Slow supercharging in hot weather?

[MITE46]

back to slow supercharging in central California again....Starts at 110kW and then quickly drops to 60kW within 5 minutes. The stupid thing is I can use the Tesla app and stop charging and restart and it jumps back up to 100kW then drops again.

I don't think it is a temperature related thing...I wonder if it has to do with available power from the grid. Frustrating to stay at a SC for 40 minutes when it could have been done in 20 minutes in the past..

 

[CSFTN]

Anyone living near a Supercharger want to run their own experiment? Buy a 10x20 pop up tent, put it up over the supercharger at the beginning of a hot and sunny day and test at 1 pm vs a control same temp same time no tent? Then repeat this time keeping connector shaded?

Preferably at a not too busy charger in a moderately warm and very sunny location.

 

[ThosEM]

back to slow supercharging in central California again....Starts at 110kW and then quickly drops to 60kW within 5 minutes. The stupid thing is I can use the Tesla app and stop charging and restart and it jumps back up to 100kW then drops again.

I don't think it is a temperature related thing...I wonder if it has to do with available power from the grid. Frustrating to stay at a SC for 40 minutes when it could have been done in 20 minutes in the past..

That's the syndrome. Sure wish Tesla would comment...

 

[Graffi]

On my recent cross-country trip I noticed the SC would slow down and be Very hot to the touch. I started wrapping the handles with paper towels and wetting them. This kept the handle cool and the charge rate high. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

 

[Rocky_H]

On my recent cross-country trip I noticed the SC would slow down and be Very hot to the touch. I started wrapping the handles with paper towels and wetting them. This kept the handle cool and the charge rate high. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

That's funny. Normally mechanical equipment isn't affected by wind chill because it's just dry metal, but put some artificial sweaty flesh on them for evaporative cooling, and there ya go!

 

[gavine]

That's funny. Normally mechanical equipment isn't affected by wind chill because it's just dry metal, but put some artificial sweaty flesh on them for evaporative cooling, and there ya go!

Evaporative cooling is how air conditioning works so yeah, it makes a difference.

 

[Rocky_H]

Evaporative cooling is how air conditioning works so yeah, it makes a difference.

That's how a swamp cooler works; not an air conditioner.

 

[ThosEM]

Three SC today, at Edison, W Hartford, Seabrook. In each case it started out at 115KW, but dropped within minutes to 60 kW, for most of the charge, beginning at 14%, 17%, and 19%. This IS a new normal....

 

[apacheguy]

I'm thinking I'll just post screen grabs of the mobile app each and every time I experience this issue so that Tesla will notice. It's really not acceptable to have to the supercharge rate plummet from 120 kw to 60 kw in a matter of seconds. If it happens once or twice, fine, I'd give Tesla a pass. However, what we are seeing is clearly a trend and it's not ok. This *never* happened to me in my first 3 years of ownership.

 

[miimura]

This *never* happened to me in my first 3 years of ownership.

Perhaps it is a combination of wear on your charge port and wear on the Supercharger connectors that makes you experience this more than others. If the connection were perfect, there would be no need to slow down the charging.

I am a firm believer in the theory that the contact resistance between the Supercharger handle and the vehicle is generating heat and the thermal monitor in the handle is triggering a reduced current output from the Supercharger. Replacing the Supercharger cables has been done extensively by Tesla and it definitely helps, but if the vehicles' ports are worn or dirty, that part of the puzzle needs to be addressed as well.

 

[apacheguy]

Perhaps it is a combination of wear on your charge port and wear on the Supercharger connectors that makes you experience this more than others. If the connection were perfect, there would be no need to slow down the charging.

I am a firm believer in the theory that the contact resistance between the Supercharger handle and the vehicle is generating heat and the thermal monitor in the handle is triggering a reduced current output from the Supercharger. Replacing the Supercharger cables has been done extensively by Tesla and it definitely helps, but if the vehicles' ports are worn or dirty, that part of the puzzle needs to be addressed as well.

Yeah, except it's happening to several folks within their first year of ownership. I clean my charge port too.

Further, I've asked for a technical diagnosis for my vehicle but Tesla wasn't able to do anything since they didn't have a supercharger at the service center. What more am I supposed to do?

 

[Graffi]

Try the wet paper towel trick and see if it helps.

Three SC today, at Edison, W Hartford, Seabrook. In each case it started out at 115KW, but dropped within minutes to 60 kW, for most of the charge, beginning at 14%, 17%, and 19%. This IS a new normal....

 

[hndmountains]

I just had a trip from San Francisco bay area to Grand Canyon and back from Las Vegas this week.

The temperature was constantly over the 100 F when we were super charging.
(Harris Ranch, Bakersfield, Mojave, Barstow, Needles, Kingsman)
The charging speed was always around between 40KW and 70KW and we spent about quarter of our time
at the super charging stations. Not much fun.

I wish the navigation map could at least show how much KWh is needed for the next destination.
(not just something like ~15 mintues which was never enough because of slow supercharing)

 

[ArtInCT]

On a recent road trip from CT to Cleveland OH, we stopped at about 4 superchargers. I did notice in warm weather that about 15 minutes into the supercharge session that my HVAC really kicked in and the fans were running at full tilt. I suspect the HVAC was cooling the traction battery pack due to both he usage and charge heat. When the fans turned on, I noticed that my charge rate slightly diminished. However, usually at a supercharger the tailing off of the rate is normal, usually I would peak at about 320 Miles per Hour and then the charge diminishes over time as the battery fills with charge. I have also noticed that the battery state of charge and the battery temperature have a lot to do with the Miles per Hour charge rate. In really cold weather, with a cold battery, the rate is much less at a supercharger.

 

[EV-lutioin]

Seems like everything is slower in hot weather.

 

[TexasEV]

usually I would peak at about 320 Miles per Hour and then the charge diminishes over time as the battery fills with charge.

The charging rate in miles/hr is never the "peak" rate because the mph shown is the average rate for the supercharging session. To see the peak rate you need to look at kW which is the instantaneous rate. On the supercharging screen kW and mph are not two ways of displaying the same information- kW is that moment and mph is averaged.

 

[Popsmuf]

The Superchargers are falling apart. Drove to SF from LA and back. Bakersfield was never able to get above 70kwh

Gilroy, I had to swap chargers to get the 118kwh

Harris Ranch, I had to swap as well

See attached. I timed it so I would arrive with 8miles left to get the "maximum" input...

 

[TexasEV]

See attached. I timed it so I would arrive with 8miles left to get the "maximum" input...

That may be the problem. When you start charging at a very low SOC the charging actually starts slower and then picks up. Under about 5% charge you're not going to get the maximum input.

 

[hpartsch]

That may be the problem. When you start charging at a very low SOC the charging actually starts slower and then picks up. Under about 5% charge you're not going to get the maximum input.

I think his problem was it never picked up, even after going above 5%. I've been experiencing the same issues in the PNW with many of the superchargers -- very frustrating...

 

[ggr]

The Superchargers are falling apart. Drove to SF from LA and back. Bakersfield was never able to get above 70kwh

Gilroy, I had to swap chargers to get the 118kwh

Harris Ranch, I had to swap as well

See attached. I timed it so I would arrive with 8miles left to get the "maximum" input...

Units! You mean kW, not kWh.