Tesla has confirmed it will not offer wireless charging for the Cybertruck, despite the pickup already being fitted with the necessary hardware, with company engineers citing physical and efficiency constraints as the reason for shelving the feature.
The Cybertruck, which launched in late 2023, was initially delivered without any mention of wireless charging, though service documentation later revealed inductive charger headers installed in the vehicle. That raised speculation the futuristic pickup could be updated to support the feature in the future. Tesla has now ended that speculation, saying the technical limitations make it impractical for a truck of its size.
Wes Morrill, Tesla’s Cybertruck lead engineer, said in an online discussion that alignment challenges and energy losses made the system unsuitable. “Wireless charging for something as far off the ground as the CT is silly,” he said, adding that raising the base station to meet the vehicle’s ride height would be equally impractical. Even with the Cybertruck’s adjustable air suspension, which can lower the body to eight inches from the ground, the gap is still too wide for efficient charging.
Wireless charging technology transfers energy through coils embedded in both the vehicle and a ground pad. Efficiency drops sharply when the coils are separated by larger gaps, leading to longer charging times and wasted energy. Tesla said while the Cybertruck will not adopt the feature, other models in its lineup could. Industry trackers say testing has been observed in the latest refresh of the Model X, though Tesla has not confirmed support in that vehicle’s service manuals.
The company reiterated that wireless charging will be available in the Cybercab, its forthcoming autonomous ride-hailing vehicle, but that project is still one to two years away. Meanwhile, rivals are moving ahead: Porsche said this week its next-generation Cayenne electric SUV will be offered with optional wireless charging from 2025.
Credit: Electrek