Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Improved 75D Charging Rate

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
I've been away from the forum for a while so this may be old news. I took a long road trip this past weekend and so I used the Superchargers for the first time in months at a low SOC.

I have a 75D that is (if I remember correctly) 350V. In the past, my max charging rate, even if I was the only car at the Supercharger, in perfect weather and with a sub 10% SOC was about 96kW, with about 92-93kW being more typical.

I think I was told that that 100kW was the theoretical max of the 350V batteries but that almost nobody could achieve that.

On this last trip, I was pleasantly surprised to see up to 118kW charging speed. And that lasted till about 25% SOC before it began to taper.

Was faster charging for 75kWh batteries something I missed in release notes for a recent firmware update? Or just a by-product of some of the posts I used being 150kW posts instead of 120kW posts? Or the battery pre-heating? Or a combination of all of these things?
 
Yes, as you've noticed, a firmware update last spring significantly improved the supercharging performance of the 75 battery. A couple have reported as high as 126kw - though my max observation on my ~100k mile battery is in line with yours - just shy of 120.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MorrisonHiker
It was definitely an "updates and bug fixes" sort of release, not any manner of active communication.

I hate those ones. I know Tesla is busy but how long would it take to just put a few sentences (even if vague) about what the "updates" or "bug fixes" involve.

"70D, 75 and 75D cars maximum charge rate increased"
"Fixes to improve TuneIn reliability"

Something like that. I am a product manager and I write release notes for even mundane things that are a lot less exciting than Tesla's software!
 
I'd b excited to get close to 100kw. They have throttled back to 60kw.

Are you saying your 85 consistently only gets 60kW max, no matter what? (Irregardless of SC location, temp, A/B post usage, SoC, etc.?) From your sig, it looks like you have charged in a lot of lot of places so I am guessing that your low charge rate is consistent and not specific to a few "sucky" Supercharger locations?

In my last 700+ mile trip, I stopped at a few Superchargers and the differences were significant. At Atascadero, even though I pulled in with less than 10% SoC in good weather and had the nav on (so presumably the battery could be preheated)...I still got pitiful charge rate. Like about 45-50kW for the first 30 minutes. Now, there are only 8 stalls there (too few) and every one was taken. Since they are ordinary v2's, I was subject to the A/B 'second to plug in' issue. After the first 30 mins, it did go up a bit (I forget the number). I've had a few trips to Atascadero at "off peak times" where I was the only car at the Supercharger...and my charge rate still wasn't very high (i.e. no where near my then-maximum of 100kW even with good weather and low SoC).

It was in Salinas that I was surprised (but pleased) to get my current record of 118kW. Even when that location is busy (¾ full or even more), the charge rates still seem to always "outdo" Atascadero. And while I have had mixed results at San Luis Obispo (Madonna Inn), that one seems pretty good most of the time. Atascadero has never been kind to my 75D as far as charge rate is concerned. I think going in my next journey down 101, I am going to prioritize Salinas + San Luis Obispo and skip Atascadero.
 
Yes, I tried 2 different super chargers this week. I'm now limited to 60kw.
Here is official word from Tesla
 

Attachments

  • 20200214_092800.jpg
    20200214_092800.jpg
    389.9 KB · Views: 166
Enjoy it! In a few years Tesla will take that charge rate away as it tries to extend the life of your battery under warranty in order to avoid replacing your battery under warranty.

#batterygate

Can you (or someone else) contact a Tesla service center and ask what models and model years are affected? Is this true even for 2020 models after a certain number of kWh charged in sum at Superchargers? If so, is Tesla working on an improvement so fast Supercharger speeds can be supported continually by our cars?

May be the Supercharger limit information, when applicable, should be displayed on the charging screen.
 
I don't SC often but dropped in this weekend with my '16 S75 and was pleasantly surprised to see 127 kW at a 33% SOC, hadn't seen over 117kW ever prior. Tesla is clearly adjusting SC speeds as they learn more about the batteries. Hope this current algorithm will stick.