Tesla skips out on installing USB-C ports for new EVs

Wirelessly charging your smartphone might be difficult in your new Tesla.

On Reddit and Twitter, posts started coming in Friday about new Tesla deliveries with parts missing in the electric vehicles. One person posted about their 2022 Model 3 with missing USB-C ports in the front center console. A photo showed the empty slots in the console. Usually that’s where you can plug in a charging cord. The wireless phone charging unit also wasn’t working because of what turned out to be missing parts.

Another person with a new Model Y noticed the same problem with holes where the connectors were supposed to be.

Tweet may have been deleted

A representative at the Tesla Service Center in San Francisco told Mashable that supply chain issues and a chip shortage are slowing down deliveries. Therefore, some cars are arriving with some non-crucial components missing. But the rep — who, it should be noted, can only speak for the SF service center — said affected owners will be notified once the parts are ready. At that point owners will be advised to bring the car in for service to fill in any, um, gaps. The rep said some parts are already being shipped and should be available for installation in the coming weeks.

For Jon Nguyen in Orange County, California, he almost overlooked the fact that his new Model Y was missing charging ports and connections. In a phone call with Mashable he said he went to his local Tesla center on Wednesday to pick up the new electric SUV.

He was checking that everything worked when he put his iPhone 13 Pro on the charging pad in the center console. When it wouldn’t charge no matter how he placed it on the mat he asked to try the charging pad on a nearby woman’s Model 3 (she was also picking up her EV that day). It worked in her vehicle.

So Nguyen said he went back and told the service rep about the charging issue. She first suggested a problem with the iPhone, but then posited an issue with the charging pad. It wasn’t until she got a phone call from Tesla corporate that it was clear what was going on: Nguyen’s car hadn’t come with certain parts installed.

The Tesla owner’s manual for the Model 3 and Y lists two front USB-C ports, along with two in the back. “I look and sure enough there’s nothing there, just two little holes,” Nguyen said.

It’s unclear if any drivers are told up front that their vehicle won’t have all features at delivery. But like Nguyen, new owners should check all the parts of the car and see if anything is missing.

He was told to schedule a mobile service appointment through the Tesla app. When the parts are ready, Tesla added, they’d come and install those. He said they told him to wait two weeks, but he’s expecting a longer delay. For those with missing parts, be sure to file a service request immediately so there’s a record on your account.

We reached out to Tesla for more on the missing USB-C ports, but haven’t heard back yet.

Where you should be able to plug in.
Credit: Tesla

Other carmakers are also struggling to offer all the usual features because of the chip shortage. General Motors has pulled heated seats, while BMW has had to cut touchscreens in some of its cars.