- Tesla has began rolling out V4 cupboards which allow charging speeds of as much as 500 kilowatts at Superchargers.
- They are going to solely assist Teslas initially, however the automaker mentioned assist for non-Tesla EVs is coming quickly.
- Nearly all of Tesla Superchargers are capped at 250 kW at the moment, whereas rival networks are deploying extra high-powered stations.
Tesla’s first ultra-fast Supercharger went on-line in Redwood Metropolis, California, on Monday. The brand new {hardware} helps charging speeds of as much as 500 kilowatts, slicing cost instances, easing congestion and making lengthy EV journeys much more handy for drivers.
The Tesla Supercharger community is already the most important and most dependable DC fast-charging community within the U.S. Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of Superchargers supply a most output of 250 kilowatts. A rising variety of EVs, particularly these with 800-volt structure such because the Tesla Cybertruck, Lucid Gravity and Hyundai Ioniq 9, can settle for sooner charging speeds. Different charging networks similar to Electrify America, Ionna and ChargePoint have additionally been rolling out chargers with 350-400 kW speeds.
Tesla has been putting in its sleeker V4 stalls with longer cables and a recent design, however many have been nonetheless tethered to older V3 cupboards capped at 250 kW. The Cybertruck might squeeze 325 kW from them, however hitting its full 500 kW potential required new V4 cupboards. These at the moment are lastly arriving, delivering as much as 500 kW for light-duty EVs and a staggering 1.2 megawatts for the Semi.
The V4 cupboards assist car architectures from 400V to 1,000V, so every thing out of your Chevy Equinox EV to the Lucid Gravity ought to be capable to cost at these stations. Cybertruck homeowners can anticipate round 30% sooner charging, whereas Mannequin 3, Mannequin S, Mannequin X, and Mannequin Y drivers will not see a change. These autos nonetheless experience on 400-volt architectures, which limits their velocity to 250 kW. That’s nonetheless good for roughly 200 miles of vary in simply quarter-hour of charging.
Picture by: Tesla
Tesla says the brand new cupboards use upgraded energy electronics designed to be “probably the most dependable on the planet.” Nonetheless, solely Teslas can use the Superchargers with V4 cupboards, not less than as of launch. Tesla mentioned non-Tesla EVs will get entry within the fourth quarter, as soon as ultimate engineering checks are full. And given Tesla’s tempo of Supercharger deployment, widespread 500 kW chargers might not be far off.
This will appear to be a small improvement, nevertheless it might mark a turning level for charging in America. Tesla Superchargers are in all places. Now think about ubiquitous 500 kW stalls in every neighborhood, which might assist all EVs. That’s precisely the form of revolution the U.S. would want to speed up EV adoption in a post-tax-credit world.
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