Faster Tesla V4 Superchargers with longer cable arrive in time for the Cybertruck
Tesla has been installing its next V4 Supercharger version in Europe for a good while and now the faster piles have arrived in the US, as spotted in East Point, GA, at a Lowe's parking lot. They come with a longer cable and are rated for up to 350kW charging speeds.
In Europe, public financing requirements demand that Tesla's Superchargers can also service electric vehicles by other brands and have card payment terminals. In the US, however, it is not yet clear if the V4 Superchargers will be available with other methods of payment but the Tesla app.
In order to facilitate the charging of other EVs, whose ports may be placed in different spots around the vehicle, Tesla developed a new V4 Supercharger design and placement paradigm. It has taller stalls and charging cable that runs on the outside of the pile, thus increasing its length significantly and preventing non-Tesla vehicles from having to occupy two places in order to approach and plug in. The new stalls are typically placed in the middle of the charging section, too, further facilitating the ergonomics of parking and plugging a vehicle regardless of the location of its charging port.
While the V4 Superchargers in Georgia have been snapped from afar without plug or specification details, recent V3 retrofits in Nevada were equipped with Magic Dock connectors, as well as card payment terminals, just like in Europe. Tesla's Magic Dock solution has a CCS connector attached so that other EV brands can charge, too. In the US, federal or state public funding requirements for electric vehicle infrastructure are increasingly demanding cross-platform compatibility, even though most other EV makers already adopted Tesla's NACS connector.
The other main advantage of Tesla's V4 Superchargers compared to its V3 predecessor is the charging speed. When applying for public funding for its V4 buildout in the UK, Tesla explicitly said that the new charging piles are capable of up to 350kW output, whereas the V3 stalls max out at 250kW. Those fast charging rates are not active at launch, though, as they require the supporting grid infrastructure, as well as electric vehicle powertrains that can take rapid charging, of which there are few and far between in the US.
It has long been rumored that the Cybertruck may come with a powertrain running higher than Tesla's typical 400V charging system, so it may be one of the few electric vehicles in the US that will be able to take advantage of the V4 Supercharger speeds. This might be one of the reasons the new piles are arriving in the US right when the Cybertruck's launch seems imminent. Tesla is reporting its Q3 results on Wednesday, October 18, and it may disclose more information about its V4 Supercharger rollout, as well as the timing of the promised Cybertruck delivery event.
Source(s)
PatientTechnology869 (Reddit)
