Tesla Is Currently Charging Driverless Robotaxis by Hand [VIDEO]

Tesla’s Robotaxis may drive themselves, but for now, they still need a human to plug them in. A video shared on X by @WorldlyReviewer shows how Tesla is charging its driverless fleet at public Superchargers in active Robotaxi markets like Austin.

Ten Robotaxis arrived at the Supercharger, one Cybercab and nine Model Y units, all with nobody inside. A Tesla employee waited as each one parked itself, then walked around and plugged them in, adjusting a car’s position when it wasn’t close enough to reach the cable. As @WorldlyReviewer put it, “One person charges multiple robotaxis at once.”

One Employee, Ten Robotaxis

The video shows the gold Cybercab driving through the lot on its own at night before reversing into a stall next to a row of Model Y robotaxis. It backs in because its NACS charge port sits behind a small drop-down door in the corner of the rear bumper.

@JoshWest247

Teslarati noted that the setup shows Tesla still has some of the scrappy DNA from its “production hell” days when it was scrambling to bring the Model 3 to market. It’s a low-tech approach, but it makes sense this early on. The Robotaxi service has only been running for about 15 months, and the Cybercab joined the fleet in early September. Tesla now has more than 300 Cybercabs in Austin with a total of seven active Robotaxi markets.

Superchargers are also the only practical option for the Cybercab. It doesn’t support AC charging because it has no onboard charger, so Wall Connectors or Mobile Connectors won’t work. It can only charge from a DC fast charger.

Wireless Charging Is the Long-Term Plan

Manual plug-ins are a stopgap. Tesla ultimately plans to charge the Cybercab wirelessly using inductive pads, and it already won FCC approval for the charging tech earlier this year. The system uses Bluetooth to find the charging pad, then Ultra-Wideband radio to guide the car into precise alignment before power transfer begins. Tesla has said the system’s efficiency is well above 90%.

Other companies are also working on automated Supercharging alternatives. An Austrian company recently showed off an automated NACS docking system for Robotaxis that lets a car reverse onto a ground-mounted Supercharger port. Tesla, however, is sticking to its guns with inductive wireless instead.

@Chris_01___ / X

Tesla is also building private, Robotaxi-only charging hubs, including a planned Austin hub with 80 wireless chargers. Until enough of those are running in active markets, expect Tesla employees to keep plugging in Robotaxis at public Superchargers.