Musk sees Starlink becoming standard across cars

Elon Musk has predicted that Starlink connectivity will eventually become standard across cars worldwide, extending SpaceX’s satellite broadband ambitions into an automotive market increasingly dependent on permanent, high-bandwidth data links.

“All cars will have Starlink in the future,” Musk said in a post on X, adding that satellite connectivity was the only practical way to deliver very high bandwidth to billions of vehicles. The statement sets out a long-term vision rather than a confirmed timetable for universal installation by manufacturers.

The prediction comes as SpaceX accelerates expansion of Starlink beyond conventional home broadband. The network is increasingly being positioned as infrastructure for aircraft, ships, mobile devices and vehicles, while new generations of satellites are designed to increase capacity and support direct connections with equipment on the ground.

Musk has also said Starlink could eventually provide a majority of global internet traffic within the next decade. SpaceX is preparing more capable satellites and relying heavily on Starship to lower launch costs and put substantially greater communications capacity into orbit.

Vehicle connectivity represents a potentially large market. Modern cars already require data connections for navigation, entertainment, diagnostics, security systems and software updates. Autonomous vehicles could significantly increase those requirements because they generate and process far larger volumes of information while relying on cloud services and fleet-management networks.

Tesla vehicles currently use cellular and Wi-Fi connections for connected services. Standard Connectivity is included with its cars for a defined period, while Premium Connectivity provides additional services including live traffic visualisation and satellite-view maps. Wi-Fi is also recommended for downloading software and map updates.

Starlink integration could reduce dependence on terrestrial mobile networks, particularly on highways, rural roads and sparsely populated regions where cellular coverage can be weak or unavailable. Satellite connections could also provide redundancy if conventional communications infrastructure fails.

SpaceX has already moved into direct-to-device communications. It began deploying satellites equipped with Direct to Cell technology in 2024, seeking to extend mobile coverage into areas without terrestrial towers. The system works with telecommunications operators using licensed spectrum and is intended to allow ordinary compatible devices to communicate through satellites without traditional satellite terminals.

US regulators have continued approving expansion of the Starlink constellation. SpaceX received authority in January to deploy and operate an additional 7,500 second-generation satellites, increasing its authorised Gen2 constellation to 15,000 spacecraft. The approval covers enhancements aimed at providing faster broadband as well as expanded mobile and supplemental satellite coverage.

The scale of the planned network is central to Musk’s automotive argument. Serving large numbers of moving vehicles requires considerably more network capacity than connecting scattered fixed broadband terminals. Cars continuously change position and may pass through different satellite beams within minutes, making handovers, antenna design and obstruction management important technical challenges.

Research into Starlink use on moving vehicles has shown that satellite broadband can operate while travelling, although performance may vary because of obstructions, vehicle orientation and frequent switching between satellites. Buildings, tunnels, trees and terrain can interrupt line-of-sight connections, meaning terrestrial cellular networks are unlikely to disappear even if satellite connections become widely available.

A future automotive Starlink system could therefore operate alongside 5G and later terrestrial networks rather than completely replace them. Cars could automatically select whichever connection offered the strongest capacity, using satellites where terrestrial coverage was unavailable and cellular systems in dense urban environments.

Tesla could provide SpaceX with an early platform for deeper automotive integration. Musk controls both companies and has repeatedly highlighted technological links between his businesses. Tesla’s growing focus on artificial intelligence, robotaxis and autonomous driving creates greater demand for reliable data communications, while SpaceX has an incentive to expand Starlink usage beyond residential customers.

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell has similarly identified artificial intelligence and robotics as major drivers of future connectivity demand. Connected robots and autonomous machines are expected to require persistent communications for software, monitoring and data-intensive services.