Construction has begun on the world’s first 500kW Tesla Supercharger site in Campbell, California. The new site is the first to be equipped with Tesla’s next-generation power electronics, capable of delivering higher charging speeds and fulfilling the promise of the 500kW Superchargers.
The upgrade brings a host of benefits, including faster charging for the Cybertruck, a new cabinet design that speeds up deployments, and more reliable, cost-effective hardware behind the scenes.
Unlocking Next-Level Charging Speeds
The new 500kW Superchargers are designed to support a wide range of vehicle architectures, from 400V to 1000V. While this upgrade future-proofs the network, the most immediate beneficiary is the Cybertruck. As the only vehicle in Tesla’s lineup that supports charging at 500kW, the Cybertruck is set to experience charging speeds that are up to 30% faster at these stations, a major bump up from the faster 325kW it receives at V3.5 stations.
For owners of the Model S, 3, X, and Y, charging speeds will remain at the 250kW maximum rate they already experience on V3 and existing V4 Superchargers. This change is more about future-proofing Tesla’s Superchargers for the next generation of battery packs.
The Real Revolution: Faster Deployments
While the speed increase for the Cybertruck is truly something special, especially for a vehicle with a 123 kWh battery pack, the real benefit is actually behind the scenes for Tesla. The new V4 Supercharger cabinet, which powers the stalls, can support up to eight charging stalls, doubling the capacity compared to the previous generation V3 cabinets.
This increased capacity is a game-changer for deployments and network expansion. By reducing the physical footprint and complexity of new installations, Tesla can build more charging sites and bring them online even faster. This efficiency is crucial for scaling the network to support the ever-growing fleet of Tesla vehicles, as well as the growing number of third-party EVs that have access to the network.
Next-Gen Hardware
These improvements are possible thanks to improved hardware. The V4 cabinets feature cutting-edge power electronics that Tesla has designed to be the most reliable on the planet. A key metric is a 3x increase in power density, which enables the new cabinets to deliver higher throughput at a lower overall cost.
We expect that many of the improvements that were introduced in the Megapack and Megablock will also be incorporated into Tesla’s power electronics within the V4 Cabinets.
The start of construction in Campbell is the first 500kW charging site — but it definitely won’t be the last. While Cybertruck owners in California will be the first to enjoy dramatically faster charging, the powerful and more efficient V4 Cabinets are a win for all EV drivers.
Thanks to MarcoRP on X for catching all these new Supercharger deployments as usual.
