Tesla Model 3 CCS Charging @ 126 kW — Higher Power Coming Soon …

Published on February 9th, 2019 | by Dr. Maximilian Holland

February 9th, 2019 by Dr. Maximilian Holland

European DC fast charging company Fastned yesterday released images from the Netherlands of the newly arrived Tesla Model 3 Long Range charging at 126 kW on its CCS chargers. This is just a teaser of even higher charging speeds to come.

As we’ve seen previously, the Tesla Model 3 Long Range’s hardware has been designed to be able to handle charging speeds up to a theoretical 183.75 kW, with this conclusion based on an EPA document that records its ability to handle 525 amps of current (and with the battery pack being 350 volts):

Whilst 183.75 kW is the theoretical hardware limit, the practical cap, governed by Tesla’s software, will more likely be set in the region of 160 to 175 kW.

Tesla’s Superchargers are currently maxing out at 120 kW, but will soon be upgraded to the version 3 (V3) technology that will give all of Tesla’s current vehicles a big step up in power. Though, we can only speculate on the precise power levels.

We can expect the Tesla Model 3 Mid Range to also achieve charging rates significantly above 120 kW, but perhaps at rates slightly lower than the Long Range’s peak rates. We’ll have to wait that one out.

For now, Fastened has just set the record for highest charging power of any Tesla so far, with its test charging session briefly peaking at 126 kW, and a decently high power charging from around 10% state of charge (SOC) to 47–48% SOC.

We can expect the full charging potential of the Model 3 to be on display after Tesla’s Supercharger V3 is officially launched sometime in the next few months.

The current Tesla Model S and X vehicles will also get a boost to accept power levels at least as high as the Model 3 Long Range.

Our friends over at ABRP have provided us with a lot of good data on Tesla charging speeds, so let’s overlay the new Fastned charging curve (solid red) onto the classic Model 3 charging curve (dotted red) from ABRP’s Supercharging data:

Original data courtesy of ABRP and Fastned. Composite image: author’s own work.

Notice that — for now — the shape of the taper remains similar. This could change slightly when Supercharger V3 is released, but likely not dramatically, since the taper is there to protect the battery’s health.

The expected future peak charging rate of ~160 kW will allow the 10–80% DC charging duration to drop from the current 30–35 minutes to around 24–27 minutes (perhaps less, depending on curve shape).

What are your thoughts? How long before we see the Supercharger V3 officially launched? Let us know in the comments!

Editor’s note: If you ordered a Model 3, Model S, or Model X before February 2 but didn’t use a referral code in order to get 6–9 months of free Supercharging, you can still use my referral code — http://ts.la/tomasz7234 — in order to get that bonus/discount.

Just send an email to buildmy3EMEA@tesla.com with the word “Referral” in the subject line. Put the following in the body of the email: your name, contact information, reservation number (starts with RN), and the referral code you’d like to use (for example, tomasz7234 if you’re using mine).

About the Author

Dr. Maximilian Holland Max is an anthropologist, social theorist and international political economist, trying to ask questions and encourage critical thinking about social and environmental justice, sustainability and the human condition. He has lived and worked in Europe and Asia, and is currently based in Barcelona.