First look at Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus’ faster charging speed in action

Credit: Twitter/@TeslaOwnersLV

A Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus owner recently demonstrated the improvements in his vehicle’s Supercharging speed following the release of the 2019.40.2.1 update. The over-the-air speed boost allows even lower-tier variants of the Model 3 to recharge their batteries at a rate that exceeds that of competitors.

In a post on Twitter, Tesla Model 3 owner @TeslaOwnersLV showed how his all-electric sedan was able to hit charging speeds of up to 601 mph. Prior to receiving the 2019.40.2.1 update, the Tesla enthusiast stated that his Model 3’s charging rate usually leveled off at around 100-106 kW.

Particularly interesting in the Model 3 owner’s video was the fact that the vehicle was not connected to Tesla’s fastest charger. It was taken at a V2 station, which has a maximum output of 150 kW. With a 250 kW V3 Supercharger, the Model 3 Standard Range Plus could charge at an even faster rate.

Tesla has been rolling out improvements to the Supercharging speed of its more affordable vehicles as of late. In early November, Tesla released its version 2019.36.1 update, and one of its key upgrades was an increase in Supercharging peak power by 50-70%. Prior to the update, the Standard Range Plus Model 3 had a maximum 100 kW to 120 kW charge rate, which was ample but not on par with the charging speed of Tesla’s higher-tier vehicles.

The release notes for the Standard Range Plus’ charging speed boost were short and direct. “Your Model 3 is now able to charge with increased peak rate power up to 170 kW,” Tesla wrote. Yet, despite this simple description, the upgrade provided a great improvement to the user experience of the vehicle. Charging stops became shorter and faster, a big advantage for extended trips.

But it’s not just the Standard Range Plus Model 3 that received a boost in Supercharging speeds. In late November, Tesla also introduced an increase in Supercharging peak power for the rare Mid-Range Model 3, raising its maximum charging speed to 200 kW with the Supercharger V3 Network. This was on top of the vehicle’s 5% performance boost, which reduced the Mid-Range Model 3’s 0-60 mph time to 4.9 seconds.

Tesla’s lead in battery tech and charging systems can be seen in how the company improves its vehicles’ specs over time. With its 170 kW peak charging rate, a sub-$40,000 Model 3 Standard Range Plus can replenish around 118 miles of its range in 10 minutes, provided that it is connected to one of Tesla’s 250 kW Supercharger V3 stations. In contrast, the $150,000 Porsche Taycan Turbo, with its 250 kW peak charging rate (at least for now), is able to recharge around 85 miles of its range in 10 minutes.

Along with faster Supercharging rates, the 2019.40.2.1 release notes talk about improvements in the Adjacent Lane Speeds feature, Automatic Wiper Fixes, and Autosteer Stop Sign Warnings.

Joey Klender: Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his time at TESLARATI, Joey has broken several big stories, including the first images of the Tesla Model S Plaid, the imminent release of the 4680 Model Y through EPA certification, and several expansions to the Lucid AMP-1 factory in Arizona, to name a few. His stories have been featured in several publications, including Yahoo! Finance, Fox News, CNET, and Seeking Alpha. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on Twitter @KlenderJoey.
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