Tesla is preparing its Cybercab for series production as a fully autonomous robotaxi without pedals or a steering wheel, with the first two-seater now reportedly built at the company’s Austin plant in Texas. At the same time, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted Tesla a waiver to use ultra-wideband (UWB) radio technology for its planned inductive charging system, clearing a key regulatory obstacle for wireless, fully automated charging.

Specifically, Tesla is working on a static inductive charging setup consisting of a charging pad embedded in the ground and a corresponding receiver unit mounted on the vehicle’s underside. Once the car is positioned above the pad, electricity is transmitted wirelessly, typically via magnetic coils used in inductive systems. A key technical challenge lies in ensuring precise alignment between the vehicle and the ground pad to enable efficient energy transfer.

An official document related to the regulatory approval states: „The Tesla positioning system is a pulse UWB radio system that enables peer-to-peer communication between a UWB transceiver installed in the electric vehicle (EV) and a second UWB transceiver installed on a ground-level charging station – which may be located outdoors – to achieve optimal positioning for wireless EV charging.”

According to the document, Tesla emphasises that ‘the UWB signals occur only briefly when the vehicle approaches the ground pad; and mostly at ground level between the vehicle and the pad.’ It also notes that the signals are ‘significantly attenuated by the body of the vehicle positioned over the pad.’ Before deploying ultra-wideband radio technology, Tesla plans to use Bluetooth as an interim solution.

The Cybercab will also likely support conventional charging. “Cybercab prototypes have frequently been spotted charging at standard Tesla Superchargers across the United States,” reports the portal Teslarati.

teslarati.com, x.com, docs.fcc.gov (PDF)