A scorching potato: Tesla is warning customers a few widespread “charging hack” that may allegedly end in shorter wait occasions at choose Supercharger stations. The trick, which has been circulating inside the Tesla neighborhood for a minimum of a couple of years now, entails wrapping a humid towel round a Supercharger deal with when charging. The concept is that the moist rag acts as a cooling agent, tricking temperature sensors contained in the deal with into considering the system is operating cooler than it really is.
Some declare the hack can enhance the charging price, particularly on scorching summer season days, leading to a quicker cost and fewer ready round. Now, Tesla has issued official steering on the matter.
In response to the official Tesla Charging account on X, putting a moist material on a Supercharger deal with doesn’t enhance its charging price. In does, nonetheless, intervene with the system’s temperature displays and will result in overheating or harm. Tesla advises in opposition to the towel trick to assist guarantee their programs can function accurately.
One other excessive moist rag supercharger check. Plugged in at 2% SoC – ramped as much as 147kW as regular and thermal throttled at 34% right down to 58kW. Slapped that room temperature soaking moist rag and it climbed again to 119kW the place it hit the interior cost profile restrict. Superb! â¡ï¸Â pic.twitter.com/0o6VGgdhc9
– Out of Spec Studios (@Out_of_Spec) August 31, 2020
Inside EVs factors to a number of cases that appear to refute Tesla’s declare that the trick doesn’t work, a minimum of with older V2 Supercharging programs. One Tesla consumer put a humid material over the charging deal with on a V2 Supercharger, which elevated the charging price from 60 kilowatts to 95 kW on a scorching day. One other consumer plugged in at two p.c stage of cost and reached 147 kW earlier than thermal throttling kicked in at 34 p.c and slowed the speed right down to 58 kW. Making use of a moist rag reportedly drove the charging price as much as 119 kW.
V3 and newer Superchargers make the most of lively cooling. In response to Inside EV, the towel trick does probably not assist in any respect on these programs until you’re charging a Cybertruck.
Tesla homeowners would in all probability be finest served to take the corporate’s recommendation and never idiot with the trick. Saving an additional jiffy merely is just not definitely worth the danger of damaging your automobile or Tesla’s gear.
Picture credit score: Kindel Media
