The V4 charging cabinet will improve the Cybertruck’s charging speeds by up to 30 percent, though speeds for the Model 3, Y, S, and X won’t change.
Tesla
- Tesla has announced its fourth-generation Supercharger cabinet, which can power up to eight Supercharger stalls at once.
- The new V4 cabinet delivers up to 500-kW charging speeds and supports vehicles with 400- to 1000-volt electrical architectures.
- The updated system will improve charging speeds for the Cybertruck by 30 percent, but speeds for the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X won’t change.
Long hailed as the gold standard of public charging, the Tesla Supercharger network is slated to improve even more next year. The new fourth-generation Supercharger V4 cabinet should help alleviate what’s arguably the Supercharger’s biggest shortcoming—charging speed.
Tesla’s current hardware has a maximum charge rate of 250 kW, though competitors such as Electrify America offer charging rates as high as 350 kW. Electric cars that utilize DC fast-charging are limited by several factors, including charger capacity and charger level. For example, if an EV can only handle 150 kW, charging at a higher-rated station won’t do any good. Tesla says the V4 cabinet supports charging on vehicles with battery packs rated for between 400 volts and 1000 volts. That means charging speeds of up to 500 kW on cars and 1.2 Megawatts for the Tesla Semi.
Greg Pajo|Car and Driver
Tesla also says the new hardware will mean 30 percent faster charging for the Cybertruck, which features an 800-volt system. Meanwhile, the Tesla Model 3, Y, S, and X will continue to charge at the 250-kW peak that was available through the existing V3 chargers.
The new V4 cabinets should also provide added efficiency, as each cabinet now supports up to eight charging stations (double the previous generation). Tesla says the new hardware is less complex, which should allow the company to expand the network in less time. The first charging sites with the new hardware are reportedly undergoing permitting right now, and Tesla expects the first sites to go online sometime next year.
