Wiki UK and Ireland Supercharger Site News

[cezdoc]

Not sure if this made it here already, but there's a new planning application in for Sheffield Meadowhall Retail Park (NOT the big shopping centre - but 2 mins from it) next to IKEA and Pizza Hut etc. Looks like 18 bays. Will be very handy and, one would assume, spell the end of Tankersley.

Thanks, I don't think this has been mentioned in this thread before. It ties in with Tesla's Sheffield (Q1 2023) marker.
Some detailed drawings of a V3 supercharger stall and charging cabinet are included in the planning documents which may be of interest to some here (@arg ?)

Link to planning application: Sheffield City Council Ref 22/02963/FUL. Submitted 09-Aug-22, awaiting decision.

Based on the site plan it looks like 12 V3 Tesla bays plus 6 Pod Point bays (shared between 3 charging posts).

 

[arg]

Some detailed drawings of a V3 supercharger stall and charging cabinet are included in the planning documents which may be of interest to some here (@arg ?)

Thanks for the heads-up. Unfortunately only mechanical drawings of the Tesla gear, no technical specs (always worth looking out for - they did give away the V2 tech specs in an earlier planning application).

Most interesting aspect is that it's described as "V3 SUPECHARGER WITH MASTER CONTROLLER" which tends to suggest that they tying the multiple V3 cabinets together for site-wide sharing via the DC bus between cabinets. We'd previously seen the cabinet ratings identifying that bus, but no indication of whether they are using it at sites without storage.

 

[YoungDavid]

spell the end of Tankersley.

I hope not. There's a pleasent enough 30 minutes or so circular walk. Up Church Lane, turn right past St Peter's church (where Barry Hines is buried), over a stile, through some woods and round the edge of the golf course back to the chargers where, of course, you find they are both still occupied (but now by different cars) so you wish you had waited before you set off.

Rather than close it down, there's plenty of room in this very under used car park for more stalls but, as usual, there may be power constraints.

 

[Roy B]

Thanks for the heads-up. Unfortunately only mechanical drawings of the Tesla gear, no technical specs (always worth looking out for - they did give away the V2 tech specs in an earlier planning application).

Most interesting aspect is that it's described as "V3 SUPECHARGER WITH MASTER CONTROLLER" which tends to suggest that they tying the multiple V3 cabinets together for site-wide sharing via the DC bus between cabinets. We'd previously seen the cabinet ratings identifying that bus, but no indication of whether they are using it at sites without storage.

I assumed they always (or at least usually) use the DC bus on V3 installations. If they didn't, then avoiding using stalls with the same number would still be a thing with V3 as it was with V2.

 

[arg]

If they didn't, then avoiding using stalls with the same number would still be a thing with V3 as it was with V2.

How do you know it isn't? With the finer-grain sharing and 4-way rather than 2-way, it's much less immediately obvious. Maybe someone has done some concerted testing somewhere, but I've not heard of it.

I agree, it always seemed likely that they would use the DC bus, but there's no hard information about the constraints or, more typically for Tesla, if it might be a facility for future use that they haven't got around to doing yet. So little scraps of info like this are helpful (though still not definitive!).

 

[qwickshot]

Just spotted the newly opened Sidcup chargers are open to all on the Tesla app, I don’t think that was the case previously.

 

[Hessles]

M5 Frankley and M42 Hopwood services in Birmingham are getting lots of new chargers next year. Superchargers included.

 

[Jason71]

Just spotted the newly opened Sidcup chargers are open to all on the Tesla app, I don’t think that was the case previously.

likely to be the case with a lot of new ones I imagine. its an easier sell to be told to share something you never had than something you are used to having to yourself. I imagine some site owners would be nervous about giving up their real-estate for excusive use at this stage of the game.
One also hopes that new ones are built to be at least a bit future proof so should have some spare capacity at present.

 

[qwickshot]

To be honest, I’m surprised more of the network isn’t opened up by now. There are quite a few sites that are not that busy and don’t have much competition around them.

You can’t really say they are future proof though if they keep installing them in the way that they do. Either spread them out or install longer cables so cars with the port on the ‘wrong side’ can go nose in.

 

[Sean.]

Just spotted the newly opened Sidcup chargers are open to all on the Tesla app, I don’t think that was the case previously.

I wonder if that was a tactical opening or whether strategically now the newly minted SC locations will be open to public access?

 

[cezdoc]

M5 Frankley and M42 Hopwood services in Birmingham are getting lots of new chargers next year. Superchargers included.

Great! Are there any references relating to these sites that you can share?

 

[m3gt2]

I wonder how long until we get plans/installation of V4 chargers?

 

[Jason71]

I wonder how long until we get plans/installation of V4 chargers?

Will it make much of a difference to current cars. Can they charge faster than a V3 can provide anyway?

 

[arg]

Is there actually any evidence that V4 exists apart from the nonsense that appears on Electrek (they appear to have coined the "V4" label to apply to a new stall design, despite the fact that there have been multiple stall designs used over time with the change to the stalls not tied to the V1/V2/V3 cabinets driving them)?

 

[qwickshot]

I’d argue that a new stall design is exactly what Tesla needs.

V4 also needs to support 800v if V3 doesn’t already. The last thing we want is 800v non-tesla cars both blocking bays and charging slowly because their cars are sub-optimal on 400v.

Yes I’m looking at you Porsche Tycan that only does 50kw at 400V unless you buy an optional extra. Even with the option it’s not that fast.

 

[arg]

V3 is rated 500V max. I'd agree with you that 800V is one major thing that could lead to a V4 - but I don't see it happening until Tesla produce a 800V car to go with it, which doesn't look like any time soon.

There could be a V4 for other reasons - some new internals for better cost or efficiency, or new packaging for better scalability to really large sites, for example. However, V3 is still fairly young and changes from this direction (ie. independent of the car interface) are likely to be driven by technology advances (new parts becoming available) rather than Tesla themselves doing something different.

 

[Sean.]

I’d argue that a new stall design is exactly what Tesla needs.

V4 also needs to support 800v if V3 doesn’t already. The last thing we want is 800v non-tesla cars both blocking bays and charging slowly because their cars are sub-optimal on 400v.

Yes I’m looking at you Porsche Tycan that only does 50kw at 400V unless you buy an optional extra. Even with the option it’s not that fast.

Agree with @arg. Little hope of 800v on SCs until Tesla announce a car / platform based on 800v architecture. So far no sign of that.

Taycan is a native 800V architecture, the £294 option to spec 150 kW 400v DC compatibility is likely seen by them as a legacy DC charging alternative. Porsche-centric view of the ultra fast DC charging future is that it’s based on 800v ala the crop of 350 kW charging stations.

 

[TimK]

Application approved on Tuesday 21st June View attachment 819954

Construction at Guildford Spectrum site has now started

 

[m3gt2]

Will it make much of a difference to current cars. Can they charge faster than a V3 can provide anyway?

I am sure I read, correctly or not, that they will be going to 800v but also have a substantial amount of battery storage, hopefully enabling them to be installed at more locations and also reducing charging costs.

 

[PB1975]

View attachment 863738

Construction at Guildford Spectrum site has now started

I checked on this on Sunday and there was nothing! Sod’s law I missed it!