Tesla Superchargers Availability for i3

[SDCAi3]

Some of you may have read today that Elon Musk has made Tesla's patents available for good faith use. According to an article I read, Tesla also will also open up the technology it is using to build its supercharger network. Elon said he already had talked to BMW about sharing the network.

Assuming you have the quick charge option on your car, I'm not sure how that would work technically... if just a supercharger-to-CCS adapter would be needed or some other kind of modification, but the possibility is exciting, nonetheless.

 

[MikeS]

I assume the Tesla network will be DC charging? In which case the i3 will need the rapid charge option. Otherwise we will just need the fast charge option that we use with EVSE.

 

[Gonville]

I assume the Tesla network will be DC charging? In which case the i3 will need the rapid charge option.

I think in UK if you didn't order the DC prep now is the time to add it.

 

[I33t]

I assume the Tesla network will be DC charging? In which case the i3 will need the rapid charge option.

I think in UK if you didn't order the DC prep now is the time to add it.

Oh come on, Mike ordered his i3 ten years ago and you want him to change the order now?

BMW i3 Ordered 22 Jan 04 Delivery Sep 14? -

 

[jackt]

Superchargers run 135kW DC - even if you had DC prep current generation i3 couldn't accept that much current.

 

[MikeS]

I assume the Tesla network will be DC charging? In which case the i3 will need the rapid charge option.

I think in UK if you didn't order the DC prep now is the time to add it.

Oh come on, Mike ordered his i3 ten years ago and you want him to change the order now?

BMW i3 Ordered 22 Jan 04 Delivery Sep 14? -

:lol: :lol: :lol:
I’ve no intention of changing my order and giving BMW any excuse to delay it any further!

In any case, as Ive ordered a REX I don’t need the DC charging.

 

[elptex]

While our crystal ball didn't predict this at the time, this is exactly why we ordered our REx with DC charging. I couldn't figure how the technology wouldn't move toward standards and that fast charging was going to be the result of it. It simply makes sense. Even when EVs have a range of 500+ miles, for several more generations people will still have a mental expectation of wanting to "fill up" their car's range in the same time as we always have at a gas pump.

 

[Sranger]

It is possible for the i3 that is equipped with the SAE Combo fast charging port to work with a Tesla SuperCharger with an adapter. The two extra big pins on the combo port are for DC charging.

Both the Tesla Supercharger and SAE Combo are base on the extended J1775 standard. In fact the communications protocols are quite similar.

The Tesla Supercharger is Literally made from the same 10Kw chargers in the Model S. Tesla just stacks 10-12 of them in parallel to provide the DC current for the car. Since the chargers can moderate their current from 7-40 amps each it could easily provide any charging rate that the i3 could accept.

Of course the car would still need to be authorized to use the charger through the communications protocol. That would mean that BMW would have to help Tesla expand and maintain the Supercharging network to gain access.

BMW did meet with Tesla Yesterday to discuss much of this...

 

[jadnashuanh]

BMW i3 Ordered 22 Jan 04 Delivery Sep 14? -

[/quote]

:lol: :lol: :lol:
I’ve no intention of changing my order and giving BMW any excuse to delay it any further!

In any case, as Ive ordered a REX I don’t need the DC charging. [/quote]
BMW can make changes to the order up to the time it has almost hit the production line with (usually) no impact. In this manner, a dealer can customize an order for a customer for an unsold vehicle they'd ordered and potentially get it to the customer faster than ordering it as their next allocation. This assumes they don't have all of their allocation already sold.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

The Tesla Supercharger is Literally made from the same 10Kw chargers in the Model S. Tesla just stacks 10-12 of them in parallel to provide the DC current for the car. Since the chargers can moderate their current from 7-40 amps each it could easily provide any charging rate that the i3 could accept.

You may want to check your facts. Tesla's superchargers having nothing to do with the on-board chargers, which convert AC current to DC. The superchargers bypass the on-board chargers to deliver a DC charge directly to the battery. There is no Tesla 10 kW charger anywhere in this loop, either on the source or destination ends. Plenty of schematics are available online regarding the superchargers, you might want to look at them.

BMW can only gain access to the Tesla supercharger network if BMW pays its fair share to build the network, offers charging for free to all of its customers. Also, the BMW vehicles will need a compatible battery pack that can accept a full speed DC charge from the superchargers at a minimum of 90 kW and going all the way up to 135 kW. It is unlikely that current i3 builds are capable of accepting such a high charge rate. Tesla will not open up its superchargers to cars that can't accept at least a 90 kW current. That would result in backups at the supercharger stations, which Tesla owners won't tolerate.

 

[woof]

The Tesla Supercharger is Literally made from the same 10Kw chargers in the Model S. Tesla just stacks 10-12 of them in parallel to provide the DC current for the car. Since the chargers can moderate their current from 7-40 amps each it could easily provide any charging rate that the i3 could accept.

You may want to check your facts. Tesla's superchargers having nothing to do with the on-board chargers, which convert AC current to DC.

Sranger is correct. The DC power from the Tesla Superchargers is created from AC input power by multiple gangs of 10kW AC/DC converters. The exact same ones used in the Model S (one or two, depending on the dual charger option) to create DC when the car is charging on AC. And those "chargers" have the flexibility he described--they can modulate their voltage and current over wide ranges.

And yes, the car's onboard chargers are bypassed during Supercharging because the outboard chargers are doing the same job--converting AC to DC, so it doesn't need to be done again.

Reusing the existing power converters that are built en mass for use in the Superchargers is part of the genius that is Tesla.

--Woof!