Elon Musk teases Supercharger V3 that packs over 350kW of power
Elon Musk is a busy man between Tesla and SpaceX, he also likes to tease company plans via Twitter and has recently teased a coming version of the Supercharger. If you are unfamiliar, the Supercharger network is a network of high-powered charging stations intended to combat range anxiety and allow freer EV travelling. Elon Musk recently teased Supercharger V3 and it sounds like a serious update.
Musk was asked by Frederic Lambert of Electrek if he had updates on plans to install solar arrays at Supercharger stations. Musk replied noting that some Supercharger stations had solar panels already, but that the full rollout needed Supercharger V3 and Powerpack V2. Musk also noted that the SolarCity pieces were in place for the roll out.
Lambert then asked if we were talking 350kW Superchargers to which Muck replied "a mere 350kW... what are you referring to, a children's toy?" Clearly Musk is targeting a supercharger V3 that packs more power than that. Musk has long stated that he wants to get the charging time down to 5-10 minutes for the car. If the charger has 700kW of power, it could potentially charge the car to 70 kWh in six minutes, very close to how long it takes to refuel a standard car.
A mere 350 kW ... what are you referring to, a children's toy?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 24, 2016
Musk also talked a bit about the solar panels allowing the Superchargers to be off-grid for use in remote areas. He was asked if the panels would allow for completely off-grid Superchargers and Musk responded, "Yes, grid won't be needed for moderate use Superchargers in non-snow regions."
It sounds as if off-grid and much faster Superchargers are in store for the new year. Tesla recently announced charges for allowing your car to idle at a Supercharger in an effort to prevent people from leaving cars that are done charging at the station blocking it from users who need to charge.
SOURCE: Electrek