Today, Tesla announced more specifications and a timeline for deployment of Version 4 Supercharger sites. The V4 dispensers have been appearing at new locations in Europe and North America since 2023. However, those dispensers were still connected to V3 electronics cabinets, so they were still operating at 400 volts and 250 kW. That combination has often been called V3.5.
The new V4 cabinets are now finally on their way, with the first batch of charging sites currently in the permitting stage with expected 2025 completion dates. V4 cabinets will be capable of operating between 400 and 1000 volts, allowing 800-volt architecture vehicles like the Cybertruck to achieve much higher charging speeds. This is also a welcome upgrade for 800-volt non-Tesla cars like the Korean E-GMP cars and Porsches. The V4 posts also feature longer charging cables, making it easier to reach the charging ports of various non-Tesla EVs.
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) November 14, 2024
Tesla’s S, E, X, & Y lineup will continue to operate at 400 volts, so 250 kW. But the Cybertruck is known to reach speeds of 330 kW or greater when connected to third-party 800-volt chargers, so owners will immediately benefit from higher speeds at new locations. The V4 cabinets along with V4 dispensers are promising up to 500 kW charging for cars, and up to 1.2 MW for trucks like the Tesla Semi.
We’re thrilled to see V4s finally nearing deployment. Tesla was already pushing 400-volt charging tech to the limits. To achieve 250 kW at 330 volts (when SoC is low), you need to push well over 700 amps of current through a thin cable. That much current comes with physical limitations, and chargers often need to de-rate to lower speeds after holding that amp rate for a long time (or on hot days). Rivals of the Supercharger network like Electrify America hit their claimed 350 kW speeds with high voltage, effectively cutting their amps in half. It’s about time Superchers went high-voltage to unlock power output above 250 kW. Now if only their cars could hold peak power longer than a few minutes, that would be great…
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