Does it matter which supercharger I use on my 2017 Model S?

[Greg]

I have a 2017 Model S and I am wondering if my charging speed will be the same at a 250 KW supercharger vs a 150kw or 72kw charger station. Like everyone else I want to charge as quickly as possible and if my charging speed is the same or virtually the same from the 250 KW and 150KW charger then I will have more choices on where to charge as I go on my trip.

With all of this said, I did speak with Tesla support and the person said it does not matter which supercharger I use, I will pretty much get the same charging speeds at any super charger (including 72 KW). And he said that the speed that my S chargers at will be pretty much the same as a new Model 3. That does not seem right at all. I have freinds who have a 3 and they say the charging speeds will sometimes by up to 1,000 mph while the fasted I have ever charged at is 450-480 mph.

Lastly, should I change my Current Charge Amps from 40 to the max of 48? Will this increase my charge speeds?

Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[ucmndd]

I have a 2017 Model S and I am wondering if my charging speed will be the same at a 250 KW supercharger vs a 150kw or 72kw charger station. Like everyone else I want to charge as quickly as possible and if my charging speed is the same or virtually the same from the 250 KW and 150KW charger then I will have more choices on where to charge as I go on my trip.

With all of this said, I did speak with Tesla support and the person said it does not matter which supercharger I use, I will pretty much get the same charging speeds at any super charger (including 72 KW). And he said that the speed that my S chargers at will be pretty much the same as a new Model 3. That does not seem right at all. I have freinds who have a 3 and they say the charging speeds will sometimes by up to 1,000 mph while the fasted I have ever charged at is 450-480 mph.

The simple answer is that your car will never charge faster than ~150kw, so there's no reason for you to seek out the faster v3 chargers.

The slightly more complicated answer is that older 150kw (v2) chargers are shared in pairs - you'll see the stalls numbered 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, etc. A station can only provide 150kw max to BOTH stalls - so if you're charging at 1A and someone plugs into 1B, the power is shared and you may not receive the max rate your car can handle. The newer 250kw (v3) stations have more sophisticated power sharing abilities, so you're much more likely to receive the max power your car can take regardless of where you plug in. So if a v2 station is busy, and you have the option to seek out a v3 station instead, that might be the better choice - even though your car will never get close to the 250kw max.

Lastly, should I change my Current Charge Amps from 40 to the max of 48? Will this increase my charge speeds?

Yes, if you have a Tesla Wall Connector installed that is capable of charging at 48 amps, that will charge your car faster than 40 amps. The mobile connector that was originally included with your car maxes out at 40 amps.

 

[Greg]

UCMNDD,

Thanks for your input. I was pretty sure that Tesla support guy was wrong about my car charging as fast as others and I had an idea that I could not take advantage of the 250kw chargers. Regarding the 40 amps setting, does this make a difference when superchareging or does it only make a difference for charging at home.

 

[ucmndd]

UCMNDD,

Thanks for your input. I was pretty sure that Tesla support guy was wrong about my car charging as fast as others and I had an idea that I could not take advantage of the 250kw chargers. Regarding the 40 amps setting, does this make a difference when superchareging or does it only make a difference for charging at home.

Amperage setting doesn't apply to supercharging - only home/AC charging.

 

[Rocky_H]

@Greg And in case you haven't found out about this part yet, do you know of the tapering curve that is very noticeable with Supercharging? That really high power charging happens when the battery is very low. As it fills up, and you're getting to 30-40-50% and above, you are going to start to see that power reducing by the car telling the Supercharger to lower the power.

Charging speeds should still be really good up to about 70-80%, but it's going to start to be a waste of time if you try to "fill 'er up" at Superchargers while you are on a trip. Just blast up to that upper mid range and then go, and it will be much more time efficient than trying to fill all the way.

 

[Greg]

Rocky - thanks for your input. I do realize that charging is much faster and an empty battery and it slows down a bunch once it’s mostly charged.

 

[ASUComputerGuy]

FWIW, I have gotten a max of 184kW with my 2018 Model S 100D. If you have the 100kWh battery, the V3 chargers will go a bit higher than 150kW, but I'm not sure its worth extra effort to seek out V3 chargers specifically. The higher charge rate usually only lasts a few minutes, anyway.

 

[MN-MS100D]

FWIW, I have gotten a max of 184kW with my 2018 Model S 100D. If you have the 100kWh battery, the V3 chargers will go a bit higher than 150kW, but I'm not sure its worth extra effort to seek out V3 chargers specifically. The higher charge rate usually only lasts a few minutes, anyway.

This is my experience also; a high burst of 185 kw at about 20% charge, then a slow taper. Late 2017 MS100kWh

 

[RDS]

I have. 2015 85D with 52,000 mi and the highest charge rate with low SOC of 40 mi or less is 100kw max. and reduces to 75 kw within 5 min and then gradually drops even with preconditioning. The SC checked out the charging system which they say is functioning as it should although Tesla says the charge rate is dropping faster than it should. They say that nothing can be done to rectify the problem and when I bring up the idea that Tesla has reduced charging rate, via updates, for battery health they becom unresponsive or say charging rate cannot be adjusted for a single car. As you may recall there was a class action suit regarding range reduction, via update, which was resolved with restoration of range and a cash payment. Anyone else experiencing this issue? Feedback is appreciated.

 

[roblab]

I have. 2015 85D with 52,000 mi and the highest charge rate with low SOC of 40 mi or less is 100kw max. and reduces to 75 kw within 5 min and then gradually drops even with preconditioning. The SC checked out the charging system which they say is functioning as it should although Tesla says the charge rate is dropping faster than it should. They say that nothing can be done to rectify the problem and when I bring up the idea that Tesla has reduced charging rate, via updates, for battery health they becom unresponsive or say charging rate cannot be adjusted for a single car. As you may recall there was a class action suit regarding range reduction, via update, which was resolved with restoration of range and a cash payment. Anyone else experiencing this issue? Feedback is appreciated.

I'm assuming this means you have limited ability to charge at home, which is the fastest option, as it happens instantaneously, or seems to, since you're asleep. Of course, some have a hard time finding an outlet, but they can be installed. Even then, your "low" charging rates are fast compared to other electric cars. Tesla protects their batteries at all costs, including slowing charging on older batteries to keep them in service longer. It's a matter of battery health vs. quick charging, and most of us would choose longevity over rapidity. This is exactly why you can still charge as fast as you can: Tesla protected the battery all that time. And another point is that battery life is measured in time, not miles. Your car is old, no matter the low mileage.

 

[DerbyDave]

Model S built before mid 2020 do not have the proper wiring in the car to support the full 250kw even if it is a 100A battery. It will likely support above 150KW for awhile. Anyway, the Tesla will select the fastest and safest speed for your car given the available power from the supercharger. July, 2020 article:

Tesla updates Model S and Model X Supercharging rate to 250 kW

Tesla has updated the Supercharging rate of the Model S and Model X to 250 kW — matching the capacity...

electrek.co

 

[Tdub621]

My 90D charges significant faster today on V3 than compared back when I purchased the car in 2017 when speeds were limited on V2 split between 2 stalls. I hit speeds of 160 to 161kW now compared to well under 120kW back in 2017. Still pleasantly surprised by this old battery tech! Still got well over 3 years of battery warranty too! Super happy with this car purchase. So much better than BMW 5 series. The ownership experience is not even close. The tesla just works without any big issues.