In the ever-evolving world of electric vehicles, Tesla has been at the forefront of innovation with its Supercharger network. Recently, a YouTuber named TesLatino made an exciting discovery at a Tesla Supercharger station – a peak output of 323 kW, significantly higher than the typical 250 kW. This discovery was part of a trial that Tesla is running on V3+ Supercharger stations, which have a V3 cabinet and V4 charge post.
Tesla engineer Wes Morrill, who is also the lead engineer for the Tesla Cybertruck, explained that these higher power levels are achieved by outputting over 900 amps to reach the 320-plus kW charging power. The Cybertruck, despite not meeting the initial price and range specifications set during its unveiling, seems to have special thermal considerations designed into its charging inlet to handle such high charging rates without overheating.
Despite facing uncertainty with the future of its Supercharger team, Tesla has promised a $500 million expansion funding to add “thousands” of new chargers to the network. This decision has not affected Ionna, the charging network backed by seven automakers, from moving forward with plans to build over 30,000 high-power connectors in the U.S. and Canada. BP has also expressed interest in taking over Supercharger sites that Tesla no longer wants to run, as it builds out its own charging network.
In conclusion, the future of Tesla’s Supercharger network may be uncertain, but the company is not slowing down when it comes to innovating and expanding its charging infrastructure. The discovery of higher power outputs at Supercharger stations and the promise of new chargers on the horizon show that Tesla is committed to supporting the growing number of electric vehicles on the road. As electric vehicles become more mainstream, having robust and reliable charging infrastructure will be crucial to their continued success.