Some Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) supercharger posts will now pre-heat batteries for select Model 3 and Y vehicles to fasten up the charging process in winter, the company said on Tuesday.
What Happened: "Supercharger battery heating is now live at V3 and V4 posts in cold climates," the company announced in a post on X. The feature will help standard-range rear-wheel drive Model 3 and Y vehicles to get back on the road faster by helping fasten the charging process in extremely cold conditions, it added.
The supercharger will send an alternate current ripple through the Model 3 or Y's battery to help warm it up instead of the battery warming itself up. Cold weather generally slows down the charging of electric vehicles.
"This feature may seem small, but it's pretty incredible. Through an AC ripple current coming from the Superchargers, cold-soaked LFP ( lithium iron phosphate battery) vehicles will be able to get back on the road up to 4X faster," Tesla executive Max de Zegher, the Director of Charging for North America, Europe Middle East & Africa as well as the Asia Pacific, said.
However, pre-conditioning a battery before getting to a supercharger will help get the best charging performance, the exec added.
This feature may seem small, but it's pretty incredible. Through an AC ripple current coming from the Superchargers, cold-soaked LFP vehicles will be able to get back on the road up to 4X faster. This is possible through Tesla's vertical integration and some of our incredible... pic.twitter.com/hJxXCdNLtT
— Max de Zegher (@MdeZegher) December 24, 2024
Why It Matters: de Zegher said earlier this month that the company is forecasting an increase in the use of its supercharger network over the last two weekends of the year.
Tesla is now trying to ensure 100% uptime for all of its superchargers while also deploying attendants and Tesla Megapack-powered chargers at its busiest sites. The company will also continue to open new superchargers through the holidays, he said.
Earlier in December, the company also reduced the price for charging at its supercharger network. The goal behind the move is to price it lower to accelerate EV adoption and be financially sustainable to invest in expanding the network, the director of charging then said.
Tesla has nearly 30,000 supercharging ports in the U.S. as of date, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
- GM's $60,000 Cadillac Lyriq Was Its Best Selling EV In 2024 As Of Q3: Is Premium The Way To Go For EV Makers?
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock