--- title: "Tesla’s Long-Awaited Cybercab Is Missing an Extremely Basic Feature" description: "According to Elon Musk, Tesla's long-awaited Cybercab robotaxi will have no charging plug and will depend on wireless charging coils instead." date: "2024-10-11" modified: "2024-10-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-tesla-cybercab-no-charging-plug" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "cybercab" - "elon musk" - "robotaxi" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla’s Long-Awaited Cybercab Is Missing an Extremely Basic Feature ![]() *\Image: Tesla\* ## Ditching the Plug During the company's "[We, Robot]()" event last night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off what appeared to be an early prototype of a "Cybercab." Still several years from entering production, the vehicle will [allegedly cost $30,000]() and be able to make its owners money, kind of like owning an Airbnb. Of course, given Musk's deplorable track record when it comes to [making lofty promises](), we should take his robotaxi presentation with a grain of salt — something [investors have seemingly taken to heart](). However, one proposed feature of the futuristic two-seater stood out. According to Musk, the vehicle [will have no charging]() plug and will depend on wireless charging coils embedded in roadways instead. That would make it an even bigger departure from a conventional passenger vehicle, raising even more questions as to when, if ever, it will actually be able to hit the road. ## Inductive Reasoning Musk remained extremely vague during the flashy event and a huge pile of questions remain unanswered. For one, we don't know how exactly the car will charge itself wirelessly, let alone how fast. "Something we're also doing is, and it's really high time we did this, is inductive charging," he said during the event. "So, The robotaxi has no plug. It just goes over the inductive charger and charges. So, yeah, that's kind of how it should be." To be fair, we've already come across [early prototypes of roads that can wirelessly charge vehicles]() or buses before. But despite plenty of interest from local governments, the concept seems quite far from [becoming a reality](). Instead of building out entire roadways with chargers, Tesla is likely looking to embed individual chargers at certain points. The car industry has already made considerable strides in developing such chargers. Earlier this year, the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) [set a new record](), charging a Porsche Taycan at a peak power transfer rate of 270 kilowatts. Nevertheless, wireless charging tech in its current state is [still pretty slow]() and a public solution is probably still many years out. Whether Tesla will be able to come up with a convenient and efficient enough solution in time for the rollout of its long-awaited Cybercab remains to be seen. Besides, the company already has [plenty of other regulatory hurdles to overcome](), especially when it comes to a car that has no steering wheel or pedals driving itself on public roads. **More on the Cybercab:** *[Tesla's Hyped Robotaxi Event Was a Massive "Disappointment," Investors Say]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()