News hardware Tesla will once again revolutionize the charging of electric cars with its next V4 Superchargers
Half-announced by Elon Musk himself in June 2021, the 4th generation Tesla Superchargers are about to be deployed in the United States with a number of new features that may once again disrupt the operation of cars. electric for years to come.
V4 superchargers: less bulky and more powerful terminals
If we are to believe all the corroborating information on Twitter, the first Tesla next-generation charging station equipped with V4 Superchargers is expected to come out of the ground in the coming months (probably early 2023) in Yuma County, Arizona. , southwest of Phoenix.
Currently, the V2 and V3 Superchargers (which we also have in France), are capable of delivering up to 150 kW and 250 kW respectively. With the V4 Superchargers, we can legitimately expect this limit to be pushed back to 300 kW here, even if Elon Musk has already mentioned 350 kW Superchargers, probably for the V5.
In addition to this expected power gain, the design could be completely revised with slightly higher terminals (about 1.90m high), but above all much thinner and without this famous empty space in the middle. The weight of the bollard would be substantially equivalent (approximately 90 kg) and theThe charging cable could go from 193 cm currently on the V3 terminals to 297 cm on the V4.
As for the V4 design, it looks like Tesla will be using a different shell than the current V2 and V3 models.
While I have yet to determine the new shape, I was able to find the dimensions so that it can be compared to the current model. pic.twitter.com/QQhtDgHfCJ
— Marco (Supercharger 👑) (@MarcoRPTesla) July 9, 2022
But why such a long cable? The answer lies in the famous Tesla Semis, these large electric trucks capable of towing semi-trailers and which could quite simply revolutionize American and global road transport, as well as in third-party vehicles such as the Audi E-tron which does not is not suitable for current stations.
Solar charging, the future for electric cars?
The other novelty that should equip the new V4 Supercharger stations is the presence of a roof entirely covered with solar panels which could thus supply the stations equipped with enormous lithium-ion accumulators capable of storing up to 3 MWhcan we read.
A very interesting way for Tesla to save energy without having to buy it locally before reselling it to you. Not sure that the bill will drop for the end consumer…
Concept new Tesla station with solar panels (source: Tesla Mag)
As mentioned above, all of this should be deployed initially in the USA and more particularly in Yuma County, where a 4500 m² station equipped with no less than 40 terminals could make its appearance if we believe the following diagram.
The world’s first known V4 Supercharger is coming soon to Yuma County, Arizona!!
40 stalls, plus two 4500 square foot solar arrays and a Megapack are planned on a new vacant lot by the Dateland Travel Center, right along Interstate 8 on the SD -> Tucson route. pic.twitter.com/Kbe5QyD20v
— Marco (Supercharger 👑) (@MarcoRPTesla) September 11, 2022
If the USA should see this type of station flourish in the months and years to come, in France and in Europe it seems much less obvious, except in the south of France, in Spain, in Portugal or in Greece, both the sunshine is not always ideal. Still, in an effort to accommodate all types of electric cars, not just Teslas, all of these changes and improvements were expected.
Currently Tesla has nearly 35,000 charging stations around the world, including 1,500 in France, and is aiming for 40,000 by 2023.