Tesla Supercharger V3 Network is being upgraded to 300 kW for faster charging

MEDICALJMP

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Tesla Supercharger V3 Network is being upgraded to 300 kW for faster charging

BySimon Alvarez
Posted on July 15, 2021

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the Supercharger V3 Network is being upgraded from its existing 250 kW peak output to an even more impressive 300 kW. This should allow Tesla’s electric vehicles to recharge faster than ever before, making them even more convenient and viable for long-distance travel.

Elon Musk’s update came as a response to a Twitter post from electric vehicle advocate @jpr007, who shared the results of Car and Driver‘s 1,000-mile EV test. The motoring publication’s “EV 1000” event involved 11 vehicles that were tasked to go through a 1,000-mile journey. Three Teslas were used in the test: a “Raven” Model S Long Range, a Model 3 Performance, and a Model Y Performance. All three dominated the competition.


In his response, Musk explained that the new Tesla Model S Long Range would have performed even better as it has more range and faster charging capabilities. The CEO also mentioned that the Model 3 Long Range and Model Y Long Range should have been used in the test instead of the Performance variants, as those vehicles were optimized for maximum range.

Musk then dropped a notable update, stating that the Tesla Supercharger Network is being upgraded from 250 kW to 300 kW. This is something that would most definitely be appreciated by Tesla owners, especially considering that the Supercharger Network — even in its present state and even if one considers its older V2 chargers — is already one of the best rapid-charging systems in the market.


Tesla’s Supercharger V3, which was unveiled in March 2019, features a 1MW power cabinet and peak charge rates of up to 250 kW per car. More importantly, Supercharger V3 stations do not split power between nearby vehicles, which meant that every user of the network is able to charge at the full power their battery can take. In Tesla’s blog post about the chargers, the company noted that a Model 3 Long Range operating at peak efficiency should be able to charge up to 75 miles of range in 5 minutes with V3 Superchargers.

Provided that a vehicle’s battery is warmed up and conditions are optimal, Tesla estimated that typical Supercharger V3 stops would last about 15 minutes. With peak rates of up to 300 kW, however, this time is likely going to drop even more. And considering that an internal combustion vehicle typically takes about 5 minutes to refuel, Tesla’s Supercharger Network V3 upgrade will likely be a definitive step forward for the transportation sector’s transition to sustainable vehicles.

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-supercharger-v3-300kw-upgrade-confirmed-elon-musk/
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ajdelange

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That's 44% more heat to be carried away by the coolant. Note also that it represents a peak charging rate (average will be lower because of taper) of 3C in a car (X, S) with a 100 kWh battery but only 1.5C in a CT with a 200 kWh battery. I don't think the X will accept more than 200 kW even from a current V3 charger so this does not mean that all cars will charge faster as soon as the V3+ installed.

Who knows what a "typical" charge is. If it is half a battery doing it in 15 minutes implies 2C. For a 100 kWh battery that requires 200 kW average. For a 200 kWh battery that requires 400 kW average. A 300 kW charger can deliver 75 kWh in a quarter of an hour if it runs full bore the whole time. That's 37.5% of a TriMotor full but 75% of an X full.
 

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I wonder if it is a hardware or software update that gives it 300kW. If its software that means they are intentionally throttling to see how the batteries respond en masse before they allow faster charging. I wonder if theres even more in it.
 

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This is what we need for the bigger Cybertruck batteries. With the big 500 mile CT battery we should be able to squirt 300 miles of range into it in 20 minutes because you don't have to worry about the charge tapering off.

Of course if you hit a charging station and every stall is full, you won't be getting that 300 kW. Also, as full as the charging stations have been around here lately, you spend 30 minutes at 0 kWh waiting for a space before the clock even starts.
 

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I wonder if it is a hardware or software update that gives it 300kW. If its software that means they are intentionally throttling to see how the batteries respond en masse before they allow faster charging. I wonder if theres even more in it.
Way back when pictures were published of the insides of SC cabinets. They were loaded with racks of Model S chargers. I wouldn't know if they are using that same module but I'll bet the modular approach is still in use. it really makes a lot of sense. I'll bet the V3 is CharIN HPC350 compatible or could be made so by adding modules in series.

The way fast charging works is the car is told how much current the charger can supply and the car tells the charger how much it wants. The charger then increases its voltage until the desired current is pushed into the car. Right now it appears the cars limit demands to about 2C iniitially tapering down to whatever it takes to get about 1C average rate. There may be some limits in ROM or some parameter bank in RAM but I'm guessing that all it will take to get 300 kW out of a V3 is to change those ROM/RAM parameters and/or, at worst, put a couple of more modules in the cabinets.
 
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We are still transitioning. This will become worse for the next year or two as the number of EVs on the road is x100, x1,000, and beyond; then it will begin to peak as charge stations become enough, technology allows faster charging, safer, etc... then begin getting better and better. peace
 

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It seems like this issue of superchargers being packed with wait times might be regional issues.

I don't own a Tesla as of yet, but when i drive up and down 95 on the east coast, i almost never see the super charging stations full, let alone with lines waiting for them. Now maybe I'm just not passing them at peak travel times/days, or my thought was there are less Tesla's on the east coast compared to out west?

I do see a lot of Tesla's on the road though! They are more common than a few years ago where only my most high tech friends in IT had one.
 

ajdelange

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It seems like this issue of superchargers being packed with wait times might be regional issues.
It is.

I don't own a Tesla as of yet, but when i drive up and down 95 on the east coast, i almost never see the super charging stations full, let alone with lines waiting for them.
Some time come down the west side of the Hudson on the NY Thruway and cut back over to the NJTPK vis Rte 17 and the Garden State Parkway. This will take you right past the SC in Paramus, NJ. Everytime I go through or past there it is pretty full. Of course I check it now (1 PM on Thurday) and only 4 out of 8 stalls are occupied.
 

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It is.

Some time come down the west side of the Hudson on the NY Thruway and cut back over to the NJTPK vis Rte 17 and the Garden State Parkway. This will take you right past the SC in Paramus, NJ. Everytime I go through or past there it is pretty full. Of course I check it now (1 PM on Thurday) and only 4 out of 8 stalls are occupied.
Next time i drive back up to nyc down the Jersey turnpike I'm gonna have to pay attention to the charging stations at the walt Whitman or Vince Lombardi rest stops.
 

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It seems like this issue of superchargers being packed with wait times might be regional issues.
Definitely.

Not just regional, but there are certain choke points where they are slammed particularly bad.

If it's the only Supercharger on a particular corridor, its going to get hit pretty heavy. In the case of Bend and Springfield, they are at the intersection of 2 or 3 corridors and in places where EV adoption is high.

Also, Superchargers are much busier during summer weekends where there is a lot of travel.

During the work week everyone charges at home. During weekends, lots of people on the road and need topped off.
 


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i almost never see the super charging stations full, let alone with lines waiting for them. Now maybe I'm just not passing them at peak travel times/days, or my thought was there are less Tesla's on the east coast compared to out west?
Exactly. The vast majority of the time, chargers sit empty. Because they have to build for peak, not average, use.

And that peak will come one day in May or November, and leaving people sitting might expose them to hazardous hot or cold weather.

-Crissa
 

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And that peak will come one day in May or November, and leaving people sitting might expose them to hazardous hot or cold weather.
Fortunately, sitting in a Tesla with the AC or heat running doesn't burn so much battery that leaving climate control on isn't a big problem. Running Camp Mode (climate control only) over night only cost me 10% of my remaining battery. Sitting waiting for the charger for 10-20 minutes should be fine even when your range is down to 1%. <- I've actually done that.

Most of the time people roll into charger stations with 10% or more charge.
 

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Most of the time people roll into charger stations with 10% or more charge.
Yeah, though I've been in one of those highway tangles and the wait to park for the toilet stretched into the hours so it can get real bad.

That can happen during a blizzard, too.

-Crissa
 

ajdelange

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Next time i drive back up to nyc down the Jersey turnpike I'm gonna have to pay attention to the charging stations at the walt Whitman or Vince Lombardi rest stops.
You may have noticed that I did not mention the rest stops on the NJTPK. That's because the couple of times I've stopped at Kilmer ("I think that I shall never see a place as lovely to charge and pee") it hasn't been that busy. They have just doubled up the chargers and converted them to V3's. At the moment only 3 of 8 stalls are occupied.

Now on Thanksgiving day...
 
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You may have noticed that I did not mention the rest stops on the NJTPK. That's because the couple of times I've stopped at Kilmer ("I think that I shall never see a place so lovely to charge and pee") it hasn't been that busy. They have just doubled up the chargers and converted them to V3's. At the moment only 3 of 8 stalls are occupied.

Now on Thanksgiving day...
Superchargers are a lot different than gas stations. Most likely you will never see a Supercharger busy on a non-holiday weekday.

Weird, the forum is smoking crack. Posted that in reply to something completely different. Now I have to chase that down.
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