One of the most innovative companies in the world, Tesla is the brainchild of an eccentric and brilliant CEO named Elon Musk. The Tesla brand has made fully electric cars a viable reality, even for muscle car fans who value power and function in their vehicles. Tesla cars are known for their amazing technology and groundbreaking batteries. The company, however, is not a one-trick pony. Here's a look at some of the coolest non-car gear and gadgets made by Tesla.
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. 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 percent 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 $14,500, including all necessary hardware, although other expenses and fees might apply.
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."
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 $250 each, are built with more than 270 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 — presumably extra fast.
Tesla sells a thin, sleek wireless phone charger that isn't much bigger than a phone itself. Available in black or white, the $49 device works with all Qi-enabled phones and promises 21 extra hours of talk time and 18 extra hours of surf time. Just rest your phone on a powered-up charger, hold the button down for three seconds and you'll have plenty of juice in minutes.
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.
When Elon Musk's Space-X company launched a Tesla into orbit, the car was symbolically driven into space by an astronaut mannequin called Starman. Now you can wake up to Starman every morning with a Tesla Starman coffee mug for $35. For $30, you can score a silver or black BPA-free and vacuum-insulated stainless steel water bottle or travel mug/tumbler emblazoned with the Tesla logo.
If you want to show your Tesla pride on your head, you've got a nice selection of hats to choose from. For $25, you can pick up a baseball cap or a wool winter hat emblazoned with either the Tesla logo or just the word "Tesla." With the exception of one gray wool knit cap, all of the options are some combination of red, black, and/or white.
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 $35, long sleeve shirts are $40, hoodies, sweatshirts, sweaters, and pullovers range from $50-$75, and jackets go for between $120-$180.
