Tesla Cybercab: Video shows the robotaxi charging wirelessly

2024-10-20 21:43:00

On October 11, Tesla revealed the Cybercab prototype. In the news, CEO Elon Musk clarified that the autonomous robotaxi will not have a conventional charging port. Instead, the vehicle would charge wirelessly – a different idea, but no one was sure how it would work in practice.

Now, a new video shows a concept of how charging should work:

What has been revealed about Tesla’s wireless charging

• It appears that the Cybercab’s charging equipment is located at the rear of the car, under the trunk and closer to the rear axle of the car;
• On the floor is a wireless charging square, which doesn’t look much different than what you’d use on your cell phone. The car starts charging perfectly, at a speed of 25 kW;
• Of course, like every technical innovation from Tesla, it is never entirely clear what is a working prototype and what is just a demonstration;
• It is also unclear whether part of the vehicle should touch the charging base or details on the amperage of the charger.

The 25 kW wireless is an impressive result considering that wireless charging tends to have more losses than a physical connection. (Image: Disclosure/Tesla)

Interestingly, the video can give us hints about the size of the Cybercab’s battery and what the estimated range per charge will be. The animation shows that the Cybercab began charging at 35% and fired rapidly. The screen said the car would finish charging in 56 minutes.

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By doing some calculations it is possible to estimate that the Cybercab’s battery will be 35 kWh. According to the investigation by Higher gearTesla was aiming for a range of 200 miles (about 320 km) and an efficiency of 5.5 kWh per mile.

The Cybercab was created to be an autonomous taxi for short journeys. According to Elon Musk, the model is expected to enter production by 2027. (Image: Disclosure/Tesla)