Why Volkswagen trusts Tesla with fast-charging electric cars

A few electric car drivers have noticed an interesting presence at the Electrify America facility (created by Volkswagen following Dieselgate) in the United States. Tesla Megapacks have been installed at stations to provide faster and more efficient charging. We explain why, and how it works.

Tesla certainly produces cars, especially the Tesla Model Y which is now the best-selling car in the world when all engines are combined, but not only. The Tesla Supercharger is another flagship product of Elon Musk’s company, and to complete their offering, there is an energy storage: Megapacks.

These megapacks allow for quick charging periods that are not completely dependent on the electrical network, since they are large batteries that are provided with very high power so that the vehicles involved can carve the road as quickly as possible. But recently, These Tesla Megapacks appeared on the Electrify America channelwhich makes some viewers smile.

Let’s remember before we get to the heart of the matter that Electrify America’s charging network is one of the largest in the country (behind Tesla Superchargers). It was created by Volkswagen (number 3 in electric cars behind BYD and Tesla) at the request of the US authorities, following the Dieselgate scandal. It is more or less the same as the Ionity network in Europe.

When you’re not paying Tesla, it’s still thanks to Tesla

Some fans of the American brand clearly say that Tesla has a head start on the competition as its offering related to electric mobility is extensive. The cars are well known, as is the Supercharger, but there is another area where Tesla excels, which is inside. production and storage of electricity.

We can mention the famous Tesla Solar tiles, or even Powerwall, these batteries intended for home use. Megapack is a type of large energy storage, versatile and versatile. In practice, these are large lithium-ion batteries. These megapacks are mainly used in areas where the electricity network is frequently cut off due to natural disasters, to allow residents to always benefit from electricity.

Each unit can hold 3 MWh (or 3000 kWh, or enough to fully charge 30 Tesla Model S’s), these Megapacks are especially attractive near fast charging stations. We can also see it in the video posted on Twitter below, near the Electrify America station.

A hidden secret Electrify America doesn’t want you to know! Well, it’s not hidden or secret, but I found it funny pic.twitter.com/EDsxcRlna8

—Robert Dunn (@AgingWheels) May 18, 2023

Megapacks interest near charging stations

It’s an open secret to see this Tesla hardware at the Electrify America facility, since the announcement is for 2019. The benefits are obvious: by filling Megapacks batteries when electricity is cheap (perhaps at night), Electrify America can lower its costs, thereby imposing aggressive roaming charges.

Above all, Megapacks make it possible to avoid connecting charging points to a very high power grid. Electrify America promises a maximum power of 350 kW at its stations, of which 210 kW comes from Megapacks. What remains is to draw 140 kW from the electricity grid instead of 350 kW. At some stations, Electrify America even adds 66 kW of power through solar panels.

In France, we haven’t seen any Tesla batteries so far except in the Supercharger, but it wouldn’t be impossible to see them. After all, Tesla’s offering in this segment is competitive enough for other players like Ionity or Fastned to decide to align with it.

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