What Is It?
I’m always skeptical of aftermarket third party items. After 20 years in the classic car hobby my experience has been that the vast majority of add on or replacement components at best meet minimum requirements. Often they require a call to the manufacturer or a little shaving here, a tap there to get the item to fit and work. Consequently, when my Jeda wireless charging pad arrived purporting to upgrade the phone charging connections in my Tesla Model 3 my expectations were set appropriately.
The product arrived priority mail which is always a nice touch, but no extra points. Upon opening the package though, a momentary flicker of surprise arose. One of the many characteristics of the Model 3 that I love is its unadulterated elegance. No flashy buttons, knobs, or levers interpose themselves between the car and the driver. The Jeda package carried that same feeling. Quiet, understated, and without the usual screaming logos, proclamations about how good it is, and endorsements from famous or nearly famous people. The introductory letter with the product offered a clue as to the sophisticated appearance of the packaging. First appearances do make a difference. Style points for packaging.
Who is Jeda Products?
“We are a small group of designers, engineers and Tesla enthusiasts with experience building technology and hardware. We are also Tesla fans and this is our contribution to the EV change. We hope to make the Tesla experience even more enjoyable.”
The Guts
Opening the box revealed the charging pad itself nestled in a micro-foam frame to cushion it and prevent movement during shipping. Lifting the charging pad from the frame exposed the remaining items required to utilize the Jeda charging pad.
Easy to Install
Two cables for connecting and energizing the pad and more importantly very clear instructions on removing the OEM pad from the Model 3 and installing the Jeda wireless pad. No tools required.
Three easy steps: (with pictures for those of us who swore we never need to read instructions)
Remove the rubber pad, the cables and the bottom panel that slides to the left to access the cables that come with your Tesla Model 3.
Connect the Jeda cables to the back of the Jeda Wireless Pad and place it on the tray feeding the cables through the center access hole.
Connect the USB cables to the front USB ports of the dashboard of the Tesla Model 3.
Once the product is installed no need to connect any cables, simply drop your phone on the recyclable thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) pad and the Jeda Wireless Pad V2 will start charging — wirelessly. The Tesla Model 3 Wireless Charger can charge between 7.5W when connected to the front USB ports, or up to 15W when connected to the 12v power socket. Additionally there is a P and an L on the pad which means the left side of the pad will power in the portrait and landscape mode, while the right will power portrait mode.
The Specs
Charging 7.5W-15W
Non-slip TPE rubber
Cable Length: 7.8 inches / 20cm
Power Source: 5-12V
Height: 6.5 in /165 mm
Length: 0.2 in /6 mm
Width: 5.9 in /150 mm
Weight: 4.37 oz /124 g
It took a non-tech person about 8 minutes to install the Jeda. After laying the phone on the pad, the phone screen popped up and announced it was charging.
QI and Non-QI
Now that the Jeda Wireless Pad V2 is installed and charging, another set of questions arose. Because I have QI phones and non-Qi phones, can you have wireless on one side and hard cable on the other? Yes.
Questions?
What about a phone case? Maybe, if it is a thin non metallic case yes. Another consideration, can I use the Jeda and a Sentry Mode Flash Drive at the same time? Used with a USB splitter, yes. The Jeda Wireless Pad comes with nobs on the back of it, which align perfectly with the ones found in the Tesla Model 3. Works with a variety of large phones, such as the Note 9. Fortunately if these and other questions are important to you, the getjeda.com website and the FAQ section answer all of these and much more.
Will the Jeda Wireless Pad V2 do everything that a cable connection can do? As for charging a phone yes, but it adds the convenience of wireless charging. It is spot on.
Conclusion
I am excited to see third parties producing aftermarket products for Tesla. With these new products, companies like Jeda Products are demonstrating faith in the future viability of Tesla. As a result owners will be able to individualize their cars with new toys, gadgets, and performance items. The Jeda Wireless Pad V2 is a first class quality aftermarket product that enhances Tesla Model 3 utility and soon Model S and X as well.
Photo Credits: Court Nederveld, Jeda Products