Tesla has quietly rolled out a pilot program for wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging in Los Angeles, marking a bold step forward in the future of clean transportation. The pilot, which began earlier this week, is being tested at select locations across the city and allows Tesla vehicles to charge automatically—no cables required—using inductive charging pads embedded in parking spots.
The technology works by transmitting electricity through an electromagnetic field from a pad on the ground to a receiver installed underneath the car. While inductive charging has been in development for years, Tesla’s version is said to offer faster transfer rates and better efficiency than existing solutions, according to industry insiders familiar with the pilot.
Early participants in the program include local Tesla owners invited through the company’s app, as well as a few commercial fleet partners based in Downtown LA and Santa Monica. Tesla has not yet announced a public timeline for a wider rollout, but insiders say the company could expand to more California cities by late 2025 if the pilot meets its benchmarks.
The move comes as part of Tesla’s broader strategy to streamline the EV ownership experience, especially in dense urban areas where traditional charging setups can be inconvenient or vulnerable to vandalism. If successful, wireless charging could eventually become a standard feature in Tesla’s future vehicles and Supercharger networks.
This is yet another example of how Los Angeles is being positioned as a testbed for next-gen mobility solutions, reaffirming its role as a central player in the clean tech revolution happening across the West Coast.