5 Of The Weirdest Products Tesla Makes (That Aren’t The Cybertruck) – BGR

Tesla can be a difficult company to nail down. Consumer Reports has said it’s the most satisfying EV brand to drive, though its Cybertruck has plummeted in value since its release. Additionally, the company has a somewhat fractured focus when it comes to products outside of its electric vehicles. Tesla’s chargers, batteries, solar products, and charging infrastructure could make it easily viewed as an energy company, and with its electric vehicles being highly dependent on Tesla software, it could even be looked at as a software company. Using a broader brush, many people simply look at Tesla as a tech company.

But Tesla has a passionate consumer base, and its loyalty has made Tesla, in many ways, a lifestyle brand. The Tesla shop is full of everyday products packaged with the Tesla logo. The inventory ranges from backpacks to water bottles, from clothing to desktop accessories, and from lighting to children’s toys. But alongside such traditional branding opportunities, Tesla has come up with some more unique ways to expand its relationship with its most passionate customers. The company borders on eccentric when it comes to its self-image, and we’ve found some products that manage to stand out as weird, even as Tesla goes.

The Cybertruck for Kids is a drivable, sized-down electric toy version of the Tesla Cybertruck. It’s made in the spirit of popular ride-on toys, and while what’s widely available among those toys are vehicles like Jeeps, Ford Broncos, and Mercedes Benzes, the Cybertruck for Kids gives up-and-coming Tesla fans a chance to get to know the brand. The life-sized Cybertruck promises big range when it comes to battery life. The Cybertruck for Kids, while not exactly street legal, can go a full 12 miles between charges. It has an adjustable seat, LED headlights, and a 500W motor with a top speed of 10 miles per hour.

All of this makes the Cybertruck for Kids a seemingly well-made toy. It’s fit for adventures around the house, yard, and neighborhood, though, like the Cybertruck for adults, it has a hefty price tag. More traditional ride-on toy vehicles are priced from about $150 to $400, but the Cybertruck for Kids goes for $1,500. There is also a non-refundable $150 freight shipping fee. It’s not uncommon for automakers to sell branded merchandise or license vehicle likenesses to toy manufacturers, but to design and manufacture something like the Cybertruck for Kids is an oddity. That it has so many working features while designed for six to 12-year-olds adds to the eccentric nature of the Tesla brand.

Many Tesla vehicles have a built-in feature called Caraoke, which lets drivers and passengers sing along to lyrics displayed on the vehicle’s touchscreens. Tesla has also released the CaraokeMic for just such singing scenarios. Two microphones are included in the CaraokeMic kit, which is priced at $215. It’s a pretty convenient media package, as the microphones pair automatically with compatible Tesla vehicles, and they work with media apps on both front and rear displays. Tesla ensures everything necessary to turn the cabin into a stage is part of the package, with a receiver, a data cable, a charging cable, and even a storage bag included.

There is an argument to be made that Caraoke as a built-in feature is strange enough on its own, but manufacturing a pair of microphones that are designed specifically for singing in a vehicle pushes things a little further. But that may just be the point of the CaraokeMic. The car isn’t the most uncommon place to get some singing in, and while there are plenty of gadgets that can make a Tesla feel brand new, it’s products like the CaraokeMic that make it feel unique. Tesla leans into the potential eccentricities and free-spiritedness of its customers by including anti-howling technology that keeps audio from blowing out when the lyrics need to get loud.

For owners who use their Tesla vehicle for a morning workout or a trip to the park, Tesla collaborated with Selkirk to produce the Plaid Pickleball Paddle. While Tesla has become recognized for technological ingenuity and pushing the boundaries of electric vehicle design, Selkirk is a family-owned business focused solely on making quality pickleball equipment. As such, pickleball players should find the Plaid Pickleball Paddle to be well-engineered and manufactured. It is inspired by the aerodynamics of Tesla vehicles and was put through relentless testing to ensure it delivers on its $350 price. It’s made with carbon fiber, PureFoam, and InfiniGrit materials.

While a global auto company pairing with a small sporting goods manufacturer in the Northwest is a little strange, collaborating on an end product as seemingly quirky as a pickleball paddle makes it a little weirder. It’s not the kind of product many would think of when it comes to vehicle merchandise. But the accessibility of the sport has made pickleball courts a popular Saturday and Sunday morning destination. In fact, for four years in a row, pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in the United States. That the Plaid Pickleball Paddle remains out of stock in the Tesla Store suggests that Tesla owners are playing their part in its rising popularity.

Tesla manufactures the Cybertruck and the Model Y at its gigafactory in Austin, Texas. It covers 2,500 acres and opened in 2022. And while Tesla operates gigafactories in Nevada, New York, and overseas, it leans into the spirit of Texas with the Giga Texas Belt Buckle. Similar to other products found in the Tesla Shop, the belt buckle could be seen as somewhat overdone. It’s made from die-cast zinc, has an antique silver finish, and plays off the famous “Don’t Mess With Texas” slogan with the words “Don’t Mess With” engraved beneath the Tesla logo.

The Giga Texas Belt Buckle is meant to both celebrate and commemorate what is currently Tesla’s newest gigafactory. Texas is also now where the auto manufacturer calls its corporate headquarters home, though a belt buckle still feels a long way from its California tech roots. It also isn’t the most obvious way to mark a corporate achievement, nor is it the most common choice of fashion accessories in a general sense. Leaning so heavily into the Texas spirit to expand its lifestyle image is a little weird, though Tesla fans with an eye on the Giga Texas Belt Buckle can add it to the decor or the wardrobe for $220.

Tesla has been developing a robot called Optimus, which is also known as the Tesla Bot. The company intends to use it in its factories and eventually sell it as a general-purpose robot. The Tesla Bot had some public failures recently, which is only part of what makes the Lil’ Bot Onesie a weird product to find in the Tesla Shop. Available in sizes to accommodate kids of varying ages, the Lil’ Bot Onesie is based on the Optimus design and transforms the children of Tesla fans into the spitting image of a functional Tesla Bot.

Despite various demos, the Tesla Bot is still very much a work in progress. If the day comes that we see robots helping us around our homes, it will likely take some mental adjustment. Seeing a child, particularly one capable of walking, talking, and holding their own eating utensils, may feel just as weird when they’re wearing the Lil’ Bot Onesie. But designing a baby onesie around a product like Optimus takes a unique corporate perspective, and for Tesla fans with a similarly weird sense of humor, the Lil’ Bot Onesie is one of the more affordably priced items in the Tesla Shop at $55.