Tesla could be preparing to add wireless charging to the Tesla Cybertruck.
Members of Cybertruck Owners Club discovered a page in the pickup's service manual that reveals a connector on the truck's traction battery which could be used for a wireless charger. This, combined with Tesla's recent interest in cable-free charging tech, signals that the automaker has something up its sleeve to revamp how owners charge at home.
Get Fully Charged
Tesla's Hidden Quest for Wireless Charging
Tesla has not only been teasing the possibility of a wireless charger, but its chief designer has confirmed that the company is actively working on it. The Cybertruck could be the first Tesla vehicle to add on wireless charging capabilities.
Hidden deep within the service manual's instructions to remove the high-voltage battery pack is a single connector that attaches a harness for what Tesla describes as an "Inductive Charger."
While Tesla doesn't explicitly state what this is used for, it's theorized that the name indicates a future add-on that would allow owners to wirelessly charge the Cybertruck. Likely, this will be with some add-on, as no Cybertruck teardown has indicated the presence of this hardware in the truck as of yet.
Previously, Tesla used the term "inductive charger" to describe the wireless charger present inside the cabin of the vehicle to charge cell phones. In the Cybertruck service manual, Tesla refers to the phone charger as the "wireless charger" and the port located on the traction battery as an inductive charger. No other vehicle service manuals mention an inductive charger port on the battery pack.
Tesla has shown public interest in wireless charging since it acquired Wiferion, a German wireless charging startup in 2023 and sold it just months later. It also teased a wireless charger that year, and chief designer Franz von Holzhausen confirmed that the automaker was working on a wireless charger on Jay Leno's Garage in December during a Cybertruck review.
Oh, we're working on inductive charging. So you don't even need to plug something in at that point. You just pull in your garage, drive over the pad, and you're charging.
Fans have theorized that Tesla may install the hardware at the rear of the Cybertruck in a hollow area near the tow hitch. This would line up with the rear placement of the wireless charger teased by Tesla last year.
As of now, Tesla is remaining silent on its plans. But all signs point to the Tesla Cybertruck being the first vehicle from the automaker to feature wireless charging. That being said, does it really solve a problem? Plugging in an EV when you get home isn't really that cumbersome—it's become a daily habit for me. Wireless charging adds convenience at the likely expense of charging speed, so whether or not that is worth it to the owner will eventually be seen.
