Final Assembly

Why did Tesla put charging port at the rear? To fit Elon Musk’s rented garage

February 04, 2025 11:00 AM
Teslas parked at chargers in Long Beach, Calif.
Teslas have to be backed into charging stalls because of a house that CEO Elon Musk rented more than a decade ago, Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson said. (JERRY HIRSCH/AUTOMOTIVE NEWS)

Tesla fans have spent years coming up with explanations for why the company put the charging port on its cars behind the left rear door, so drivers usually have to back into charging stalls, rather than near the front end like on many electric vehicles today.

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