Updated Tesla Superchargers Indicate 350-kW Charging Capacity

• Filings from the UK show plans for a fourth-generation Supercharger putting out 350 kW.
• The chargers have reportedly been in use in Europe for as long as four months.
• It's possible Tesla is future-proofing its chargers as more brands switch to its NACS plug.

Tesla is slowly opening its Supercharger network to non-Tesla EVs, and some competitors are so excited that they've committed to outfitting their future vehicles with Tesla's proprietary NACS charging port. 

The only problem? At a maximum of 250 kW, Superchargers offer lower charging speeds than rival networks, which can offer up to 350 kW. That deficit doesn't really matter for Tesla owners — even the quickest-charging Teslas can only charge at about 250 kW — but EVs with more robust electrical architectures will be throttled at a Supercharger station.

It appears that Tesla is aware of the potential issue and is readying a defense. According to electrek, a Reddit user uncovered planning statements that reveal the fourth-generation Superchargers’ massive 350-kW output. It should be noted that these plans were filed in the UK, and Tesla has yet to officially unveil the Supercharger V4. However, the brand has been using these updated chargers in Europe for four months, reports electrek.

Plans reveal that Tesla has made room on the Supercharger for a screen and credit card reader, presumably to enhance compatibility with the growing number of vehicles that will switch to the NACS connector in the coming years. The stations also feature longer cables. While Tesla was previously able to use a very specific length of cabling for its cars — because its vehicles all feature the port in the same spot — other makes and models don’t always have the same consistency.

These updates aside, another station with the updated Supercharger was spotted with ratings of 1,000 volts and 615 amps, and those figures may mean a total power output of 600 kW. However, this is the technical limit of the Supercharger, and it’s not likely Tesla will roll out this charger in the near future since there are no non-commercial EVs on the market that charge anywhere near this speed.

Edmunds says