Tesla V4 Supercharger contactless card payment demo displays kWh price and charging speed
Tesla recently started installing its faster V4 Superchargers at various locations in continental Europe and the UK, but public mandates required that it goes a step further. If Tesla wants to get its Superchargers subsidized by the governments there, it now has to diversify and democratize the payment methods allowed. Namely, those EV charging infrastructure makers which want to receive taxpayer money for the buildout of their stations and piles will have to add a card payment option, rather than rely solely on apps.
Tesla is seemingly complying with these requirements, as the next batch of V4 Superchargers that it is now installing complete with a contactless card payment terminal. Not only that, but the public mandates want subsidized EV chargers to be open to all electric vehicle brands, not just Tesla cars.
The automaker complies with those criteria, too, making it easy for all EVs to take advantage of its new V4 Superchargers. In the EU and the UK, most electric cars have a CCS port, which makes Tesla's job there easier, as it doesn't have to resort to Magic Dock-style adapters like in the US.
In any case, the first public V4 Supercharger station with card payment terminals is now open to the public in the UK, and has been tested. The video here shows James Court from EVA England plugging their KIA and starting a tap-and-pay charging session with a contactless card. He doesn't have the Tesla app and it's not needed anyway, as the payment terminal screen shows the electricity price per kWh, the charging speed, and other pertinent info like the sum total accumulated for payment so far.
While Tesla's V4 Superchargers are being installed as simple V3 units with 250kW output, they can quickly be upgraded if the grid infrastructure allows it. In their building permits in the UK, Tesla rates its V4 Superchargers as 350kW units, which should be music to the ears of those EV owners who have modern electric cars with 800V drivetrains.
⚡️We were invited to test out the the first UK V4 Tesla Supercharger station, which has just been unveiled in Tottenham, at the Tesla Centre on Ravenside Retail Park, this morning!
— EVA England (@EVAEOfficial) August 25, 2023
It is available to all EVs with a CCS connection, so James took his Kia for a boost (although his… pic.twitter.com/nwwAohFqSR