Tesla’s Supercharger outperforms all other EV charging stations, but is still lags expectation of owners. To get the battery charged to 80%, the charger should be plugged in for about 40 minutes, which is not fast enough compared to normal gas pumps. However, Elon Musk has hinted that third-generation Superchargers could be far more powerful than the maximum 150 kW per car at present.
No clarity on speed
Musk said that they are planning on something so big that even the guess made by Electrek’s Fred Lambert of about 350kW is a “children’s toy.” In a tweet, Lambert asked Musk about any update on the solar arrays on the Supercharger stations.
Musk tweeted back saying,” There are some installed already, but full rollout really needs Supercharger V3 and Powerpack V2, plus SolarCity. Pieces now in place.”
Curious to know about V3, Lambert again questioned, “Supercharger V3? Now I’m curious. What power out are we talking about? 350 kW?”
To this, Musk replied, “A mere 350 kW … what are you referring to, a children’s toy?”
A mere 350 kW … what are you referring to, a children's toy?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 24, 2016
Musk has not revealed the details, so there is no clarity on the speed of which the new charger will be capable. Autoblog, however, says that Geneva is preparing to deploy buses that use 600 kW “flash charging” to continue running without interrupting their schedules.
Porsche once announced that it will release the Mission E electric sports car, which will charge in 15 minutes using 800 kW chargers. This hints that all EV makers are at the same page, but agreeing on details is tougher.
Fast chargers to lower costs for Tesla
If Tesla can achieve that charging power, it could speed up the charging process, and if Tesla offers any improvement, it will simply make EVs a more acceptable option for the public. It will give potential customers the freedom to plan their trip around what they want to do or where they want to go rather than by the car’s charging needs.
The company’s expenses will also come down, as the time taken to charge the vehicle will be less, meaning the driver could free the space for another driver to come in, notes Engadget. The costs incurred by Tesla to upgrade the stations should be compensated for by more customers, and it will also bring down the need for additional stations.
On Monday, Tesla shares closed up 2.35% at $213.34. Year to date, the stock is down more than 11%, while in the last six months, it is up more than 10%.
