Tesla Launches New Supercharger with 1,000 MPH Charging, Better Efficiency, and More

Megalith

Megalith

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Tesla has introduced a new version of the Supercharger with higher charging capacity (250 kW), providing up to 75 miles of range for the Model 3 in as little as 5 minutes. This is made possible by a new liquid-cooled cable that is “significantly lighter, more flexible, and more efficient” than their current air-cooled cable. These increased charging speeds will be unlocked for the Model S and X in a future software update.

A new “On-Route Battery Warmup” software feature was also announced. When entering a Supercharger station in your navigation system, the vehicle’s software will “intelligently heat the battery to ensure you arrive at the optimal temperature to charge.” That’s assuming you have enough charge in the battery when you come in. The new feature alone should reduce “average charge times for owners by 25%,” according to the automaker.
 
Chaos Machine said:
I can't help but wonder how that's going to degrade the life of the batteries, I know the faster you charge then the more wear is put on them.
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One day, I'm hoping EV's come with replaceable modular battery designs.

"Battery going bad?
Come into your local mechanic and swap it out in under 30 minutes!"
 
Eshelmen said:
One day, I'm hoping EV's come with replaceable modular battery designs.

"Battery going bad?
Come into your local mechanic and swap it out in under 30 minutes!"
Click to expand...

Tesla was developing a drive-in kiosk that would swap out batteries on the Model S. I think they nixed to just build more superchargers everywhere.
 
PaulP said:
I didn't know a Tesla could go 1000mph! I mean charging while moving is cool, really, where can you even drive that fast? /sarc
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The charging circuit and a second battery are on a rocket powered skateboard which shoots ahead of the car at 1000mph so its waiting for you at your destination with a fresh battery.
 
Chaos Machine said:
I can't help but wonder how that's going to degrade the life of the batteries, I know the faster you charge then the more wear is put on them.
Click to expand...

Faster charging will ALWAYS degrade the life of the battery, only question is by how much.
If it only shortens the usable life of the battery by a few percent, then it's not a big deal.

This also applies to cell phones. I almost always charge my phone over night, using an older charger that takes most the night.
Batteries in my phone seem to last much longer (2-3 years) than other people I know.
 
as for all EV's battery tech still sucks as for today , they all work with CC/CV principle ,
so a 80 to 100 percent charge it still quite slow . they can supercharge the way they want ,
who has a 250kW capability in his house ?? . and their 250kW charge is only in the first minutes of the charge after that it degrades to the same pace as before .
Lets say an ICE takes about three mins to refuel . do your math to transfer a 100kWh charge at the same time . you will need charging cables as thick as ropes to pull container boats :D
how about a Full blown electric 18wheeler that might hold a few times the charge of a passenger vehicle :p .
we still going to need a holy grail in accu tech to make it more feasible .
 
Dadebraafsie said:
as for all EV's battery tech still sucks as for today , they all work with CC/CV principle ,
so a 80 to 100 percent charge it still quite slow . they can supercharge the way they want ,
who has a 250kW capability in his house ?? . and their 250kW charge is only in the first minutes of the charge after that it degrades to the same pace as before .
Lets say an ICE takes about three mins to refuel . do your math to transfer a 100kWh charge at the same time . you will need charging cables as thick as ropes to pull container boats :D
how about a Full blown electric 18wheeler that might hold a few times the charge of a passenger vehicle :p .
we still going to need a holy grail in accu tech to make it more feasible .
Click to expand...

Hint: Charge at night at home and while you're on your long drives you use super chargers. No needs for anything more than a level 2 - 240v/40amp - in your garage
 
yeah like most people have that in their garage :D , and for you 120'ers its up to 80 amps :) good luck pulling that through a type A socket .
if your down to 16 amps a typical 100kWh charge might take days :s
 
Hostile said:
Tesla was developing a drive-in kiosk that would swap out batteries on the Model S. I think they nixed to just build more superchargers everywhere.
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No. They nixed it because a battery swap is non-trivial. Especially with Tesla's "million and one fasteners" approach.


Also, there's the liability. What if you get someone's crappy, burned out pack that can't hold charge?
What if the thermal management system fails?
What if the pack is damaged, either upon receipt or during install? Then catches fire down the road?
Is everyone just supposed to leave a $5000 deposit against a new battery pack?

It was a nice idea, but it was dumb and would have opened up Tesla to massive liability.

I mean, look at Tesla now. They're closing down dealerships (repair shops) because they were too much of a drag on the company.

Teslas are semi-decent cars that could use the benefit of some actual industry know-how on manufacturing and manufacturing process.

Instead, you get badly assembled cars with hundreds of different fasteners, put together in probably the least sensible, economical way possible.

And with the price drops, this is just going to get worse.
 
In the near future, look for Teslas to take on a small supercapacitor pack in addition to their battery.
The battery can then do the "sure, steady" release/acquisition of power that it's meant for.
And the supercapacitor can handle the large demands and inputs.

So you can take a Tesla to a track, do Ludicrous Speed starts and NOT significantly cook your battery.
 
Chaos Machine said:
I can't help but wonder how that's going to degrade the life of the batteries, I know the faster you charge then the more wear is put on them.
Click to expand...
Depends on the battery tech. Tesla's don't use your typical Li-ion and Lipo packs found in everyday devices.

LiFePo4 (aka Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries were developed to counter most of the problems. IIRC, most of the batteries for anything like scooters, wheelchairs, and electric cars use this tech. They have slighly less voltage and slightly lower capacity, but much higher charge and discharge rates, longer lifespans, as well as less propensity to blow up (better, but not fully fixed).

The next step is to combine super capacitors with these new battery techs.
 
DukenukemX said:
Not particularly. Temperature plays a big role in battery life degradation which it seems Tesla might have solved.

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You are still dumping a metric Fuckton of energy into objects that are not 100% efficient at storing it. Even with the battery packs coolant system engaged I still would imagine you are going to be doing some damage if you do it regularly.

I am not poo-pooing progress here but Tesla tends to jump into technology before it's proven which has backfired on them in the past. Like I said I am curious to know what mitigation steps they have taken.
 
Impressive.

This means we are starting to get close to where recharging on the road is practically usable, like refueling. Sure, it still takes longer, but its within the realm of usability now, where it wasn't really before.
 
They must be using similar to AGM Cell batteries like motorcycles use, as we have to heat up the battery sometimes to enable efficient charging in the cold.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Impressive.

This means we are starting to get close to where recharging on the road is practically usable, like refueling. Sure, it still takes longer, but its within the realm of usability now, where it wasn't really before.
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Yeah, unfortunately it's only for Supercharger stations right now and they all need to be retrofitted. Once they get drive up charging stations that are as plentiful as fuel stations capable of this and more vehicles that can take advantage of them, we'll finally reach a tipping point.

Good on Tesla for continuing to push for faster charging though, it'll only help the rest of the industry.
 
When will EV makers settle on a standard for recharging? How has this not yet been mandated? What kind of stupid world would it be where Ford and BMW have to use different nozzles when fueling?
 
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