Testing Tesla Model 3 ‘V3’ Supercharging time from 2% – 100% state of charge [Video]

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Iqtidar Ali

How much time does it take a Long Range Tesla Model 3 battery pack to be charged from almost an empty state of charge (SoC) to nearly 100%? The answer lies in the video that follows below where the owner takes us to a Tesla Supercharger V3 station located at the LINQ hotel in Las Vegas, NV.

Tesla Model 3 at 2% SoC, getting ready for the V3 Supercharging test.

Above: Tesla Model 3 at 2% SoC, getting ready for a V3 Supercharging test (YouTube: VegasModel3)

One interesting aspect of this particular Supercharger location is that it's blocked until you enter the code that is shown on your Tesla vehicle's center touchscreen. Then, a parking fee applies after one hour of charging at this location. Entering a code at a Supercharger greatly reduces the risk of internal combustion engine (ICE) powered cars blocking Tesla owners from charging their EVs (aka ICE-ing).

Above: Video of Tesla Model 3 Long Range Supercharging time from 2% SoC to 97% SoC); Note: Start the video at 5:18 to view where the charging test starts. Refer to the final chart in this article for charging time stats.

Tesla's V3 Superchargers (up to 250 kW) ideally add 1,000 miles (~1,600 km) of range per hour to Model 3 vehicles with the correct software update in place (now widely released). Therefore, it seems possible for this Model 3 owner to leave the Supercharger station before the parking fee toll starts.

Tesla introduced V3 Supercharging earlier this year which was only available to Early Access Program participants at first. Tesla's V3 Superchargers are expanding slowly across parts of the United States. And it turns out that the Trans-Canada Highway is getting 26 V3 out of 46 total Superchargers, according to The Verge.

Average time spent charging with on-route warm-up for V2 and V3 Supercharging (Graph by: Tesla Inc.).

Above: Average time spent charging with on-route warm-up for V2 and V3 Supercharging (Source: Tesla)

According to Tesla, V3 Supercharging adds 75 miles in just 5 minutes and reduces overall charging time by up to 50% — it serves as a glimpse into the future where electric cars could spend around the same time as internal combustion engine vehicles fueling up at a gas station.

It seems like the owner of the Tesla Model 3 left the Supercharging session at 97% because it took a staggering ~17 mins to charge from 90% to 97%. This is because the more the battery is full, the slower the charging gets as evidenced in the table below (it was fastest between 10% to 50%).

Table: Tesla Model 3 Supercharging speed/time.

Above: Table of Model 3 Supercharging time, speed and state-of-charge on a V3 Supercharger (Source: X Auto)

Last but not the least, a good piece of advice from Tesla CEO Elon Musk on why you shouldn't charge your car to 100% — regenerative braking does not function once the battery is full and this makes the car less energy efficient.

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Written by: Iqtidar Ali. An earlier version of this article was originally published on X Auto.