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Fastest UK superchargers
- Thread starter m3p_uk
- Start date
Jonathantuba
Member
ACarneiro
Active Member
Not sure I’m that desperate for very fast chargers. The thermal stress on the batteries much be significant and it must reduce their useful life considerably, I would imagine?
MrBadger
Badger out
Agree. I think we are just playing numbers games now. If its too fast, there is likely to be no time to go for a pee without incurring idling charges.
The peak rates are only achievable when the BMS allows it, and they taper down pretty quickly. Tesla are very cautious about battery management - not least of all because of the 8 year warranty.
That said, slower charging does stress the battery less.
The way round that is to set the charge limit to 100%. You’ll be back long before you’ll reach 100% anyway.
Fullerene
Member
M3, Towbar, 19" SR+, FSD, White interior at an Ionity charger - that's so unicorn!
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
Tesla warranty still applies ... so I expect they are being sufficiently cautious.
Frequent DC charges result in a reduced rate anyway, so "now and then" you might as well use the fastest available
So I think only frequent users need to give it consideration.
All the Version 2 superchargers are supposedly being speeded up from a typical 120 kW to 150 kW max, but some seem to be limited to 130 at present. I would say expect 150 to be widespread this year and near universal next. 150 kW is a peak rate remember, but the rate should be over 100 kW until you are up to pretty high states of charge, maybe 70%+, if you are warmed up. Many people stop charging before that, and go on to the next one.
The Version 3 charger is still in less than a dozen locations in the US as I understand it. It is only going into carefully selected prestige locations and is very expensive indeed. I would be surprised to see these in Europe before next year, and frankly I think we will be lucky to see any in the UK before 2021.
Tesla should, in my opinion, concentrate on Version 2, spreading them further geographically and increasing the number of chargers in older locations, like Edinburgh, which has just 2 chargers.
Yeah, I got 191kw when charging a Model 3 with an Ionity charger in Kent.
I suppose it might make sense to install version 3 chargers in any new locations? We’ll have to wait and see.
In the three or so weeks I’ve had my M3 I’ve supercharged three times. Each time it’s started off at 111kW, which for me, is plenty fast enough. After using third-party chargers for the last four years with the Leaf and Kona, tiddling around with multiple apps or cards to get a “rapid” charge of 43kW if I was lucky, the Superchargers are amazing, even in their current form.
In the three or so weeks I’ve had my M3 I’ve supercharged three times. Each time it’s started off at 111kW, which for me, is plenty fast enough. After using third-party chargers for the last four years with the Leaf and Kona, tiddling around with multiple apps or cards to get a “rapid” charge of 43kW if I was lucky, the Superchargers are amazing, even in their current form.
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
And IME probably anything up to 5 minutes to get connected on a good day, and much longer on a bad one if you have to phone for assistance or move to a different stall, or don't have an RFID and have to us Phone APP. And a few minutes to disconnect as well ... more so, again, if using an APP rather than RFID.
Looking back through my logs max time from selecting PARK to Charging Started at Supercharger is 1 minute. Disconnect is similar, press button on "wand" to stop charging, jump back in, and drive off and on my way in under a minute.
So I allow for at least 5 minutes extra "faff time" at a non-Supercharger stop. Worse case (where it actually worked ... there have been plenty of 3rd party charge attempts that never worked ending with support person on the phone thinking they could initiate a charge remotely and giving up) was 20 minutes just getting a connection to Ecotricity at Peterborough - #1 included phone call for support, #2 was a retry on same stall - had to type all my details into APP each time - it didn't remember anything (I have a registered account, but I had to use the APP's Guest Mode that day), #3 was a successful try connected to the other stall.
Worthwhile newbie Tesla owners who have never owned another EV knowing just how bad it would be if they had another other EV - Leaf, iPace, whatever
"Mercedes me" looks like it might be a solution ... supposedly rock up, plug in, and charge will start (and "Mercedes Me" connectivity takes care of any billing - which definitely sounds like a good solution)
Completely agree, I think the focus should be on adding V2 locations and the number of stalls at each location and adding Model 3 compatibility to each existing system stall. Perhaps I’m biased as I believe the SR+ is limited to 100kw charging so the V3 does nothing for me!
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
I think, when Tesla are ready (whatever that may mean ... have supply of kit, can afford it, and it is debugged) then they should roll out V3 at all new sites.
Supercharger is a huge USP for Tesla. 3rd party charging is almost universally dreadful ... important that Tesla maintains that USP and a reasonable lead, otherwise it puts the rest of their business at risk.
Installing V2 and then upgrading it later to V3 is huge expense, likelihood is that they won't bother, so that too will erode the USP.
People may buy an iPace, e-Tron, EQC for interior / luxury preference, but people who have to travel out of range will be thinking twice about non-Tesla as long as Tesla has significant advantage in trip-charging.
Also V3 reduces the time that a charge takes, makes that stall available sooner, and thus enables more charges per unit area, which reduces ground-rent, like-for-like.
It tails off much quicker than that.
On my S100D I saw 143kW at 20% but it was down to 45kW by 77%.
The extra power makes the most difference up to around 40% from what I've seen so far.
Here's a good comparison graph. Highest power seen between 10-40% SOC, then it tails off
200kW vs 150kW vs 120kW charging curves (Model 3) : teslamotors
200kW vs 150kW vs 120kW charging curves (Model 3) : teslamotors
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
I've read that the 100 battery has the higher power tapering at the lowest SOC. I suppose the 100 might have had the most efficient chemistry / charging etc. at the get go and they can't wring any more out, but its a surprise as in other areas the extra real-estate has allowed higher voltage, faster charging, faster discharge/acceleration etc.
