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What is a Tesla Supercharger? Everything you need to know

What is a Tesla Supercharger? Everything you demand to know

Tesla Supercharger
(Image credit: Kuang Da/Jiemian News/VCG via Getty Images)

There are a lot of benefits to owning a Tesla, be it Autopilot, in-auto technology, or the absurdly long range. Merely there'southward likewise the Tesla Supercharger network, a series of rapid charging stations beyond the globe.

It's likely that you've heard of Superchargers, but might non accept a consummate picture of what they are or what they exercise. If you have questions, we accept answers, including what Supercharges are, how much they toll, and how you tin can find one.

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What is a Tesla Supercharger?

Tesla Model 3 charging at station

(Image credit: Tom'southward Guide)

A Tesla Supercharger is a kind of electric car charger, specifically designed for what'southward known as "rapid charging ." In simple terms that means they offer incredibly fast charging speeds, of a kind that should exist able to recharge an electric motorcar bombardment in under an 60 minutes.

Notwithstanding Superchargers are exclusive to Tesla, and volition only piece of work with the Tesla Model S Model X, Model 3, Model Y and other upcoming Tesla cars similar the $25k hatchback and Cybertruck. Other cars, including the original 2008 Tesla Roadster, won't be able to use one.

The Supercharger network is the collective name for all the Superchargers across the world. They're all endemic and operated by Tesla itself too, whereas other charging networks are operated past third parties. The network is pretty vast, with more than 2,500 locations (or hubs) beyond the world — one,000 of which are in North America lonely.

Each location is made upwards of multiple charging points, meaning multiple cars tin can be plugged in at the aforementioned time. Currently there are more than 23,000 private Tesla Supercharging points around the planet.

Types of Tesla Superchargers

There are 3 unlike kinds of Supercharging stations out in the world: V1, V2 and V3 Superchargers.

V3 Superchargers are the latest and well-nigh advanced Superchargers, which offer up to 250 kW charging speeds. The V2 and V1 Superchargers, meanwhile, are limited to slower 150 kW speeds instead.

The current rumor is that V3 Superchargers may become an upgrade, potentially offering upward to 324kW speeds in the near future.

Merely, beyond the maximum charging speed available, there'due south no major departure between the different kinds of superchargers. However, because V1 and V2 stations are still in operation merely exist aware that y'all won't ever get the 250 kW maximum speed. Thankfully Tesla's own Supercharger map does make information technology articulate what speeds are available.

How to find a Tesla Supercharger

Tesla Model 3 dash display

(Image credit: Tom'south Guide)

Finding a Supercharger is remarkably easy to achieve. Not only does Tesla go on a map of every unmarried Supercharger location on its website, you can use both the Tesla app and the in-auto navigation system to rails down your nearest Supercharger locations.

In fact, if you find yourself out on an extended road trip, Tesla'south navigation system will automatically take charging into account. That ways the car will transport yous to a Supercharger along the way to your destination, to ensure that you accept enough power to comfortably get there.

Tesla as well keeps tabs on what amenities are bachelor past each Supercharger (like restrooms and Wi-Fi), how many charging bays there are, and what the opening hours are. The app and in-car systems can also see whether Supercharger trophy are available or not, so you lot don't go far to find them all in use.

How does a Tesla Supercharger work?

Tesla Model 3 charging at station

(Image credit: Tom'due south Guide)

Tesla'southward Superchargers are very unproblematic to use. All you lot do is park up next to a machine, plug in, and look for the cable to lock in identify. The Supercharger will then begin delivering power, and the logo next to your charging port will turn light-green.

Because each car is already linked to an account with the Tesla app, there'southward admittedly nothing else that needs to be done. Other public charging networks frequently rely on drivers confirming their charge in a split up smartphone app.

You'll be able to run across the progress of your recharge session on the car's central display. It shows you how fast you're recharging, how many miles of range have been added, how many miles you take in the battery, and how much this charging session has price so far. This information is likewise visible in the Tesla app, should y'all have to leave your car unattended.

It's also worth mentioning that your bodily charging speed will fluctuate throughout the recharging session. The master factor is whether any other cars are plugged in at the aforementioned location, since they all end up sharing the power. In other words y'all won't be getting 250 kW speeds if there are three or 4 other cars plugged in.

The other factor is one that affects all electrical cars, and that is that charging slows downwardly as the battery level rises. This is most noticeable after y'all hit 80%, at which point charging slows downwardly to such a point that information technology might barely qualify as rapid charging. You're better off unplugging and driving off than y'all are waiting to try and accomplish 100%.

One key point to call back is that lithium batteries don't like being made to recharge faster, and regular rapid charging isn't good for it. So try and limit your Supercharger use to long machine journeys and road trips, and use slower AC charging for your regular 24-hour interval-to-solar day driving.

How much does a Tesla Supercharger cost?

Tesla Model 3 dash display

(Paradigm credit: Tom's Guide)

Supercharging fees you accrue will be automatically billed to you, since each individual machine is linked to a specific Tesla business relationship. That means you don't actually need to worry most having any cash or credit cards with you.

But, past Tesla's own admission, the cost of using a Supercharger can vary from place to place, and may even fluctuate depending on what fourth dimension of day y'all accuse. Prices are either charged by the minute, or by the number of units (measured in kilowatt hours or kWh) you actually draw from the grid.

Some locations volition as well charge idle fees to whatsoever cars that remain plugged in after their charging session is over. But again, this will vary from location to location.

If y'all're using a Supercharger that charges by the minute, rather than by how much power you use, you are charged based on a tier system. There are four tiers in full, each i more expansive than the concluding, which changes based on how fast your car is charging.

Tier 1 is the cheapest and applies to speeds under 60KW, while Tier 2 is 60kW to 100kW. Tier 3 applies to 100kW-180kW speeds, while the more expensive Tier 4 is everything above 180kW.

In the past Tesla has offered free Supercharging to certain customers, including those who bought cars before a sure date or who earned them through the company's referral programme. At the time of writing information technology seems these perks have been discontinued, and means anyone buying a Tesla right now will accept to pay for all their Supercharging.

Tin non-Tesla cars use a Supercharger?

Tesla Model 3 charging at station

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The curt answer is no. Tesla Superchargers are built, maintained, and owned past Tesla itself, and right now only Tesla-fabricated cars are able to use them. Withal, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that this will not be the case for long, and non-Tesla cars will exist able to plug into Superchargers in the near future.

This came well-nigh cheers to Tesla'south dealings in Norway, where the visitor was told it had to end Supercharger exclusivity if it wanted to be eligible for certain government incentives. Musk subsequently confirmed that the Supercharger network would exist opened to other EVs starting sometime later in 2021.

This later on proved to be true, with a pilot scheme opening upwards in the Netherlands in November 2022. Non-Tesla drivers tin use the Tesla app to locate their nearest uniform charger, and have to confirm their charge before any ability will be provided. In other words information technology's the same every bit whatsoever other third political party charging network.

It does cost more than for Not-Teslas, withal, though pricing varies from location to location.

Elon Musk previously promised that Non-Tesla charging volition come "over fourth dimension, to all countries." But no specifics on the rollout have been revealed just however. Nonetheless Tesla is using this pilot scheme to study the bear upon of this move on existing Tesla drivers.

While the pilot scheme is only available to cars with the standard CCS plug, the same one Tesla uses on its cars in Europe, Musk has claimed adapters would be bachelor where needed —solve the trouble of Tesla continuing to use its own proprietary charging port in the United states.

What is a Tesla Megacharger?

tesla semi

(Image credit: Tesla)

You may have heard almost a unlike kind of Tesla charger, the so-called 'Megacharger'. In short, these are more powerful versions of the Supercharger designed to be used with the Tesla Semi — an all-electric truck.

However since the Semis isn't available nevertheless, it means existing Megachargers are off limits to the public. Not that you'd be able to use it anyhow.

We don't know a lot about the Megacharger, other than the fact Tesla was aiming for it to exist able to offering 400 miles of range after 30 minutes of charging. There's as well speculation that a single Megacharger will be able to offer over 1MW charging speeds — which is four times faster than the current 250kW maximum found at Supercharger stations.

All of which sounds incredibly impressive, just not at all surprising considering Megachargers are existence built to power heavy semi trucks rather than regular road cars.

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Tom is the Tom'south Guide's Automotive Editor, which ways he tin can usually be found knee deep in stats the latest and best electric cars, or checking out some sort of driving gadget. It'south long way from his days equally editor of Gizmodo Great britain, when pretty much everything was on the table. He's usually found trying to squeeze another behemothic Lego set up onto the shelf, draining very big cups of coffee, or complaining that Ikea won't let him purchase the stuff he really needs online.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reference/what-is-a-tesla-supercharger-everything-you-need-to-know

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