We may generate revenue from products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more >
Tesla’s next big product reveal is not a A long-awaited affordable passenger car Or an actually usable humanoid robot. It’s a $350 pickleball paddle.
The company announced Friday that it has partnered with prominent paddle manufacturer Selkirk Sport on an arguably over-engineered accessory aimed at “bringing advanced aerodynamics and precision performance” to deep-pocketed pickleball players. The result, Tesla claims, is a premium product designed to improve swing speed and durability. For context, a typical high-quality pickleball paddle usually costs less than $150. Even a basic model tennis racket Used by Novak Djokovic retails for $299.
But Tesla and Selkirk argue that’s no paddle. Designers from the two companies began working together on the project in 2024. Tesla was chosen as a partner due to its experience applying aerodynamic modeling tools to its vehicle designs. During testing, Tesla analyzed the different changes in airflow that occur when players swing the paddle. That involves measurement Drag coefficient (a number that identifies the amount of aerodynamic drag an object experiences) f Disturbed waking patterns (turbulence in the air generated behind a moving object), such as when improving a vehicle’s aerodynamics.
All of this data shaped the paddle’s final design, most notably its elongated silhouette and “edgeless” contour. Typically, paddles have an edge guard or slightly raised edge surrounding the striking surface.
Selkirk has also developed a new “power ring” specifically for this model, which it says helps dampen vibration and increase overall stability. Loops generally refer to the layers of foam or other materials used in a racket that help players generate energy on shots.
The paddle face is made of two layers of carbon fiber, which adds control and gives it a tailored look Tesla-esque Cyberpunk aesthetic. Once the product prototypes were completed, engineers from both companies conducted “repeated rounds of performance testing.” In other words: a lot of pickles ensued.
“This project is personal to me,” Tom Barnes, co-owner of Selkirk and the company’s director of research and development, said in a statement shared with the company. Popular Science. “What started as a fun idea between friends has evolved into a full collaboration with their design and aerodynamics teams.”
A spokesman said Popular Science The paddles have already been produced and are ready to be shipped to customers.
Tesla is riding the pickleball bandwagon
Pickleball, once limited to recreation centers in senior care facilities, Her popularity soared Over the past decade. A 2023 a report The Pickleball Players Association estimates that 14 percent of Americans (about 36.5 million people) have played the sport at least once in the past 12 months. This rapid rise has been fueled by significant investments in professional baseball teams from prominent athletes such as Tom Brady and LeBron James.
And Tesla CEO Elon Musk seems to be a fan, too. In 2023, it is Reply to a tweet Saying he thought pickleball “would probably crush tennis. Way more convenient.”
And while the design of the paddles may not seem like a perfect fit for a car company, it wouldn’t be the first time Tesla has indulged in attention-grabbing side projects. In the past few years the company has released a A $1,600 electric quad bike for kids560 ml”Cyberstein“beer mug, and $450 mezcal. The Boring Company, the urban tunneling project associated with Musk and embattled, is also popular At least 20,000 portable flamethrowers were launched. New York lawmakers specifically referred to this product when Move the bill forward Make it a felony to use a flamethrower in recreational activity.
The paddle release also comes at a time when Tesla could really use some positive press. Repeated recalls, safety concerns about self-driving technology, and Musk’s increasing political activism have turned the once highly praised company into a pariah. A Poll conducted by CNBC Earlier this year, it found that 47% of US adults had an unfavorable view of the company. A separate study from S&P Global Mobility, As reported by ReutersIt also shows how loyalty to the Tesla brand has declined in recent years.
PopSci’s 2025 Outdoor Gift Guide