Deployment of Tesla Supercharger V3 will give priority to long-distance routes, says Elon Musk

Tesla version 3 (V3) superchargers will begin to be deployed in locations used for long distance travel, according to an update provided by CEO Elon Musk. He also revealed during a recent interview given to Ride the lightning, weekly podcast hosted by Ryan McCaffreythe first generation superchargers will also have priority for replacement.

"We're going to focus on long-distance routes, so if you're in a hurry to get from one city to another, you can go as fast as you can. We will also replace some version 1 superchargers – some of the old superchargers will have priority, "said Musk. "There are some that still have a 75kW load, so we will replace them first on long distance links."

Despite Tesla's open patents for using its Supercharger technology and its willingness to allow other manufacturers to access its network, Musk said it had not yet been contacted about sharing its facilities and technology. "Nobody contacted me, so … Maybe they contacted other people in the company and they did not tell me about it. But none of the other manufacturers have contacted me to tell me that he wants to use it, "he said.

Tesla however has prerequisites to sharing its Supercharger network, which may partly explain the reluctance to accept the manufacturer's offer of 100% electric cars. "We demand that the car can charge at a high rate and then of course share the cost of the system," Musk said. "Probably … we're going to have takers on the road, but they do not seem to be particularly interested at the moment."

Regarding the development of its Supercharger network, the CEO of Tesla also explained that the company was trying to stay ahead of demand and avoid traffic jams, but that empty charging stations are not in the company's interest. . In addition, commercial licenses can slow expansion efforts despite Tesla's efforts to meet load-related customer needs. Overall, it's a balance between congestion and freedom of movement.

The V3 Supercharger was unveiled last March at the Tesla factory in Fremont, California, where the first (beta) stands are. V3 superchargers are able to charge version 2 (V2) twice as fast with a maximum power of 250 kW, or 1,000 km / h. In addition, Tesla owners using V3 superchargers will no longer need to distribute their power with neighboring vehicles, which will significantly increase the charge rate and reduce the total charge time by almost half.

In its first annual report to Empire State Development Corp. in New York City, the company announced the addition of a new electrical component manufacturing line from Supercharger V3 to Gigafactory 2 in New York. The installation was originally designed to produce Tesla Solar Roof tiles, which look like traditional roofing materials but can function as solar panels. With the aggressive expansion of the Tesla supercharges network, this move towards increased capacity is a testament to plans to rapidly deploy its latest charging technology.

Listen to Ryan McCaffrey's interview with Elon Musk here.