Cybertruck/Semi Megacharger debuts as newly minted EV charging alliance vows to be 60% faster than Tesla's Superchargers

Back when Elon Musk announced the electric Semi rig's release to its first customer Pepsi, Tesla's CEO and chief engineer mentioned that it will be charged at new powerful Megacharger stations that can also be used by the Cybertruck. One of those combined stations may have been spotted at a location in Baker, CA, as the pull-up space in front of the Megacharger seems rather small. The connector, however, ends with a Semi plug, so the Cybertruck may have to come with an adapter to benefit from Megacharger's speed.

At the time, it didn't immediately become clear whether this announcement meant that the Cybertruck will be Tesla's first EV with 800V drivetrain. If so, it will be able to be pumped full much faster than Tesla's current models with the aging drivetrain that only maxes out at about 250 kW charging speed. For comparison, Chinese EV brands are building networks with 480kW, 500kW, and even 600kW output that their cars have the technology to take advantage of.

The Cybertruck may be different, though, as Tesla has mentioned numerous times that it comes with novel technologies under the hood, including a new 4680 Cyber cell with higher energy density than its current crop. Hooking up a Cybertruck to Tesla's Megacharger network would then make sense, as even its current top V3 Superchargers in the US only output 250kW, while its V4 Supercharger network is being built in Europe first, where legislation demands higher output for charging stations built with public funds.

In the US, the new fast charging network of 30,000 piles that 7 major automakers pledged this week will rival Tesla's Superchargers in terms of scope, but it may beat them in average charging speed. The "Super-Alliance Charging Network" of GM, Stellantis, BMW, Mercedes, Honda, Hyundai, and KIA, confirmed that 350kW will be the minimum output of its chargers, with the intention to raise that to the European minimum mandate of 400kW further down the road.

"In order to quickly establish a network, the JV will start with a focus on 350 kW but increase to 400 kW as soon as market conditions allow a mass rollout," confirmed its spokesperson. "As it gets closer to 2030, the JV will aim for having the best charging power available on the market and technological state-of-the-art charging at all times. So, the network will not necessarily remain static as technology advances," they added about the new Supercharger network rival that will start deploying next year with government funding.

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