We have known for quite a while that Tesla has been working on a next-generation V4 Supercharger, to overtake the current V3 Superchargers that are capable of charging speeds up to 250kW.
One of the first real hints of the new chargers came from former executive Jerome Guillen during the company’s Q3 2020 earnings call, who said they were working a “350kW or so” Supercharger.
Now for the first time we have some exclusive details about what they will look like thanks to one of our sources, and thanks to Canadian Supercharger sleuth Marco (@MarcoRPTesla) who was able to uncover the dimensions of the V4 Superchargers and then compare them to the sizes of the current V3 Supercharger.
According to Marco’s comparison, the V4 pedestals will be taller, thinner, and have a slightly smaller footprint than the current generation. For reference, the current Superchargers are about 5ft 5in tall.
Unfortunately Marco was not able to find the design, but Drive Tesla has been able to obtain a photo of the new V4 Supercharger. To protect the identity of our source we can’t publish the photo, but we can describe what it looks like.
The V4 Superchargers will look almost exactly like the Tesla Semi Megachargers we have seen installed at Giga Nevada and the Frito-Lay facility in Modesto. You might be thinking we received a photo of the Megacharger, but the major difference was not only the connector, but also where the connector docks.
As you can see the image below, the Megacharger connector docks quite low, while the V4 Supercharger docks about half way up the side of the Supercharger. The red box is an approximation of where the connector docks on the V4 Supercharger.
We believe this different position is mainly due to the size difference between the two units. Based on what we have been told, the Megacharger stands a few inches shy of 7ft tall, meaning the docks are likely similar heights off the ground, but they appear different because the V4 pedestal is not as tall as the Megacharger.
We don’t know exactly when the first public V4 Superchargers will be built, but it will come after the current V3 Superchargers get a speed bump up to 324kW. Based on information received by Tesla enthusiast Sawyer Merritt earlier this year, that is supposed to happen in Q3, so anytime in the next 3 months.
If you have more information about the V4 Superchargers or where the first station will be built, reach out to us at tips@driveteslacanada.ca.
