering, braking, GPS, and autonomous-driving sensors. The patent lists a low-drag 0 kg downforce mode and a high-downforce mode above 100 mph reaching 1,543 pounds (700 kg), plus crash retraction protections.