Tesla announces $300 AirPower-like wireless charging pad

Although you are always can’t buy Tesla’s Cybertruck, you will soon be able to buy… a wireless charging mat “inspired by” the iconic aggressive angled design of the electric truck. And like Apple’s canceled AirPower, it will charge your device no matter where you place it on the mat.

Tesla has unveiled its own wireless charging pad, which has an angular look, although it lacks the Cybertruck’s futuristic silver chrome hue. The mat charges Qi-enabled devices, which means it should be able to charge your iPhone and AirPods, but not your Apple Watch or other smartwatch.

You’ll be able to charge up to three devices at 15 watts each on Tesla’s mat, which is slower than the 45 watt maximum charging speed of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus and Ultra (or even more in other Android phones), but still decent compared to 5-watt and 10-watt wireless chargers. But the mat looks so small that it can be difficult to cram three phones on it.

The value of Tesla’s Mat, however, is charging your device wherever it’s placed, thanks to a charging technology that uses 30 Qi coils and is called FreePower. It’s the new name for Aira, a technology that had already been used in charging mats launched by Nomad, which tried to succeed where Apple’s AirPower had failed with multi-device wireless charging mats. Although it charged devices regardless of orientation, according to a MacRumors review, the Nomad Base Station Pro had quirks and reduced charging for newer iPhones.

If you’re interested in Tesla’s mat, called the Wireless Charging Platform, you can pre-order it for $300, and it will start shipping in February 2023.

Read more: RIP, AirPower: A brief history of Apple’s doomed charger