The Tesla Model 3 has just won a fast charging competition simulating a stop at the gas station. Despite a less powerful battery architecture than its competitors, it surpassed them thanks to a little trick.
In the field of electric vehicles, fast charging has become an essential criterion for users, because it allows minimize downtime during long journeys and offers convenience comparable to traditional gasoline filling. Until the recent release of the Cybertruck, Tesla had not adopted 800V architecture. Meanwhile, its main competitors, such as NIO, XPeng, BYD, Hyundai, KIA and Porsche, have already introduced cars capable of charging at 80% in just 20 minutes.
However, You’re here has focused on another strategy by developing its Supercharger network. Rather than equipping each vehicle with an 800V charging system, the company preferred to operate its existing network of stations mainly in 400V. This decision has proven to be a wise one, as it allows the American manufacturer to make the most of its charging infrastructure without requiring costly upgrades for each model.
The Tesla Model 3 is the fastest to charge, but only with a Supercharger
To highlight the effectiveness of its strategy, Tesla was recently rewarded for the charging capacity of its Model 3, in rear-wheel drive configuration, during a test designed to simulate a stop at the gas station. The MP6 test, developed by independent automotive consultant AMCI, assesses how many miles an electric vehicle can add to its range in just 6 minutes. This is the average time a driver spends at a gas pump.
In this test, the Model 3 managed to add more 96 kilometers to its autonomy. It’s almost the double the performance from most of its competitors, including those equipped with 800V systems. This impressive result highlights the efficiency of Tesla’s Supercharger network. It shows that even without the most advanced charging architecture, these vehicles offer fast charging.
However, it is important to note that without access to a Supercharger, this fast charging performance is not not feasible. Although the 96 km added in just 6 minutes is enough for daily city trips, this capacity depends entirely on the availability of these stations.
Source: prnewswire