Tesla has filed a new application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that suggests the automaker may be venturing into the world of planes, boats, and other “not for land” vehicles.
The application was submitted to the USPTO on December 28, 2022 and while the image included with the application is nothing new (seen below), its description definitely is.
UPDATE 3:36pm PT: According to Bloomberg, a Tesla fan by the name of Jerome Eady submitted the application on behalf of Tesla without their knowledge.
According to the USPTO website Tesla wants their trademark to cover more than just motors for their cars and trucks, but also boats, planes, and toys.
“Asynchronous motors not for land vehicles; Motors for airplanes; Motors, namely, synchronous motors not for land vehicles; Permanent magnet motors; Boat motors; Drive system having two or more synchronous motors coupled through clutches to drive a common load; Electric motors for toys; Linear motors.” (via Electrek)
The application has not been approved and its current status is “awaiting examination,” but it seems unlikely that Tesla will not be approved for the change. However even if it does that doesn’t mean we should expect to see a Tesla boat or plane in the near future.
Musk has previously shown a lot of interest in an electric plane. Back in 2020 the CEO said a battery that would be big enough to power a plane, one that has a combination of more energy density ( Musk suggested 400Wh/kg) along with high life cycle, was less than 5 years away.
Even though Tesla has no immediate plans to develop an electric plane, there are some which have already taken flight. Canada’s Harbour Air took the honour of the world’s first commercial electric flight with a test flight of their electric seaplane powered by magniX. MagniX was also involved in another test flight in May, which was the first successful flight of the world’s largest electric plane.
