Tesla Superchargers Get Longer Cables for Non-Tesla EVs

• Superchargers are getting longer cables in preparation for V4
  
• Tesla can detect when a non-Tesla electric vehicle is plugged in
• This means more accurate real-time stand availability

Ahead of the expected rollout of its V4 Supercharger hardware, Tesla is iinstalling longer cables and make other changes that could help avoid friction at Supercharger stations, as electric vehicles from other brands begin using them more frequently.

The official Tesla Charging account on like V4) and expects them to be available. outnumber short cable chargers within the the next 18 months.

Tesla also modified more than 1,500 sites to help drivers better access chargers, and it updated the software that tells Tesla drivers which charging stations are available, according to the same article.

To further account for the fact that electric vehicles potentially block spaces to plug into chargers with short cables, Tesla says it can do so. now detect when an electric vehicle with a charging port located anywhere other than the left rear or right front of the vehicle is plugged into shorter cable points so as not to overpromise on charger availability.

This is possible because Tesla can now detect what type of vehicle is plugged in, Max de Zegher, Tesla’s director of charging in North America, said in an article, adding that the charger availability algorithm now updates approximately every 15 seconds.

Tesla announced V4 Supercharger hardware in 2022 and made some initial installations in 2023, at that time intended to provide the higher power charging needed for the Semi and Cybertruck.

Tesla’s V3 Superchargers, and even the charging stations that appear to be installed today under the V4 name, remain V3 specification and are incapable of charging 800 volt electric vehicles at their peak rates.

The migration of most major auto brands to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) began in May 2023 with Ford, and it may have changed the trajectory somewhat. This led to the formalization of NACS as a true standard by the SAE and the support of this standard by the Biden administration, which prioritized funding for the expansion of public charging. Musk, meanwhile, nearly shut down the Supercharger team earlier this year before backtracking and promising a $500 million expansion of the network.

Such expansion will likely be necessary as more automakers equip their electric vehicles to charge at Supercharger stations. To date, Ford, General Motors, Rivian, Polestar and Volvo have made adapters available to customers, while the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 will come with a NACS port starting later this month and other electric vehicles no Tesla with them should appear. in 2025.