Tesla has filed a series of patents related to its upcoming wireless charging technology. While we don’t know when Tesla will unveil the new technology, the upcoming robotaxi event seems like the perfect opportunity to do so.
We have known Tesla has been working on wireless charging technology for some time now. It was first hinted at last year when a glimpse of what appeared to be a wireless charging system was seen in the company’s Investor Day presentation.
That was followed just a few months later by the news that Tesla had acquired a company called Wiferion, which specialized in wireless charging technology for industrial applications. Tesla ended up selling Wiferion a few months later, but retained all of the company’s engineers, making it more of an acqui-hiring than an acquisition.
Since then, chief designer Franz von Holzhausen has also confirmed the company is developing wireless charging technology.
Tesla now appears closer than ever to officially unveiling its wireless charger. Last week the company filed four different patents related to the device.
- Temperature sensors and applications for wireless charging
- Shorting switch to reduce ground leakage in inductive charging
- Wireless charging circuit topology and related methods of manufacturing
- Parameter estimation for wireless charging
The timing of the patent applications is interesting, as Tesla is just over one month away from unveiling its robotaxi. The event is scheduled for October 10, 2024 at Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood. A fully autonomous vehicle needs an easy way to charge without human involvement, so this event could be the perfect time to also unveil the wireless charging system.
While Tesla’s wireless charging technology may debut with its robotaxi, it is likely that the system will eventually be extended to the rest of Tesla’s lineup. It appears as though the first will be the Cybertruck, which as we have previously reported, is already equipped and set up to accommodate one.
Sorry for spoiler, but it looks like the #Robotaxi will adopt a WIRELESS CHARGING system. 👀 pic.twitter.com/rdT300NKzQ
— SETI Park (@seti_park) September 7, 2024
