Almost four years to the day after Apple killed its beleaguered AirPower charging mat without ever releasing it, Tesla has launched its own very similar multi-device charging station. And it works.
Simply dubbed the Wireless Charging Pad, the Tesla Charging Mat can charge three Qi-certified devices at the same time, including iPhones and AirPods cases, but not Apple Watches. And like with AirPower, what makes the Wireless Charging Platform special is that you can place the devices anywhere without worrying if they’re lined up correctly.
The design of the charger is resolutely Tesla, with an industrial matte black chassis, sharp edges and angles, and a surface covered with Alcantara fabric. It’s adorned with a small black Tesla logo on the front but won’t draw much attention on its own. Inside, the design is very similar to AirPower, with 30 overlapping charging coils to fill the entire surface. But it’s closer to a different product: it seems to be essentially the Nomad Base Station Pro in a different shell.
According to Engadget’s Cherlynn Low, who reviewed one of the devices, the charging speeds are “comparable to MagSafe and other Qi devices that support 15W rates.” The site reported that there was “a slight delay of a few seconds” after dropping a phone on the charging pad and that phones “feel warmer than usual” after leaving them on the charger for a while. hour.
This last point is important because reports suggest that the main issue that led to AirPower’s demise was overheating. Low says the heat “wasn’t enough to alarm or burn her,” but it’s definitely worth noting for anyone planning to spend $300 on one. Apple never announced pricing for AirPower, but since the MagSafe Duo costs $129, we assume AirPower would have cost at least $249 at launch.
If you want to buy one of Tesla’s wireless charging platforms, you should probably act fast. Like Apple, Tesla has a strong fan base and its products usually sell out fairly quickly. You can order one now from Tesla.com with free shipping.
