AI illustration: 'Solid metal snake' auto-charger for Tesla cars (2014)
TeslaCars & Energy
Cancelled

Tesla snake charger: Elon's robot charger, cancelled

Did Tesla ever ship the snake robot charger?

On December 31, 2014, Elon Musk promised a 'solid metal snake' robot charger, with no firm date. The plan was shelved. Verdict as of October 26, 2026: cancelled.

First Tesla? Our referral includes 3 months of FSD (Supervised) for first-time buyers.Get a Tesla →
Get an email when this verdict changes. The Daily Verdict covers every change on the board, this one included, and only goes out on days something happens.
“Btw, we are actually working on a charger that automatically moves out from the wall & connects like a solid metal snake. For realz.”
— Elon Musk · Dec 31, 2014 · Elon Musk on Twitter, Dec 31 2014 (verified via publish.x.com oEmbed) ↗
See his original post on XLoads Elon's actual tweet, right here.
Show ▾
What actually happened

Tesla showed a working prototype in an August 2015 video — and Musk personally demoed it again in an October 2016 tweet — but the snake charger never shipped, never got a price or date, and quietly vanished from Tesla's plans. More than a decade later it remains vaporware; in June 2026 Xiaomi shipped a home robotic-arm EV charger delivering essentially the product Musk teased in 2014. A single robotic prototype was demoed in August 2015 and never productized; Tesla quietly dropped the project. Abandoned, not overdue. Electrek — Xiaomi delivers on Tesla's decade-old robot charger vision (June 2026) ↗

The Progression

Dec 31, 2014
The promise: “Btw, we are actually working on a charger that automatically moves out from the wall & connects like a solid metal snake. For realz.” · Elon Musk on Twitter, Dec 31 2014 (verified via publish.x.com oEmbed) ↗
Today · Oct 26, 2026
Status: Cancelled · shelved. Quietly shelved.

On New Year's Eve 2014 Musk tweeted that Tesla was 'actually' building a robotic charger that would slither out of the wall and plug itself in — 'For realz.' A real prototype appeared on video in August 2015, then the project disappeared without a word. The snake charger became shorthand for Tesla's announced-then-abandoned side projects, alongside battery swap.

Win the argument. Share the receipt.
The post comes pre-loaded with his quote, the clock, and the share card — one tap and it's settled.
Post the receipt

Receipts

LAST CHECKED 2026-07-27

Questions and answers

What exactly did Elon Musk say, and when?

On December 31, 2014, Elon Musk said: “Btw, we are actually working on a charger that automatically moves out from the wall & connects like a solid metal snake. For realz.” (source). He gave no date.

Did it happen?

No. This prediction was dropped before it happened. Tesla showed a working prototype in an August 2015 video — and Musk personally demoed it again in an October 2016 tweet — but the snake charger never shipped, never got a price or date, and quietly vanished from Tesla's plans. More than a decade later it… (Electrek — Xiaomi delivers on Tesla's decade-old robot charger vision (June 2026))

Shopping for a Tesla? See is a Tesla worth it, Tesla lease prices and the Tesla referral code.

Tesla’s record

Delivered
85
62% of resolved claims delivered.
Missed
52
Deadline passed, still no-show.
Still open
36
On the clock now. All 173 Tesla claims →

More solar, battery and charging predictions

Read next

Also Tesla, resolves soonest
Also Tesla, resolves soonest
Also Tesla, resolves soonest

Discussion

Loading…
← 80-90% odds a Falcon 9 lands and reflies within a year (2014) Tesla matches Apple's $700B market cap by 2025 →
/// The Daily Verdict
Know the moment a prediction lands — or doesn't.
One email a day, only when something changes: a new promise, a blown deadline, a goalpost move, or a rare on-time delivery. No spam, instant unsubscribe.