Tesla is building a charger that automatically connects to its cars like a “solid metal snake,” chief executive Elon Musk said Wednesday.
In a tweet, Musk explained that the device will move out from the wall robotically and insert itself into the charging port of the Model S, the sole sedan in electric carmaker’s fleet.
He said the charger would work on all existing cars. Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean, a Tesla spokeswoman, declined to give any further details.
Tesla vehicles are currently charged by a cord plugged into a wall outlet with an adaptor or at a so-called “supercharger” station, where chargers juice the cars’ lithium-ion batteries.
This isn’t the first time Musk has outlined plans for the serpentine accessory.
During a speech at the launch event in October for Tesla’s new all-wheel drive Model S, which has some autonomous driving features, the billionaire boasted that his cars could soon not only drive themselves but charge themselves, too.
“Something I’d like to do -- which I think many of our engineers will be hearing this in real-time -- is have the charge connector plug itself in, articulating sort of like a snake, like ‘Metal Gear Solid’ or something,” he said, referring to the dystopic sci-fi video game franchise.
Watch his comments here, starting at about 9:23:
Amid delays in the release of its Model X sports utility vehicle, Tesla has been enhancing its existing vehicles. Last week, the company announced a battery upgrade for the Roadster, its original luxury sports car, which was discontinued more than three years ago.