Tesla opens charging network to all electric vehicles with New Supercharger V4 in the UK

Tesla has introduced the latest version of its Supercharger in the United Kingdom, opening up the charging network to electric cars of all brands and finally introducing contactless payment.

Called the V4, Tesla's latest fast charger features a three-meter cable that can deliver up to 250 kW of power to EVs with a CCS connection - activated either by contactless card payment or through the Tesla smartphone app. Prices are set at 50 pence per kWh.

The V4 features a more discreet design than Tesla's previous generation V3 charger. The large aperture design that has been a Tesla staple for three generations of chargers has been replaced with a solid box.

It now has a digital screen that facilitates card payment and displays a digital receipt that can be downloaded via a scannable QR code.

The fastest charging EVs currently on sale in the UK max out at 350kW, but the advent of 800V charging hardware is expected to allow much faster charging times in the near future.

The first V4 units are located at the Tesla dealership in Tottenham, North London, but will eventually be rolled out to Tesla charging stations across the UK.

Autocar tested one of the new V4 chargers and achieved a charge rate of 76kW on a BMW iX1, which claims a maximum charge rate of 130kW.

Source: Autocar