What is Tesla Supercharging?
Tesla supercharging is a 480v DC direct current charging technology developed by Tesla. Currently, Tesla supercharging stations can only charge Tesla vehicles.
How fast is Tesla Supercharging?
There are currently 2 theoretical Tesla Supercharging speeds in Hong Kong: 120kW and 250kW. V3 supercharging stations were introduced in Hong Kong late in 2019 which gives in theory a maximum charging speed of 250kW. As of 2021, there are three V3 supercharging stations in Hong Kong each of them having three charging stalls.
Why are they theoretical speeds?
Electrical charging speeds is always theoretical where there are a number of variables that affects the charging speeds such as the condition of the battery (temperature, health etc.). The maximum speed that a V3 charging stall could reach is 250kW. The maximum speed that regular supercharger stalls could reach is at 120kW.
Moreover, Tesla Supercharging follows a charging curve which means the charge is fastest between 10% to 60% battery state of charge. It is even shorter for V3 where it is around 15% to 20% state of charge. This means only during 15% and 20% state of charge, the rate of charge could theoretically reach 250kW.
Also, a normal supercharging stalls are usually in pairs and they are marked as 1A,1B, 2A, 2B etc..1A and 1B have a shared maximum speed of 120kW which means if 2 cars are parked at 1A and 1B and charging at the same time, their maximum speed will be halved at 60kW. Therefore, it is best to part at a spot that has no one charging beside you or at the same shared stall. V3 Supercharging stalls are not shared which means each stall could pump out 250kW theoretically.
Does all Tesla models support V3 charging?
Yes. V3 charging stalls only include a CCS Combo 2 charging plugs which is found standard on the Model 3 and Y. For Model S and X with Type 2 charging ports, you will require a Type 2 to Type 3 adaptor sold at the Tesla service center. You may also require to upgrade your car’s software over the air or at Tesla’s service station.
How can I find Tesla Superchargers?
The easiest way to find Tesla Supercharges are on your Model 3 control panel. On the map, you can select to display all Tesla Supercharging stations, their power output (120kW or 250kW stalls) and the number of stalls available at the moment.
You can also find the Tesla Supercharging stations around the world on the Tesla website but without the real-time stall availability information.
How much is Tesla Supercharging?
When Model S was launched in Hong Kong in 2015, they used to include lifetime free supercharging for Tesla Model S owners. This promotion only lasted a short period of time. However, this was such a great deal to attract first time Tesla owners and electric vehicles owner. This is such a great promotional deal from Tesla to attract people who used to drive traditional internal combustion engine cars to electric vehicles. These early adopters are like ambassadors for Tesla because each new Tesla on the roads back then is an advertisement for them. Today, there are so many Tesla on the roads in Hong Kong that the brand is already well established. Those that are still skeptical about electric vehicles will always be skeptical until the market dominance for EVs are more than internal combustion engine cars.
Today as of 2021, Tesla Supercharging costs HKD$3.1 / kWh ($0.40USD) in Hong Kong. Remember, this does not include hourly parking fees as in Hong Kong, all public electric vehicles chargers including Tesla Superchargers are located in public parking lots that require a hourly parking fee which could be as much as HKD$35/hr. ($4.5USD)
From my pervious post on home charging costs, it’s HKD$1.03 for me to charge at home which is 67% cheaper.
Also, slow AC charging at around 11kW and medium speed DC charging at around 20kW is free in Hong Kong at public parking lots.
There is also an idle fee for Tesla Supercharging stations. Idle fee is there to deter drivers from hogging the supercharging stations after the charging is complete. This is the explanation from Tesla. “If the car is moved within 5 minutes, the fee is waived. Idle fees only apply when a Supercharger station is at 50% capacity or more. Idle fees double when the station is at 100% capacity.” I suppose this means if the station is only at less than 50% then the charge will be HKD$4.00 per minute. If the station is at 100% then the charge will be HKD$8.00 per minute. This is actually quite relevant in Hong Kong as a lot of the supercharging stations are full or close to capacity at times.
So how much does it costs to charge my Tesla at Supercharging stations?
Is really up to you like any electric charging station you can stop charging at any time. You will see the real time costs of charging on your control panel just like at the pump station. You will also see how many theoretical miles or kilometers are charged. My 2020 Model 3 Performance has a battery capacity of around 75kWh; therefore, for a
“full tank”, it will costs me HKD$3.1 x 75 = $233HKD ($30USD). My usual range is around 450km for my fully 100% charged Model 3 Performance.
How do I pay for Tesla Supercharging?
If you are new to Supercharging, you might wonder how to pay as there isn’t any payment system on the charging stalls at all. This is the simplicity of Supercharging or you could say the ingenious way of Tesla making you not think about charging costs at all.
When you register for a Tesla account or when you put in your first deposit, you will require to enter your credit card details online. If you did not change this credit card details online after the delivery of your car, then this credit card on file will be automatically used for Supercharging. As mentioned, on the central control panel, you will see the real time costs of supercharging and when supercharging is stopped, you can see how much the particular supercharge costs you.
You can also log in online to you Tesla account to see the official invoice of the supercharge event. All your previous supercharge invoices can be found online. You can also change your credit card online as well.
Then why do I bother with Tesla Supercharging?
Given you do not have free lifetime supercharging, the only reason for using Tesla Supercharging is speed. Even at 100kW, this is 5 times faster than the free public used medium charging stations usually at around 20kW. These stations are not only for Tesla which means they are extremely busy and rare in Hong Kong.
It means that if I need to charge my Tesla Model 3 from 0% to 100% full with a 75kWh battery, theoretically, it will take me 4 hours at a medium speed charging station at 20kW. At a Tesla 120kW Supercharging station, it will take me around 40 minutes.
Tesla Supercharging stations are getting busier and busier as the number of Tesla owner increases in Hong Kong in astronomic scale. As of April 2022, there are 49 Supercharging stations in Hong Kong with 237 Superchargers in total. This number is continuing to grow as Tesla Hong Kong is planning to add new Tesla Supercharging stations every couple of months.
