While Tesla CEO Elon Musk is dealing with SpaceX Starlink in Ukraine, recent Tesla patent filings indicate that the Tesla Semi Truck Megacharger will be greatly improved soon.
Patent Filings Suggest New Charger Cooling System
According to a Tesmanian report, the autonomous EV pioneer has already begun production of the Semi Truck and is now focused on improving its corresponding Megacharger. Tesla's patent filings indicate that this charger will function similarly to most chargers available.
The Megacharger under development is said to have an integrated cooling system. The aforementioned Tesla patent is titled "Charging system with cooling system," and it includes additional charging connector or controller options.
Based on the same report, the patent was first filed in April and was published on Thursday, Oct. 13. The patent is primarily concerned with an enhancement to the liquid-cooled charging cable and charger used to power Tesla EVs, including semi-trucks and trailers.
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Furthermore, the document's illustrations are said to depict a cable cover that is unlike any standard Tesla charging connector. Tesla claims that advancements in electric vehicle components, such as batteries, have increased the demand for power supplied by charging equipment.
Charger duties have increased with the introduction of larger electric vehicles, such as the Semi. Tesla states that charging cables may be necessary to charge at 2000 Amps or more.
This is especially the case now that Elon Musk has announced that Tesla Semi production has begun and that Pepsi will receive the first electric trucks on Dec. 1 of this year.
Tesla Starts Semi Production
Electrek reports that Tesla Semi electric trucks are manufactured in Nevada, close to Tesla's Gigafactory. The tech and vehicle news outlet also exclusively reported last year that Tesla was constructing a production line for the Tesla Semi in a new building near the Gigafactory.
From the Tesla official website, the Semi has three separate motors that work independently to deliver instant torque and unparalleled power at any speed, allowing drivers to merge safely and keep up with traffic. Fully loaded, the vehicle can reach 60 mph in less than 20 seconds, and they can keep the speed up on inclines and other challenging terrains.
More About the Megacharger Cooling System
Higher current charging can produce excessive heat, which adds new challenges that must be overcome. Tesla's brand-new charging system is designed to guard against overheating and charging cable damage.
According to the same Tesmanian report, Tesla claims that using liquid cooling can provide higher current through the charging cable because heat exposure is eliminated or greatly reduced. Furthermore, liquid cooling can result in a more convenient cable design.
Meanwhile, Tesla claims that Semis can travel up to 500 miles on a single charge using less than 2 kWh per mile of energy consumption. Using Tesla's Semi Chargers, users can recover up to 70% of their range in 30 minutes.
