Tesla Air Compressor — Super Easy To Use, Once You Figure Out How To Open It – CleanTechnica

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

---

Using some Tesla referral credits that were about to expire, I recently got a Tesla Air Compressor & Tire Repair Kit. I love it! However, it was a small mystery figuring out how to open it.

Refilling the air in my Tesla Model 3’s tires is an errand I had gotten a bit tired of running. Given that I don’t need to get gasoline, I would occasionally have to go out of my way to go to a gas station to get air for my tires. It always felt a bit weird, especially at the Wawa stations I eventually found out offered free air (no more bumbling with coins). I “shouldn’t be there,” yet I was taking their free air.

At one point, I received a portable, home air compressor from someone who had no need for it. I discovered, though, that it was a bit odd and complicated to use, and just decided to stick with Wawa. Though, again, I don’t go enough and let my tire pressure get too low (which is not good for driving efficiency). Then I found the Tesla Air Compressor & Tire Repair Kit while looking for something in the Tesla store to spend my referral credits on.

There are a few things I love about this air compressor, which I just used for the first time today:

• Super easy to use (see how to use it in the video below).
• Quite small (easy to store in my overcrowded one-car garage).
• Electric, and powered by the Tesla Model 3 itself.
• It has a PSI gauge that’s easy to read and use.
• Slick looking.
• Includes a tire repair kit! (Hopefully I never need it, but handy and seemingly easy to use if I do.)

The one odd and tricky thing is that when you take it out of the box, it’s not clear at all how to open or use the machine! Here’s a short video on how to open it up and how to use it:

I hope that’s helpful! I definitely love and recommend the little machine.

One note a commenter on the video provided as well might be useful:

“I recently got one of these. I haven’t used it to seal any flat tires yet, but I inflated 8 tires in a row as a day-1 test. It’s noticeably faster than the 12-Volt car tire air compressor I already had, and the built-in PSI gauge is much more accurate. The design is very space efficient, and I appreciate that none of the hot surfaces are exposed. I’d suggest being careful with the power cable, which is relatively thin, presumably to allow it to fit in the small compartment where it lives when not in use. I’m very pleased with the unit, but I can understand some people might find the extremely tight tolerances a bit finicky. As with most things Tesla, this air compressor is unconventional but very good if used on its own terms.“

You can read my recent 5-year review of our 2019 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus for more on Model 3 ownership.

You can currently get $1,000 off of a new Tesla using a Tesla owner’s referral code. If you need one, here’s mine: https://ts.la/zachary63404