With the development of electric vehicles and charging points, many drivers are wondering which charging method to choose. During your research, you may have read the term “supercharger.” What is the particularity of this charger and where to find it? Can you use it on your vehicle? Explanations.
The Tesla Supercharger: What's the deal?
The Supercharger (or Supercharger in English) is an electric vehicle charger originally offered by the American manufacturer Tesla. Tesla Superchargers are available — for the time being — to Tesla electric cars only, namely Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y. But there are other brands of superchargers that are accessible to other vehicle brands.
Its characteristic? It is capable of delivering electrical powers of up to 250 kW. For a Tesla Model S car, this capacity allows charging up to 322 kilometers in 15 minutes.
Because of its power, the Supercharger is especially suitable for long trips. There is also a so-called “urban” Supercharger, which is more compact than the standard Supercharger. As its name suggests, it has been deployed in urban areas (garages, shopping center car parks, etc.) but has a difference compared to the original model: it provides a capacity of 72 kW.
Good to know
In a tweet published on July 20, 2021, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, confirmed that the Supercharger network will soon be available to vehicles from competing car manufacturers. However, no modality (cost of recharging, need for an adapter or not) or official date have been specified to date.
The supercharger for public charging stations
While the term “Supercharger” belongs to the manufacturer Tesla to describe its network of charging points, it can also refer to the chargers of high-power charging stations open to the public and offered by several manufacturers. Like Tesla charging stations, these facilities are designed to charge vehicles as quickly as possible.
Available to the public, these charging solutions are generally installed on highways, shopping center car parks and near restaurants and are suitable for all car models. They have an unprecedented power level ranging from 50 kW to 350 kW, i.e. the equivalent of the electrical power supplying between 10 and 50 homes. Thanks to the high intensity delivered, your vehicle can thus recover 80% of its autonomy in less than 30 minutes*.
To be able to provide such significant power, these terminals use direct current (DC). Charging is not done with your usual cable, but with the one provided by the installation that plugs directly into the socket in your car. To withstand the power of the current, this “Mode 4” cable is thicker and has its own specific features.
The supercharger for private use (individuals, businesses, condominiums): is it possible?
As mentioned earlier, Tesla Superchargers and ultra-high power station chargers use direct current and have their own connectors and charging cables. These are specific installations, using cutting-edge technology and very strict safety standards. According to the Association for the Development of Electric Mobility (Avere), this type of charger represents only 6% of charging points in France. Because of their power, charging too often can damage the vehicle battery. It is therefore advisable to limit the use of the Supercharger (once a week for Tesla vehicles for example). In addition, these chargers represent a significant investment compared to a wall terminal.
Superchargers are therefore not suitable for private use and are also not interesting for most drivers who charge their vehicle at home. High-power charging stations are generally used during long trips (highway areas) or for additional charging at destination (supermarket shopping for example).
In addition, wallbox charging stations offered to individuals, condominiums and businesses are installations that use alternating current (AC). To charge, you can use the cable supplied with your vehicle (called “Mode 3”). This does not mean that it is impossible to quickly recharge your car: there are indeed terminals with a power of up to 22 kW on a three-phase network such as those from Qovoltis, offering accelerated charging methods.
This efficient and intelligent terminal sends current at a minimum of 3.7 kW and can go up to 22 kW in three phases. For each use, charging is started at the maximum power accepted by your vehicle, while taking into account existing constraints such as the devices switched on in the home (for individuals) and the maximum power tolerated by the electrical network. In addition, these charging stations are eligible for financial assistance to help you reduce the cost of buying and installing your electric vehicle charging solution.
Also to be read : Installing an electric charging station: what assistance are you entitled to?
*https://www.isiohm.fr/actualites/les-differents-modes-de-recharge-dune-voiture-electrique
