A new patent for a wireless charging pad submitted by Tesla has been revealed ahead of the company’s Robotaxi unveiling event.
Tesla is set to unveil its design for a Robotaxi, a fully autonomous vehicle that will operate as a ride-hailing service, on October 10 at Warner Bros. studio in Burbank, California.
Although it was originally scheduled for August 8, Tesla pushed the event back, and Elon Musk revealed the company would make one design change to the vehicle. The additional time would also allow Tesla “to show off a few other things,” Musk said.
We might have an idea of what one of those things might be, as a new patent, labeled “PARAMETER ESTIMATION FOR WIRELESS CHARGING,” was filed by Tesla:
Parameter Estimation for Wireless Charging
Tesla’s WO2024182372 patent introduces an innovative system for estimating and adapting to variations in wireless charging systems, improving efficiency and safety. ?
[FIG. 1A: Illustrates an example wireless charging environment with… pic.twitter.com/cwy5tRJ4mp
— SETI Park (@seti_park) September 7, 2024
It appears Tesla plans to utilize a wireless charging pad for the Robotaxi suite, which makes sense. If the vehicle is going to lack any sort of true human operation and be autonomous past the point of driving, it will need to be self-sufficient with charging as well.
Pulling into a garage or other structure with the wireless charging pad on the floor, as long as the vehicle also has an induction coil, would eliminate the need for a human to come plug the vehicle in. Of course, Tesla fooled around with the idea of a robotic “snake charger” that would automatically plug into the vehicle:
Tesla “snake charger” wasn’t just a creepy one-off, suggests Elon Musk
However, Tesla started teasing a wireless charging pad in early 2023 at its Investor Day. This pretty much eliminated any need for the “snake charger” and ultimately catalyzed a lot of rumors for the automaker and its development of a wireless charging pad.
The automaker then made a company acquisition, as it so commonly does when it gets into a new venture to streamline its product line. Tesla completed its purchase of Wiferion in July 2023. It then sold the company but kept many of its engineers.
Tesla sells wireless charging unit firm Wiferion, but keeps its engineers: report
What this patent essentially means is that Tesla is preparing to automate the entire Robotaxi operation. It could end up using this technology on other vehicles, but that remains to be seen.
We predicted that Tesla would unveil some kind of wireless charging technology at the Robotaxi unveiling event in an article yesterday.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
News
Tesla is launching a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates
This week, Tesla launched its in-house Rental program that will give people a vehicle for between three to seven days, with prices varying and starting at just $60 per day.
Tesla is launching a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates, giving people the opportunity to borrow a vehicle in the company’s lineup with an outrageous number of perks.
This week, Tesla launched its in-house Rental program that will give people a vehicle for between three to seven days, with prices varying and starting at just $60 per day.
However, there are additional perks that make it a really great deal, including Free Supercharging and Free Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for the duration of the rental.
There are no limits on mileage or charging, although the terms do not allow you to leave the state you are renting.
Tesla wrote in an email advertising the program:
“Rent a Tesla and see how it makes every errand, commute, and road trip more fun. While it’s yours, try Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and control and monitor your vehicle with the Tesla app.
Schedule your rental for three to seven days starting at $60 per day (plus taxes and fees) and charge for free at any Tesla-owned Supercharger.
Order your own Tesla within seven days of your rental to get up to a $250 credit toward your purchase.”
This is a great opportunity that will convince MANY people to make the jump.
All your concerns about switching are answered within two days. It’s easier than owning a gas car ever has been. https://t.co/QayTf6YVbw pic.twitter.com/TCHqfTRpes
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 8, 2025
Tesla has long adopted the mentality that butts in seats will sell cars, and for the most part, it is a great strategy. Driving a Tesla is different from owning and driving a combustion engine vehicle; it truly feels as if you are in a car from the past when you get back in an ICE car.
This strategy could be looked at as more of a way for people to experience Tesla ownership than anything.
Although some might use it as a typical rental program that will see it be a cool way to drive without putting miles on a personal car, most will use it as the 48-hour test drive was designed for, which is a short-term way to experience EV ownership.
Tesla is only offering this program at a handful of locations currently, including San Diego and Costa Mesa, California.
News
Tesla makes online ordering even easier
Tesla has a great trade-in program that allows you to give the company your vehicle in exchange for cash, even if it’s not an EV. Their trades are mostly fair, but the company seems to undervalue its own vehicles, and there have been plenty of complaints over offers in the past.
Tesla has adjusted its Online Design Studio to make for an easier trade-in process, reflecting the details of the exchange for a more accurate reflection of payment terms.
Tesla has a great trade-in program that allows you to give the company your vehicle in exchange for cash, even if it’s not an EV. Their trades are mostly fair, but the company seems to undervalue its own vehicles, and there have been plenty of complaints over offers in the past.
Trade-ins are usually given by submitting vehicle details, then Tesla sends an email with an offer. Offers are non-negotiable, but do adjust over time, although the latest offer is valid for 30 days.
I traded my ICE vehicle for a Tesla Model Y: here’s how it went
Knowing your new Tesla’s cash price, leasing or loan details, and monthly payment information used to be done by the car buyer. From personal experience, I simply subtracted my trade-in from the cash price of the Tesla Model Y, and I plugged those numbers into the payment calculator.
Now, Tesla is implementing the trade-in process directly into the Design Studio. It will adjust the price of the car and the different monthly payment methods automatically:
Trade-in estimates available directly on our configurator in few states including CA, will cover all of US and Canada next week.
For loyalty customers, if their trade-in VIN is eligible for any loyalty credit, the same will be applied to the estimate. pic.twitter.com/7097vPleMf
— Raj Jegannathan (@r_jegaa) November 8, 2025
The change is already noticed in a handful of states, including California, but it has not rolled out across the board quite yet. It will be implemented in all of the U.S., as well as Canada, this coming week.
The trade-in process is very simple, and after you accept your offer, you simply drop your vehicle off during the delivery process. Making this simple change will be greatly appreciated by owners.
News
Tesla confirms Robotaxi is heading to five new cities in the U.S.
After launching in Austin, Texas, in late June and the Bay Area of California just a few weeks later, Tesla has been attempting to expand its Robotaxi suite to new states and cities in the U.S., and even outside of the country.
Tesla Robotaxi will hit five new cities in the United States in the coming months, the company confirmed.
After launching in Austin, Texas, in late June and the Bay Area of California just a few weeks later, Tesla has been attempting to expand its Robotaxi suite to new states and cities in the U.S., and even outside of the country.
The Robotaxi suite is a ride-hailing service Tesla offers, but the details of it change with each jurisdiction, as regulations vary. For example, in Austin, Tesla can operate the Robotaxi suite without anyone in the driver’s seat, as long as the vehicle does not enter a freeway.

Credit: Tesla
In the Bay Area, a Safety Monitor rides in the driver’s seat, essentially acting as the vehicle operator with Full Self-Driving controlling the car.
The local regulations and how Tesla handles them will continue to be a relevant part of the discussion, especially as the company aims to expand the Robotaxi program to different areas. This has been a primary focus of the company for several months, especially within the United States.
CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla was aiming to launch Robotaxi in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. However, the company detailed five specific cities where it will launch Robotaxi next during the Annual Shareholder Meeting on Thursday.
Tesla will launch Robotaxi in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, and Miami next, broadening its Service Area for the suite to more major cities across the U.S.
It has said it plans to offer the service to half of the U.S. population by the end of the year, but it does not seem as if it will expand to more than a handful of cities this year, which is still tremendous progress, all things considered.
As far as autonomy is concerned, Tesla has always had lofty expectations and has made some even loftier statements.
At the Shareholder Meeting, Musk said that the company would likely be able to enable vehicle owners to text while the vehicle drives, alleviating them from potentially having some of the responsibility they have behind the wheel.
Tesla says texting and driving capability is coming ‘in a month or two’
It is not confirmed that Tesla will roll this out in the next few months, but Musk said there is a possibility.
-
News2 days agoTesla shares rare peek at Semi factory’s interior
-
Elon Musk3 days agoTesla says texting and driving capability is coming ‘in a month or two’
-
News2 days agoTesla Model Y Performance set for new market entrance in Q1
-
News3 days agoTesla China expecting full FSD approval in Q1 2026: Elon Musk
-
News3 days agoTesla Cybercab production starts Q2 2026, Elon Musk confirms
-
News4 days agoTesla Model Y Performance is rapidly moving toward customer deliveries
-
News13 hours agoTesla is launching a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates
-
News2 days agoTesla makes online ordering even easier

