While you still can’t buy Tesla’s Cybertruck, soon you’ll be able to buy… a wireless charging mat “inspired by” the EV truck’s iconic aggressively angled design. And like Apple’s canceled AirPower, it’ll charge your device no matter where you place it on the mat.
Tesla revealed a wireless charging mat of its own which does have an angular look to it, though it lacks the Cybertruck’s futuristic silver-chrome hue. The mat charges Qi-supporting devices, which means it should be able to juice up 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 the 5 watt and 10 watt wireless chargers out there. But the mat looks so small that it might be hard to cram three phones on it.
But the value of Tesla’s mat is in charging your device wherever it’s placed thanks to a charging tech using 30 Qi coils called FreePower. That’s the new name for Aira, a technology that had been previously used in charging mats released by Nomad, which had tried to succeed where Apple’s AirPower failed with multi-device wireless charging mats. While they did charge devices regardless of orientation, some like the Nomad Base Station Pro had frustrating quirks and reduced charging for newer iPhones, according to MacRumors.
If you’re interested in Tesla’s mat, called the Wireless Charging Platform, you can preorder it for $300 and it will start shipping in February 2023.
Read more: RIP, AirPower: A brief history of Apple’s doomed charging pad
