Tesla Patent Hints at Starlink Internet in Future Vehicles
Image: Tesla
A newly published U.S. patent application from Tesla is adding fuel to growing speculation that Starlink connectivity may soon be built directly into future Tesla vehicles. First spotted by Tesla watcher @Chansoo, the filing — US 2025/0368267 A1, published on December 4, 2025 — details a new RF-transparent roof design explicitly meant to “facilitat[e] clear communication with external devices and satellites.”
According to the patent, titled Vehicle Roof Assembly With Integrated RF Transparency for Electronic Module Consolidation, Tesla proposes replacing the traditional glass or metal roof with a polymer-based panel made from materials such as polycarbonate (PC), ABS, or ASA. These materials don’t block radio frequency signals the way metal does, allowing antennas and communication electronics to be embedded directly into the roof structure without performance loss.
The patent describes a roof subassembly that ships pre-populated with antennas, processors, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules, LTE and GNSS antennas, a satellite communication component, and even interior components like a microphone, map light, and hazard switch — all in one module. Tesla says the design could reduce assembly effort by 3-5x, improve factory ergonomics, and even streamline production automation by allowing the roof to be assembled entirely on a horizontal surface.
The filing becomes even more interesting considering the language highlighted in the application itself: facilitating clear communication with satellites. And it arrives just months after Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted that native Starlink internet for Tesla vehicles could be on the roadmap.
Tesla owners — including Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke — have long hacked together creative mounts to strap Starlink terminals to their EVs. But with SpaceX now developing “Starlink Mobile,” its satellite-based cellular service, true native Starlink integration for Tesla vehicles no longer feels far-fetched.
Tesla has already deployed Starlink Wi-Fi at Supercharger stations around the world. Extending that connectivity directly into vehicles would address one of the last remaining connectivity gaps for EV owners: long stretches of dead zones during rural or cross-country travel. Built-in satellite connectivity could dramatically improve streaming, mapping, working from the passenger seats, and even remote diagnostics.
The patent also touches on safety improvements, including a polymer “membrane effect” designed to meet Head Injury Criterion (HIC) impact standards while improving thermal and acoustic insulation.
While the document never mentions Starlink by name, the architecture it outlines — RF transparency, satellite antenna integration, and consolidation of communications hardware — aligns almost perfectly with what true vehicle-native satellite connectivity would require.
With Starlink recently surpassing eight million users worldwide, approval and expansion into more mobile form factors are becoming an increasingly important part of SpaceX’s roadmap. For Tesla, this patent could very well represent the early groundwork for bringing high-speed satellite internet capability into its future EV lineup.
And with the company’s history of shipping hardware years before enabling associated software features, this could be another example of Tesla quietly preparing for what comes next.