Something to look forward to: Tesla 3 owners can now purchase the company branded Qi-enabled wireless charging kit. Although cheaper third-party options have been available for some time, Tesla is looking to charge a premium with its own offering.
Tesla interiors are often regarded as minimalist affairs and reflect the company's vision of how technology should shape the look and feel of the modern car. The company will now add to that experience with an official wireless phone charging accessory. While wireless charging kits for phones have been available for quite some time, in ICE vehicles and with Tesla's OEM partners, the company has now launched its own offering to fit snugly in the center console.
As noted by electrik, the Model 3 comes with a wired docking solution for charging mobile devices but due to Qi's wide adoption as an industry standard charging solution, including Apple's iPhone, many people prefer going wireless for the obvious benefits that come with it.
"Stay charged with the Model 3 Wireless Phone Charger designed exclusively by Tesla. Featuring a non-slip, silicon surface with easy installation and enough power to charge two phones at once, the Wireless Phone Charger is perfect for any sized device. Simply drop your Qi-enabled smartphone on the center console's phone tray for a quick and secure charge without cables." writes Tesla on its shopping website.
The dual-coil charging kit plugs below the car's large touchscreen display and comes with two USB cables and a snap-on bottom piece for easy installation. Once setup, it will take both of the available slots in the center console. Electrik also notes that third-party alternatives to the Tesla kit such as the EEIEER Wireless Phone Charger costs less than half the price and comes with a 2 USB splitter that leaves room for one slot to be used for other purposes, like storing footage in a USB stick from the TeslaCam and Sentry Mode features.
The specs for the charging kit have not been published by Tesla but if buyers are looking to charge their phones quickly, the coils would probably need to output at least 7.5W for fast charging since all recent flagships support this speed.