Tesla fanatic? 3D print your own smartphone Supercharger

By Lulu Chang Published July 14, 2016

Harboring an intense Tesla obsession? We’re here to feed it. Or rather, Martin Hansen is here to feed it. A Tesla super enthusiast himself, Hansen’s first exposure to the so-called car of the future came in 2014 when he was introduced to his friend’s Model S. And now, he’s decided to pay homage to Elon Musk’s company and its highly popular cars in a decidedly Tesla-esque way — with a 3D-printed smartphone Supercharger.

Designed to look just like the supercharger stations that Tesla cars depend upon for their own power, the mini version is described as a “smartphone desk supercharger.” Inspired by how “Tesla solved the long charging time problem of electric vehicles” with the company’s stations, Hansen noted, “I spent almost all of my free time researching Tesla Motors and the Model S. Visiting the Supercharger station again, the idea came into my mind: the Supercharger network is the key to success for Tesla, so every Tesla owner would love to have their own Supercharger at home.”

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And your home version is a 3D-printed mini station that consists of six components. Because sharing is caring, the creative has made all the .stl files publicly available.

Requiring minimal amounts of glue and assembly, the desktop charger doesn’t boast the same supercharging technical abilities as the real deal (it won’t juice up your phone any faster), but it will certainly make a statement. You’ll need a micro USB or lightning cable to actually get it to charge your phone, and if you don’t have easy access to a 3D printer (or would just rather buy the finished product), Hansen is selling his creations for $109.

Branded as a “must-have for every Tesla enthusiast,” this 3D-printable gadget just might be what you need to tide you over during the excruciatingly long wait for the Model 3.

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