Tesla opens pre-orders for its wireless charging mat via its website. According to the website, the device is powered by FreePower wireless charging technology. The gadget can accommodate up to three devices and comes in a form factor “inspired by the angular design and metallic layout of CyberTrac.”
The gadget is called the Wireless Charging Platform and costs $300. For that hefty price, you get the mat, a removable magnetic stand that lets you raise the mat at an angle or lay it flat, and technology we once called AirPower’s “most promising alternative.” Underneath the Alcantara fabric cover, the Tesla Charger has multiple 30 Qi chargers, which will keep your device charged no matter what orientation you place it on or on a platform.
Freepower was the company formerly known as Aira. In the year By 2020, the company’s system was known to be the closest thing to Airpower one could get. Many people have compared the wireless charging platform to the now-cancelled Apple product, and I totally understand why. The iPhone maker promises an accessory that can charge up to three devices simultaneously, no matter where they are on the pad. But this was really only part of what made AirPower so interesting; During the announcement, Apple explained that you can use the mat to charge your Apple Watch, and that it and your devices will “intelligently work together and communicate with each other to manage charging through one efficient charging system.”
Tesla isn’t promising any of those things. That means you won’t be able to use the platform to charge your Apple, Galaxy, or Pixel Watch, as most wearables aren’t compatible with the Qi standard. And Tesla’s page doesn’t say anything about how devices can connect to achieve higher charging efficiency.
Whether the last point is that important is debatable. With a 65W power adapter and the ability to output up to 15W to all three devices, should Tesla optimize efficiency as Apple plans to do in 2018? I don’t think that’s going to be a make or break feature for me, although the smartwatch thing is a big problem, the whole point of a product like this is to have one place to charge all your devices, and that might not be the case for a lot of people. The unit has an integrated USB-C power cable, which may be a deal breaker for some.
