Connect with us

News

Tesla Giga Nevada images hint at potential mobile “Megacharger” solution

(Credit: Jason Colepaugh)

Published

on

New images from Giga Nevada suggest that Tesla may be looking to develop a mobile “Megacharger” system for the upcoming Class 8 all-electric Semi. The system seems to be powered by Powerpack batteries. 

To clarify, the “Megacharger” is the name of the Semi’s charging infrastructure, as mentioned by CEO Elon Musk during the vehicle’s unveiling in late 2017. Pictures shared with Teslarati show Tesla’s progress with the buildout of Megachargers at Giga Nevada–and maybe a little more. There are a least two Megachargers at the Gigafactory, and Tesla might install more in the future, especially as the Semi’s limited production starts rolling. 

However, right behind the Megachargers is a trailer with four Tesla Powerpacks and two urban charger stalls. According to Teslarati’s source, there were two trailers at Giga Nevada, and one of the trailers was fitted with Tesla Powerpacks, which may hint at a potential portable charging system.

Tesla’s Mobile Charger Solutions

Tesla has deployed mobile EV charging systems in the past. In 2019, Tesla deployed mobile Superchargers powered by Megapacks for the holidays. It was a simple and practical solution to increase the number of charger stalls at select Supercharger stations quickly and efficiently. Reports then indicated that the Megapack-powered mobile Superchargers could charge about 60-100 vehicles thanks to the Megapack’s 3 MWh capacity. 

Mobile “Megachargers” would be a practical move for Tesla and the Semi’s clients. Mobile “Megachargers” could help top-up Semis in popular transport routes while Tesla concentrates on growing its Supercharger Network and the Semi’s dedicated charging infrastructure. Mobile “Megachargers” could also be a cost-effective way for Tesla and the Semi’s clients to ensure that chargers are present for the Class 8 electric truck in locations where they are needed the most. 

Advertisement

Tesla deploys Megapack-powered Mobile Superchargers for the holidays

The Semi’s “Megacharger” Evolution

In 2018, a Tesla Semi prototype sighted in Des Moines, IA was spotted using an ad hoc “Megacharger” system that utilized 5 Supercharger V2 stalls. By 2020, sightings of the electric Class-8 revealed an updated ad hoc “Megacharger” solution that used only 2 Supercharger stalls. It was unknown whether the two stalls charging the Semi in 2020 were V2 or V3 Superchargers. 

The trailer in the picture recently shared with Teslarati held two urban chargers, suggesting a potentially similar charging setup as the Semi prototype spotted in 2020. As for the use of Powerpacks instead of larger Megapacks, it might be down to cost. 

Tesla Semi’s updated ad-hoc Megacharger setup hints at vastly improved battery unit

According to Elon Musk during a 2021 interview with noted podcast host Joe Rogan, the Semi’s 300-mile variant should be equipped with a battery pack that’s around 500 kWh. Previous estimates suggested that the Semi will be fitted with a 600 kWh battery pack for the 300-mile version and a 1 MWh battery pack for the 500-mile Semi variant. 

Advertisement

One Megapack has a capacity of 3 MWh and costs about $1.2 million as of July 2021, when Tesla updated the Megapack’s order page. A single Megapack could potentially charge several Semis consecutively, but the costs for such a solution would be substantial. Considering that one Tesla Powerpack has a capacity of up to 232 kWh, four units of the commercial-grade battery would likely have about ~900 kWh of energy capacity. This would likely be enough to top up a couple of Semis at a time, without requiring the full costs of a Megapack-powered system. 

The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, reach out to me at  or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.

Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at maria@teslarati.com or via X, @Writer_01001101.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla lands regulatory green light for Robotaxi testing in new state

This will be the third state in total where Tesla is operating Robotaxi, following Austin and California.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has landed a regulatory green light to test its Robotaxi platform in a new state, less than three months after the ride-hailing service launched in Texas.

Tesla first launched its driverless Robotaxi suite in Austin, Texas, back on June 22. Initially offering rides to a small group of people, Tesla kept things limited, but this was not to be the mentality for very long.

It continued to expand the rider population, the service area, and the vehicle fleet in Austin.

The company also launched rides in the Bay Area, but it does use a person in the driver’s seat to maintain safety. In Austin, the “Safety Monitor” is present in the passenger’s seat during local rides, and in the driver’s seat for routes that involve highway driving.

Tesla is currently testing the Robotaxi platform in other states. We reported that it was testing in Tempe, Arizona, as validation vehicles are traveling around the city in preparation for Robotaxi.

Advertisement

Tesla looks to make a big splash with Robotaxi in a new market

Tesla is also hoping to launch in Florida and New York, as job postings have shown the company’s intention to operate there.

However, it appears it will launch in Nevada before those states, as the company submitted its application to obtain a Testing Registry certification on September 3. It was processed by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles Office of Business Licensing on September 10.

It will then need to self-certify for operations, essentially meaning they will need to comply with various state requirements.

This will be the third state in total where Tesla is operating Robotaxi, following Austin and California.

CEO Elon Musk has stated that he believes Robotaxi will be available to at least half of the U.S. population by the end of the year. Geographically, Tesla will need to make incredible strides over the final four months of the year to achieve this.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Tesla is improving this critical feature in older vehicles

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla is set to improve a critical feature that has not been present in older vehicles with a new update.

Tesla vehicles feature a comprehensive suite of driver assistance features, some of which aid in driving itself, while others support the vehicle’s surroundings.

One of those features is that of Driver Visualization, and with the rollout of a new update, owners of Intel-based Tesla vehicles are receiving an upgrade that will come with a simple software update.

Tesla plans to use Unreal Engine for driver visualization with crazy upgrade

The update will provide new visualizations while Intel-based vehicles are in reverse, a feature that was not previously available, but will be with Software Update 2025.32.2.

Advertisement

The improvement was spotted by Not a Tesla App via TheBeatYT_evil:

Advertisement

Previously, vehicles Tesla built were equipped with Intel-based processors, but newer cars feature the AMD chip, which is capable of rendering these visualizations as they happen. They were capable of visualizations when driving forward, but not in reverse, which is what this change resolves.

It is a good sign for those with Intel-based vehicles, as Tesla seems to be paying attention to what those cars are not capable of and improving them.

This was an undocumented improvement associated with this particular update, so you will not find any mention of it in the release notes that Tesla distributes with each update.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla looks to make a big splash with Robotaxi in a new market

Tesla has been transparent that it is prioritizing safety, but it believes it can expand to basically any geographical location within the United States and find success with its Robotaxi suite. CEO Elon Musk said it could be available to half of the U.S. population by the end of the year.

Published

on

Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla is looking to make a big splash with Robotaxi in a new market, as the company was spotted testing validation vehicles in one region where it has not yet launched its ride-hailing service.

After launching Robotaxi in Austin in late June, Tesla followed up with a relatively quick expansion to the Bay Area of California. Both service areas are operating with a geofence that is expansive: In Texas, it is 173 square miles, while in the Bay Area, it is roughly 400 square miles.

Tesla has been transparent that it is prioritizing safety, but it believes it can expand to basically any geographical location within the United States and find success with its Robotaxi suite. CEO Elon Musk said it could be available to half of the U.S. population by the end of the year.

There have been plenty of reports out there that have speculated as to where Tesla would land next to test Robotaxi, and Nevada, Florida, Arizona, and New York have all been in the realm of possibility. These regions will need to approve Tesla for regulatory purposes before Robotaxi can officially operate.

Tesla is still testing and performing validation in several regions, and in Tempe, Arizona, things are moving forward as a Model Y with a LiDAR rig was spotted performing ground truth for the platform:

Advertisement

With the LiDAR unit, many followers of the self-driving and autonomy space might wonder why Tesla uses these apparatuses during validation, especially considering the company’s stance and vision-based approach.

LiDAR is used for “ground truth,” which is basically a solidification or confirmation of what the cameras on the car are seeing. It is a great way to essentially confirm the accuracy of the vision-based suite, and will not be used on Robotaxi units used within the ride-hailing suite.

The Robotaxi platform was made available to the public earlier this month, as Tesla launched its app for iOS users.

Advertisement

Tesla Robotaxi app download rate demolishes Uber, Waymo all-time highs

Downloading the app allows you to join a waitlist, giving you the opportunity to utilize and test the Robotaxi platform in either Austin or the Bay Area.

Continue Reading

Trending