Summary
- Tesla has warned owners to stop wrapping wet towels around Supercharger handles to speed up recharging, as it can damage the equipment.
- The method of using wet towels to cool down Superchargers to increase charging rates has been in use for more than seven years, but Tesla has made changes to its charging logic to prevent this trick.
- Despite recent updates to stop the wet rag trick, it still seems to work with an artificial cap on charging amperage.
- Kyle Conner suggests that Tesla should build chargers that do not overheat instead of relying on tricks to speed up charging.
- Tesla reportedly laid off its entire Supercharger team in May, leading to concerns about the development of improved charging infrastructure and the handling of charging issues.
Article
Tesla has warned owners to avoid wrapping wet towels around its Supercharger handles to speed up the recharging process, as it can damage the equipment. The company responded to claims that this trick worked by stating that it does not actually increase charging rates and can prevent the detection of real charging issues. This message was shared through Tesla’s charging account in response to a story posted by Inside EVs in May.
However, Kyle Conner, founder of EV media network Out of Spec Studios, claims that the wet rag trick has been a reliable method to reduce charging times for over seven years. This method involves wrapping a wet towel around the charging handle to fool the temperature sensors into increasing the charging amperage. Conner explained that Tesla’s external temperature sensors on supercharging handles were meant to prevent burns but did not work effectively.
Conner suspected that Tesla made changes to its charging logic around the beginning of June to prevent the wet rag trick from working. Despite the update, Conner found that the wet rag on the handle still increased charging amperage and sped up the process, albeit with an artificial cap. He suggested that Tesla should focus on building chargers that do not overheat to address the issue rather than preventing the wet rag trick.
According to Conner, Tesla’s chargers continue to have heating issues, even with the addition of liquid-cooled cables in newer Superchargers. He criticized Tesla for not being able to create a connector that can handle consistent high-current speeds and mentioned that Superchargers appear to be the most temperature-sensitive among public charging stations. Conner highlighted the importance of finding a long-term solution to the overheating issue.
The situation could be further complicated by the reported layoff of Tesla’s entire Supercharger team in May, allegedly due to Elon Musk’s dissatisfaction with team leader Rebecca Tinucci. Responsibility for Tesla’s charging network has since been transferred to the company’s energy team, focused on selling solar panels and Powerwall home energy storage products. It is unclear how this change will impact the development of improved charging infrastructure.
As Tesla continues to address issues with its Supercharger system, it remains to be seen whether the company will find a lasting solution to the overheating problem. The debate over the effectiveness of the wet rag trick and Tesla’s approach to charging port design raises questions about the company’s engineering decisions and long-term strategies for charging infrastructure. Critics like Conner believe that Tesla must prioritize building chargers that do not overheat to ensure reliable and efficient charging for its customers.
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