Sometimes, the cart does come before the horse. At least, that appears to be the case with electric vehicles and their chargers.
Certain EV models have progressed to a point where they can handle more juice than what charging devices can give them.
One Tesla owner in Bratislava, Slovakia, made this blatantly clear. Using a 600-kilowatt Ejoin charger that is stronger than what is available in the United States, they set a charging speed record for the Cybertruck, as InsideEVs reported.
The previous record was set in the U.S. with a NxuOne 1,000-volt charging station with a peak rate of 327 kW. The Slovak owner broke it with a peak rate of 405 kW, which led to a full charge in just over an hour.
Tesla Owners Slovakia o.z. (@TeslaSlovakia) posted a screenshot of the charging statistics to X, formerly known as Twitter.
NEW WORLD RECORD 405kW ⚡📐⚡
— Tesla Owners Slovakia o.z. (@TeslaSlovakia) September 11, 2024
was the peak charging power of @cybertruck at a brand new 600kW charger by @ejoinEU in Slovakia
📸 @huntinspeedsk
📐 @CybertruckEU https://t.co/WdXwaEmDcV pic.twitter.com/DzgDaLVuOc
"NEW WORLD RECORD 405 kW," they announced.
The accomplishment suggests that charging times are likely to drop as technologies improve and that certain EVs such as the Cybertruck are already capable of receiving a more powerful charge. Built with an 800-volt battery, its capacity is double that of many other EVs, according to InsideEVs.
One commenter pointed out that the record was only maintained for a brief moment and that they would prefer sustained fast-charging.
"405 kW for just five seconds. [More than] 250 kW for just a few minutes. What's the buzz about these? We need continuous charging," they wrote.
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"The buzz is the capability of Cybertruck [battery management system] accepting 405 kW, which was not known until we tested it in Slovakia," another user replied.
All in all, it's OK if progress between these two interlinked industries is a little out of sync since they push each other to innovate.
Meanwhile, more vehicle and charger combinations have made breakthroughs in charging speed — as well as range. Every step forward makes it easier than ever to get around and save money with EVs. Plus, every mile driven with electricity is one less mile that requires polluting the air.
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