Tesla is working with mysterious third-parties to deploy Megacharger network for electric semi trucks

TruckElectric

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Tesla Cybertruck Tesla is working with mysterious third-parties to deploy Megacharger network for electric semi trucks Tesla-Semi-Megacharger-e1603369574186



Tesla is apparently working with mysterious third-parties to deploy a Megacharger network to charge its Tesla Semi electric trucks.

Is Tesla trying to create a standard prototcol to charge electric trucks?

With the unveiling of the Tesla Semi in 2017, Tesla unveiled its plan to deploy ‘Megachargers’, a more powerful version of its Supercharger network to charge its electric trucks.

The plan was ambitious.

Tesla wanted a new charging station that could add 400 miles of range in just 30 minutes and they wanted to guarantee low electricity rates at the station.

At the time, we estimated that Tesla was planning a charging station to deliver over 1 MW of power.
Almost 3 years later, the company has yet to deploy those Megachargers.

Tesla Semi electric truck prototypes have been traveling around the US, but they have been using Tesla’s Supercharger stations to charge with a device that connects to multiple Supercharger stalls.

This is obviously not sustainable since any significant fleet of Tesla Semi trucks would cripple Tesla’s Supercharger network.

Therefore, Tesla really needs to deliver on the Megacharger network before they ramp up Tesla Semi production next year.

Jerome Guillen, Tesla’s President of Automotive and the man in charge of the Tesla Semi program, addressed that during the conference call following Tesla’s earnings yesterday:

"We continue the development of the Semi. And in particular, Megachargers, we realized that the 350-kW or so that we are looking for cars is not going to be enough for Semi. So we’re looking for something much more powerful than that, that can achieve essentially charging the Semi during a break, between your driving time so that you can drive until the next break. So there is no usable or efficient time wasted for charging the Semi."

The longtime Tesla executive then added that they are working with other parties to provide that solution, but he was vague about it:

“We’re working with other parties to make sure that there is a standard infrastructure that will be able to be deployed for all customers. Yes. That’s probably all I can say at this point. Just we’re not working in isolation. We have to invent it because it doesn’t exist. But we’re trying to invent something that could be helpful for everybody”

The executive made it sound like Tesla is working to deliver a new standard for charging bigger electric vehicles at high power.

Electrek’s Take

I think that’s exactly what is happening.

Last year, we reported that Tesla submitted their own >1 MW high-power charging standard for electric trucks within CharIN, an industry association behind the CCS standard.
CharIN is working on High Power Charging for Commercial Vehicles (HPCCV) with its members in order to create a standard for interoperability of vehicle charging stations for electric trucks

Tesla was one of five companies that submitted designs, along with Electrify America, ABB, paXos, and Staubli.

CharIN has apparenly already chosen the design and it is currently being validated.

Could Jerome’s new comment hint that Tesla’s design for a >1 MW high-power charging standard has been selected and they are now testing with those mysterious third-parties?

SOURCE: ELECTREK
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Frank W

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I would think that this could be another money maker for Tesla if it was their design.
 

Quicksilver

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Having been a long haul trucker for a large part of my adult life let me look at this from a drivers point of view.
I'll give a brief overview of how the trucking industry works for those unfamiliar with it.
You have the Owner Operators or "Independent Truckers".
These are the guys that generally own one truck and either find their own loads or use a broker or brokers to find paying freight. Some O/O's may own several trucks and put drivers on these trucks.
These guys usually don't have benefits for themselves or their drivers.
In my opinion these guys will be the last to go electric unless they can see an advantage to switching in savings on fuel and maintenance. The high cost of fully electrics will be a deterrent unless the cost of purchase can be recouped as soon or sooner than buying a diesel truck. If Tesla drops the price that will make a big difference too. The average cost for a new Peterbuilt Class 8 sleeper truck is around 150 grand so Tesla may be able to get near that once manufacturing is ramped up.
Freight lines that move full loads and LTL (less than truckloads). These companies usually don't run double operations (two men on a truck with a sleeper) but there are exceptions to the rule.
Their trucks usually run terminal to terminal on a schedule that allows driver to meet the Hours of Service rules mandated by the Department of Transportation.
Drivers do not have an assigned vehicles and run relay operations. On their off time they are either in a company provided motel or bunk house.
These are usually union shops but again there are exceptions to the rule. Most have good pay and benefits.
Then there are the company fleets like Wal-mart and other retail giants. They have company drivers and trucks are usually assigned to a specific driver or drivers if they run team operations. They also tend to have good benefits to attract quality drivers.
As mentioned in the above article the latter two trucking operations will be the first to embrace electrics if it saves money on the bottom line.
They will also be the first to switch to Fully Autonomous Driving to do away with the labor costs which make up a large part of the cost of doing business.
One thing Tesla might consider is truck stops that only serve electric vehicles. Maybe not a full service operation but one where electric trucks would not be vying for space to charge with ICE trucks. If you have ever seen Youtube videos of idiot truck drivers blocking fuel islands while they do everything but pump fuel you will understand.
I quit trucking in 2002 to work for a government contractor and have never looked back. I still have my Commercial Drivers License but I hope I never have to use it again.
In my opinion with the new electronic log books trucking has turned into "sweatshops in wheels" and the severe shortage of qualified drivers reflect this.
While managing a local storage warehouse I encountered drivers that couldn't speak English and couldn't spell truck much less drive one. Trucking companies will hire anything with a pulse if they can fill a slot behind the wheel.
Maybe we do need fully self-driving Commercial Vehicles.
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