The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has cleared a key request from Tesla that lets the company use ultra‑wideband radio in a wireless charging system planned for the Cybercab robotaxi. The decision removes a regulatory barrier for a charging pad that can sit outdoors and guide a vehicle into the correct position before energy transfer starts.
Under existing FCC rules, this type of ultra‑wideband, or UWB, equipment is supposed to be handheld and is not meant to be fixed outdoors on permanent infrastructure. Tesla’s charging pad, mounted at ground level and likely used in open parking areas, did not fit that model, so the company asked for an exception.
The FCC agreed. Regulators said the system met their standards in several ways: the UWB signal runs at very low power, it activates only briefly while a vehicle is parking, it operates over very short distances, and it is aimed at a small zone near the ground under the car. These limits, the agency said, keep interference risks low for other radio users who rely on nearby spectrum bands.
How Tesla’s system works
Tesla’s filing describes “an impulse UWB radio system that enables peer-to-peer communications between a UWB transceiver installed on an electric vehicle (EV) and a second UWB transceiver installed on a ground-level pad — which could be located outdoors — to achieve optimal positioning for the EV to charge wirelessly.”
Before the UWB link activates, the car uses Bluetooth to discover the location of the pad and handle basic data exchange. That Bluetooth step does not fall under the waiver. When the vehicle moves near the pad, the UWB radios turn on and track the vehicle’s position so the system knows when the car is centered well enough for wireless power transfer to begin.
Tesla told regulators that UWB activity is short and localized. Signals are strongest in the narrow space between the underside of the car and the pad. Once the vehicle is parked on top, the body of the car blocks and absorbs a large share of the remaining signal, which further limits how far it can travel.
Why the FCC accepted the request
The core issue for the FCC was whether allowing this fixed pad would undermine the purpose of its UWB rules. Those rules were written to prevent UWB from turning into a wide‑area infrastructure network that might interfere with licensed services. In this case, the agency found that Tesla’s use is narrow: it supports positioning only, it runs at very low duty cycles, and it does not operate as a communications backbone.
Regulators also weighed the fact that the system does not run constantly. It wakes only when a Cybercab approaches the pad and then shuts down again once alignment is complete.
Inductive wireless charging relies on coils in both the pad and the vehicle. Positioning matters, since misalignment can reduce efficiency and create extra heat. UWB can help the car arrive with much tighter accuracy than simpler methods.
The FCC’s move does not rewrite UWB regulations across the board. It is a focused waiver for a specific Tesla positioning system linked to wireless charging. It does not give Tesla blanket permission to install UWB infrastructure for other uses, and it does not automatically extend to the current retail fleet.
Still, the order signals that regulators are open to tightly controlled UWB uses in infrastructure if applicants can show low interference risk and a clear technical case. For now, this UWB waiver is one piece of that plan, clearing the way for Cybercab to line itself up over a charging pad without a driver behind the wheel.
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