Tesla’s V4 Superchargers are soon going to get a major upgrade. Today Tesla announced the V4 Cabinet, which provides up to 500kW charging speeds for cars, and up to 1.2 megawatts (MW) for the Tesla Semi.
Tesla first deployed their V4 Supercharger posts in early 2023, first in Europe before expanding them to the US and Canada. Among the benefits of the new Superchargers was a longer charging cable that allows easier access for owners of non-Tesla EVs to plug in.
Aside from that additional charging cord length, and a new look, these V4 Superchargers were still being built with the same cabinets, or supporting infrastructure, as V3 Superchargers, meaning they still delivered peak charging rates of 250kW.
As a result, Tesla actually referred to these stations internally as V3.5 Superchargers, as they were a mix of old and new technology. However, soon Tesla will be building true V4 Superchargers.
Today the company announced the V4 Cabinet. According to Tesla, these new cabinets support speeds up to 500 kW for cars and up to 1.2 MW for the Tesla Semi, making it one of the most powerful EV charging solutions on the market.
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) November 14, 2024
One of the major breakthroughs of the V4 Cabinet is its ability to support a wide range of vehicle architectures, from 400V to 1000V. When it comes to Tesla, this means only the Cybertruck will be able to take advantage of these higher charging speeds, while the rest of the S3XY lineup will continue to charge at speeds of up to 250 kW. But there are number of other EVs that will benefit, like the Porsche Taycan, Kia EV6, Hyundai IONIQ 5, and others.
While increased charging speeds are a highlight of the V4 Cabinet, there are some equally significant benefits for Tesla. The first is that each V4 Cabinet is capable of powering up to eight charging posts, twice as many as previous versions, allowing more vehicles to charge simultaneously without taking up significantly more space. This efficiency, combined with a smaller physical footprint and streamlined installation process, will enable Tesla to bring new Supercharging sites online faster than ever before, accelerating the rollout of EV infrastructure across key markets.
Another is that the V4 Cabinet is equipped with next-generation power electronics that boast three times the power density of previous systems. This not only enables faster and more reliable charging but also reduces the overall cost of operation, making the V4 cabinet one of the most reliable and efficient EV charging solutions available.
Tesla says the first Supercharging sites with V4 Cabinets are currently in the permitting stage, with installations expected to begin in 2025. The company did not say where the first installations might take place. As we mentioned earlier, the first V4 Supercharger posts were installed in Europe, before they made their way to North America.
