Tesla's Cybercab Wireless Charging Video May Tell Us A Lot

Last week, when Tesla showed off the Cybercab’s prototype concept design, CEO Elon Musk was clear that it wouldn’t have a charging port. Instead, it would charge wirelessly—a cool idea, but no one was sure exactly how that would work. We had some idea based on a leaked video, but now we've got a high-def look at how its wireless charging works.

Or might work, we should say. As with everything Tesla-related, there are a lot of big promises and "we'll see what happens" moments. But this new video shows off a very interesting concept.

It looks like the Cybercab’s charging equipment is located in the rear of the car, below the trunk, and (presumably) near the rear axle of the car. On the ground, lies a wireless charging square, that effectively doesn’t look all that different from what you’d use on a cellular device. The car seamlessly starts charging, at speeds of 25 kW.

Of course, like any Tesla technical showcase, it’s never entirely clear what’s a functional prototype, and what’s just a proof-of-concept demo of what the brand’s currently working on. It’s not clear if there’s any sort of physical apparatus or part that needs to be touching the charging pad, either. Is there a plate or piece of the Cybercab that needs to be touching the charging pad? It’s not clear, and the video doesn’t show that.

Also, Tesla famously doesn’t have a press office, so there’s no way I can really ask, either. Still, if this is true, 25 kW wirelessly is pretty dang impressive, considering that wireless charging tends to be more lossy compared to a wired physical connection. No details on the amperage of the charger itself, though.

Interestingly, the video could give us hints as to what battery equipment the Cybercab is working with, and what range it could hold. The animation showed that the Cybercab started charging at 35%, and quickly rocketed up to what was likely its maximum of 25 kW. The screen said that the car would finish charging in 56 minutes.

If we do some fuzzy math and assume that the Cybercab’s charging target was 100%, we’d guesstimate that the Cybercab’s battery is 35 kWh. That’s further somewhat verified by Top Gear, who reported that Tesla was targeting a range of 200 miles, and an efficiency rating of 5.5 kWh per mile. If we divide 200 miles by 5.5, we’re at 36.3, which is right on track for the 35-36 kWh we’ve guesstimated.

That doesn’t sound huge, but given the fact this thing is meant to be a purpose-built EV self-driving cab where its logistics and ride would be managed by a computer, 35 kWh is probably enough battery for the short journeys it will likely do.

f course, like every Tesla demo and video we’ve got to approach the situation with an abundance of caution. Demos, screens and slick animations are easy to generate by any designer or artist in the automotive industry worth their salt. Whether or not any of this ever comes to market, well, we’ll just have to wait and see.