Charge Slowed from 220kw to 45kw

[Peter 224]

I needed to charge after a home to LHR and return, starting with about 190 miles showing, I arrived home with 7% showing, so I charged up to 15% before driving 10 miles to the Amesbury Supercharger to grab some of the free miles I have in my loot box.
The satnav started "preparing. for fast charge" and it had finished as I arrived in Amesbury.
My car is a Q2 M3LR, MiC.
The Amesbury chargers are V3, nominally 250kw.
3 of 16 chargers were in use, I was No 4. .

When I plugged in the charge was over 200kw, but 35% charge it had dropped to 114kw

By the time it had reached 85% it had fallen to under 50kw.

Temperature 21c, quite a nice day.

Is this decay in charge power normal, a site issue or a car issue? I doubt the latter as a number of others were complaining about the slow charge rate.

Still 40 mins gave me time to get a coffee and chat with other owners.. and the power was free!

 

[Mr_Dave]

Perfectly normal. There are many YouTube videos about the charging curve and how charge rate reduces as the battery fills up.

 

[Mr H]

Nothing wrong with that, all cars slow down as the battery fills

 

[DJP31]

As others have said perfectly normal. Think of your battery as a big jug. When it's near to empty you can turn the tap pretty much full on. As the jug fills the flow of water needs to be slowed down, as you can't spill a drop.

If this is going to be your first winter with a Tesla, you'll also find the charge rate isn't as quick as you'd expect as the battery pack will be cold. Even with preconditoning you'll be hard pressed to get the same rate as during the summer.

 

[Mr_Dave]

Imagine you have 100 sponges and want to put them in a box that’s only big enough for 30. So the first 30 sponges just slot in the box easily and really quickly, but take up all the space. The only way to get more in is to start compressing the sponges already in the box as well as squashing the ones your adding. This takes longer and is harder so uses energy just to do it. Once you’ve 80 sponges in the box, they’re really well squashed so it takes a lot more energy to keep squeezing them in until eventually all 100 sponges are squashed tightly in the box.

 

[Limey]

It's normal but Teslas drop off from peak chasing speed very quickly past 25%. Some of the Germans can hold it past 50%.

Tesla have some work to do here

 

[NewbieT]

Typical charge curve = reason not to charge to 100% whilst on the road.

 

[Yev000]

It's normal but Teslas drop off from peak chasing speed very quickly past 25%. Some of the Germans can hold it past 50%.

Tesla have some work to do here

Germans have more in reserve and sell their cars at a loss. They are also a lot less efficient. End result you are spending just as long on a charger....

Tesla Model 3 SR+ Completes Bjørn's 1,000 Km Challenge In 10 Hours

The entry-level Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus was recently tested by Bjørn Nyland at a distance of 1,000 km (622 miles).

insideevs.com

Basically only E-Tron GT is 15 min faster than Teslas - in Norway (with a lot of non-Tesla charging locations).... And that's before testing the new S.

 

[Limey]

Germans have more in reserve and sell their cars at a loss. They are also a lot less efficient. End result you are spending just as long on a charger....

I'm talking about peak charging speed over time, not about car Totally effeciency and if the manufacturer is selling for a loss.

Tesla can do better, that's all.

 

[AndrewGR]

Maybe Tesla want their batteries to last for the 8 year warranty period and the charge rate is limited to ensure this?

 

[Peter 224]

Thanks everyone, my wife "got" the sponge analogy immediately!!
Still on a learning curve.
So at 7kw the rate of charge must be virtually constant, and slow.

 

[Adopado]

Thanks everyone, my wife "got" the sponge analogy immediately!!
Still on a learning curve.
So at 7kw the rate of charge must be virtually constant, and slow.

Indeed it is but if you have cause to charge to 100% even that speed will drop for the final percent top off.

 

[LukeUK]

So at 7kw the rate of charge must be virtually constant, and slow.

About 28 mph equivalent, as long as you're not sat in the car with the A/C going, etc. Quite different to the ~1000 mph achievable with a flat battery at a super charger.

As above, it does drop towards the end if you do charge to 100%, but that shouldn't be too often.