Surprising Things Tesla Makes That Aren't Electric Cars

One of the most innovative companies in the world, Tesla is the brainchild of eccentric CEO Elon Musk, who recently overtook Amazon's Jeff Bezos to become the world's richest person. But while people have mixed feelings on Musk, the Tesla brand has fared better: It overtook Toyota as the world's most valuable car company in mid-2020. Tesla's fully electric cars are known for their technology and groundbreaking batteries; the company, however, is not a one-trick pony. Here's a look at some non-car gear and gadgets made by Tesla, including everything from booze to belt buckles, and what may be its most surprising venture yet: A drive-in restaurant.

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Multiple media outlets reported in 2021 that Tesla filed paperwork with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to use three of its logo designs in the food industry. Now comes word from Restaurant Business that a Tesla Supercharger Diner & Drive-In is set to appear in Hollywood. It won't be a dive or even a simple storefront, but a two-story restaurant with two movie screens and (of course) 34 Tesla charging ports. Musk is apparently making good on a 2018 tweet that he was "gonna put an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA." Watch your back, Sonic. 

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The last 420 bottles might have already sold out, but Tesla sold its own exclusive small-batch tequila in an engraved, hand-blown glass bottle for, well, $420 — see what they did there? But it wasn't just any old tequila. It was made from sustainably sourced highland and lowland agaves and then aged for 15 months in French oak barrels before distribution. The set also included two sipping glasses and polished metal display stands.

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Tesla is planning to start production on a humanoid robot in 2023. Named Optimus but nicknamed "Tesla Bot," it will supposedly be able to complete a wide range of tasks that humans would rather not do themselves. While Musk has yet to release a working prototype or explain exactly how the machine will work, he did say it will be built with the same chips and sensors that the company’s cars use for self-driving. Only time will tell if Optimus will be ready to clean your kitchen or bring you a drink, so stay tuned.

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If you're a Tesla-lovin' cowpoke, you're in luck — the company has made an over-the-top Tesla belt buckle just for you. The $100 buckle, made in honor of the company's Texas gigafactory, features the Tesla logo atop a large Texas Lone Star. Giddy up.

Alas, it's out of stock now, but Tesla really has sold a $50 whistle. Why? Well, why not? Inspired by the much-maligned Cybertruck, it certainly looked cool, and apparently sold out just two hours after Musk announced it on Twitter. Musk trolled tech-giant rival Apple with the whistle, warning people not to spend $19 on an apparently unremarkable Apple-branded polishing cloth and buy the whistle instead.

In November, Tesla announced that, in addition to creating the Cybertruck, an ATV called the Cyberquad was coming. While the Cybertruck and Cyberquad have met with delays, a kids' Cyberquad ATV that can go up to 10 mph hit the market. Despite its hefty $1,900 price tag, the electric ride-on sold out quickly. It was developed in collaboration with Radio Flyer, the company famed for its decidedly low-tech red wagon.

If you've got an underaged Tesla fan in the family, you can gift that budding motorist with a miniature Model S made by Radio Flyer, at a price that might be a bit more palatable. Made for kids ages 3-8 up to 80 pounds, the cars — just like their bigger siblings — are completely battery powered. Also like the real thing, they're packed with high-tech features, including a front trunk, a working horn and headlights, and an MP3 sound system.

Tesla is a battery company as much as it is a car company, and they make power cells that can put out enough juice to run your entire home. Called the Powerwall, Tesla home batteries are 100% self-powered and can store enough juice to provide seven-plus continuous days of energy in case of an outage. Homes up to 4,500 square feet can get by on two Powerwalls, which cost a combined $13,000, but Tesla suggests supporting hardware will be another $1,100 and installation will range between $2,000 and $3,000.

Your Powerwall batteries need to get their energy from somewhere, and that somewhere rises in the east every morning. Forget the big, clunky solar panels of old, the Tesla Solar Roof is made from invisible glass tiles that look just like roof shingles — but they're far, far more durable. Tesla has so much faith in its tiles that the so-called "infinite warranty" extends for "the lifetime of your house, or infinity, whichever comes first." Unfortunately, sales of the shingles are "on pause" due to supply chain issues.

In 2018, Tesla quickly sold out of the 200 limited-edition, red and black surfboards the company created. Produced by Lost Surfboards and a man named Matt "Mayhem" Biolos, the boards have the same finish as Tesla cars and were reinforced with carbon fiber. In 2019, experts from SurferToday cracked one of the boards open to see what it was made of and concluded there was nothing special about the boards except the name Tesla.

Elon Musk's Boring Company gets its name from the massive tunnels it plans to build, not because it lacks excitement — quite the opposite, actually. Although it's not technically Tesla, Boring makes one product that's simply too cool — and incredibly hot at the same time — to leave off the list. Boring raised $10 million with a limited run of 20,000 $500 flamethrowers, which sold out in four days. They look sort of like a cross between "Star Wars" Stormtrooper guns and Super Soaker water cannons, and although they do blast out a scary amount of fire, they're not technically flamethrowers — more along the lines of a giant butane torch. To get around that technicality, Musk aptly named his handheld incinerator the Not-a-Flamethrower.

Tesla sells miniature diecast model cars for the car enthusiast who also loves collectibles. Meticulously detailed, the doors and trunk open, the tires are made of rubber, the seat belts are made of fabric, and the interior is carpeted. Altogether, the cars, which come in different models and cost $175 each, are built with more than 180 plastic and metal parts.

Tesla is famous for its Superchargers, nearly 13,000 incredibly fast charging stations spread out across the United States that power up Teslas in just a half hour. Tesla has also made exact replica scale models to keep on your desk, perhaps next to your Tesla miniature diecast model car. More than just a decoration, they're used to charge up cellphones. Whether or not they're as fast as Superchargers, the $45 chargers are sold out.

You can take Tesla power with you wherever you go with a pocket-sized Powerbank. Powered by the same battery cells that made Tesla cars famous, Powerbanks are chargers you can take with you for those times when your phone's battery dies on the go. Just keep it charged, throw it in your bag, and pull out the $45 device whenever the need arises — if you can find one. They're currently out of stock.

If you want to wear your Tesla pride on your head, you've got a nice selection of hats  to choose from. For $30 or $35, you can pick up a baseball cap or a wool winter hat emblazoned with either the Tesla logo. One hat can only be purchased with Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency that Musk has long promoted.

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If you like your hat, you can round out your Musk-inspired wardrobe with an impressive selection of Tesla clothing, available in a rainbow of colors that includes black, white, and gray. They're well-made, but they aren't cheap. Tees cost $30 and up, while hoodies, sweatshirts, sweaters, and pullovers are significantly more. Our personal fave: A onesie that says "0 emissions ... almost."

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