Tesla Completes V3 Supercharger Factory In Shanghai
Tesla has reportedly completed a small factory in Shanghai that will manufacture 10,000 advanced V3 Superchargers per year. Our own Kyle Field got a chance to try one out a while ago and reports it can deliver up to 250 kW of power — enough to add 178 miles of range in just 15 minutes.
Changes are afoot in the world of vehicle charging. Elon Musk has hinted the company’s Supercharger network may soon become available to non-Tesla drivers. That move could be dependent on whether the US Congress is able to actually pass President Biden’s infrastructure bill, which includes significant funding to expand EV charging infrastructure. Tesla would be crazy not to glom on to some of that money, assuming it actually becomes available.
#Tesla completed its new supercharger factory in #Shanghai on Aug 20, media reports said Tue. The plant took 7 months to build, and can produce 10,000 Supercharger V3 units a year. (File Photo) pic.twitter.com/SYGOpTkoII
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) September 7, 2021
But Tesla is not slowing down its plans to expand the Supercharger network either way. Now that the new Shanghai factory is operational, that expansion is poised to move forward faster than ever. And if non-Tesla drivers are able to take advantage of the network, Tesla will need to add even more Superchargers so Tesla owners aren’t crowded out.
The Supercharger factory itself is quite small by Tesla standards — just 54,000 square feet. By comparison, its Kato Road facility in California, where an assembly line for the new 4680 battery cells is being developed, occupies 180,000 square feet.
Are Other V3 Factories Planned?
The V3 factory in Shanghai is adjacent to the Gigafactory that builds Model 3 and Model Y cars for the Chinese market. Is Tesla contemplating similar factories at its new locations in Grünheide, Germany, and Austin, Texas? We don’t know and Tesla won’t tell us, because it has dismantled its media relations office and doesn’t talk to the press. But it certainly could do so, just as it is planning to add a battery manufacturing facility to its German factory.
Let’s assume for a minute that Tesla had three V3 factories churning out 10,000 advanced Superchargers every year. That would give it the ability to dominate the EV charging market worldwide in a few years. Musk says the Supercharger network is not intended to be a major profit center, but it could certainly pay for itself quite easily. It will be interesting to see what Tesla’s future plans for EV charging are.
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Latest CleanTechnica.TV Video
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.
