During Tesla's "We, Robot" event on October 10, Elon Musk revealed that the Cybercab will not have a NACS port, unlike the company's current fleet cars.
Elon’s much touted robotaxi will exclusively rely on induction charging, a technology that already exists, but has yet achieved mass-adoption.
During the event’s presentation, a simulation of the robotaxi's display teased the wireless charging speed.
The vehicle was charging at 19 kW at a state of charge (SoC) of 35%, which compares well with Tesla's home wall connector that provides up to 11.5 kW per hour, or 71 km of range per hour of charge.
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The simulation also showed that the charging pad is an angled square on which the Cybercab can reverse in.
Induction charging is not expected to outpace charging with cables yet, but the technology is meant for more than convenience.
Source: Movemnt.net
In fact, the Volvo XC40 Recharge has started real-world testing of its induction charging in partnership with Momentum Dynamics and has been able to reach charging speeds of up to 40 kW.
Some Cybertruck Owners Club members have noticed a page in the truck’s service manual revealing a single connector that could be used for a wireless charger that Tesla describes as “Inductive Charger”.
Some theorized that Tesla may be looking to offer a future add-on to the Cybertruck for wireless charging.
Nikola Tesla first demonstrated Inductive charging in the 1890s. Today, this technology is widespread, used primarily to charge smartphones, tablets, and electric toothbrushes.
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Currently, one of the fastest commercially available inductive EV charging pads is Hevo’s 12kW jobbie.
However, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) researchers made promising breakthroughs, showcasing a new “lightweight polyphase electromagnetic coupling coil design” capable of charging speed never achieved before.
This coil can transfer power more than eight times faster than the Hevo pad, delivering enough energy to add 563 km of range to an EV in just one hour.
The test involved a Hyundai Kona EV equipped with a receiver coil, parked over a 14-inch diameter polyphase transmitter coil with a five-inch air gap.
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In March 2024, the coil system was measured at 100 kW with an impressive 96% efficiency—comparable to high-quality cable and plug systems.
ORNL’s polyphase coil design allows for a compact yet highly powerful system, achieving the highest power density for wireless EV charging ever recorded.
According to Omer Onar, a leading researcher at ORNL, their technology can increase a battery’s charge state by 50% in under 20 minutes.
Source: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
In June, ORNL researchers set another world record, demonstrating its first 270 kW wireless power transfer to a Porsche Taycan, in collaboration with Volkswagen.
While there is still a long road to mainstream adoption, this breakthrough brings wireless charging closer to being a practical and efficient alternative to wired systems.
For wireless charging to truly take off, however, infrastructure and vehicle standards need to evolve in tandem.
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Major manufacturers must start integrating receiver coils into their vehicles, and large-scale deployment of charging pads is necessary to build confidence.
It’s a classic chicken-and-egg problem—without the vehicles, there’s little incentive to build infrastructure, and vice versa.
But as Tesla continue pushing for adoption of the technology at scale with the robotaxi, it seems increasingly likely that wireless charging could soon become a convention, not a gimmick.