Tesla executives have confirmed that wireless charging is in the works, and now we have our first bit of evidence to back up the claim. Until now, we’ve been able to go off a rendering at an investor event, but a few people have gone digging inside the Cybertruck and found a clue.
Tesla Community of Curiosity
The core of this innovation lies in Cybertruck's battery pack, which has been found to house connectors labeled as 'Inductive Charger headers.' This revelation, unearthed by eagle-eyed Cybertruck Owners’ Club members, signifies that the vehicle is not merely compatible with but designed for wireless charging technology.
The discovery was seemingly confirmed by Cybertruck’s lead engineer, Wes Morrill, who posted an image and stated: “Don't forget you can always check our publicly available service documentation! You don't have to figure it all out on your own.”
Don't forget you can always check our publicly available service documentation! You don't have to figure it all out on your own. https://t.co/xQymkBSVfW
Tesla's exploration into wireless EV charging is marked by strategic moves, including acquiring and selling a specialized wireless charging company, while retaining its key engineers. While Tesla's initial focus is on home charging, the technology has the potential to extend to road charging. A pilot program in Detroit utilizing embedded copper coils demonstrates the feasibility of in-road charging, opening up possibilities for broader adoption and seamless integration into the EV ecosystem.
This strategic move towards wireless inductive charging illustrates Tesla's forward-thinking approach and positions the Cybertruck as a pioneering vehicle in Tesla's lineup. With the efficiency of wireless charging systems having improved significantly, Tesla's solution is poised to offer convenience without compromising charging speed or efficiency. The implications of this technology extend beyond mere convenience, signaling a future where electric vehicles can charge autonomously, aligning with Tesla's vision of fully autonomous driving.
The discovery was met with some pushback about the need for wireless charging with statements like: are we really this lazy that we can’t plug in the car? While that’s true, the bigger picture could mean more charging areas, even on the road, like that pilot program. It also removes one more possible maintenance area with the charge port being a heavily used area of the car. The integration of wireless charging in the Cybertruck enhances the user experience and underscores Tesla's role as a trailblazer in the EV industry, driving innovation and shaping the future of transportation. While it opens up more possibilities, the big question will be the cost.
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Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.
Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.
It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.
Advisor-led Demo
This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.
The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.
Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.
Vision-based Improvements
ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.
Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.
I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.
Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.
Actually Smart Summon
ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.
We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.
Park Seek and Banish Autopark
When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.
A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.
While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.
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