Tesla has just started production of the long-awaited European Model Y Propulsion in Germany. Early deliveries are reporting lightning-fast charging speeds, far faster than any Tesla. And it’s all thanks to its biggest competitor, BYD.
The Tesla Model Y is the best-selling electric car in the world. Its Propulsion variant (produced in China, in Shanghai) has the best value for money on the market for an electric SUV, neck and neck with the new Volvo XC40 Recharge. But this situation should not last and the American electric car should regain the upper hand. And all this, thanks to its biggest competitor, BYD, the world’s number 2 electric car, which has started to supply it with batteries.
A battery supplied by Tesla’s biggest competitor
As we can read on the German forum TTF, a first customer received the new Tesla Model Y Propulsion produced in Germany, in the Gigafactory in Berlin. His particuliarity ? The integration of a brand new LFP battery, no longer manufactured by CATL, but by the giant BYD.
On the program: a really very fast recharging speed. The first customer feedback announces 16 minutes to go from 21 to 81% battery and 23 minutes to reach 90%. But, probably less than 20 minutes to achieve the 10-80%. And all this, with a charging power limited to “only” 170 kW and a 400 volt architecture.
By comparison, the fastest charging electric car, the Hyundai Ioniq 6, takes 18 minutes to go from 10% to 80%, thanks to its 800-volt architecture and maximum charging power that exceeds 230 kW. Until now, Teslas took about 25 to 30 minutes to go from 10 to 80% and about 30 minutes to go from 20 to 90%.
Ultra-fast charging, without insane power
In practice, this new battery represents a gain of 5 to 10 minutes during a charging break. This may seem negligible, but it’s always a good advantage to take on long trips.
Since Tesla achieved this feat without increasing the charging power, the explanation lies in three words: charging curve. The recharging curve is an extremely important element for manufacturers to master, which makes it possible to best optimize the recharging speed. And as we can see from the data shared by a client on the forum, the maximum charging power of 170 kW is maintained much longerdown to around 50% battery capacity, compared to around 20% on the CATL version.
In other words: sometimes there’s no point in having high recharging power. Above all, you have to manage to hold the highest recharge speed for as long as possible. This is called the charging curve, which reflects the average charging power, usually between 10 and 80%.
Deliveries on hold for the moment
As indicated by the specialized German site Tesla Magazine, it would seem that deliveries of these new Tesla Model Y Propulsion produced in Germany have been temporarily interrupted. In question, an administrative problem with the approval of the electric car which would also use an all-new engine.
The new battery of the German Model Y Propulsion is slightly smaller than the Chinese version (60 kWh against 62 KWh). We can therefore expect a slight decrease in autonomy, since rumors announced 440 km against 455 km with the Chinese version. But this new Model Y incorporates another novelty: manufacturing in three large parts, thanks to the Giga Press, which is supposed to reduce the manufacturing cost of the car as well as its energy consumption.
These new Tesla Model Y Propulsion produced in Berlin should soon to be sold in France. Which should, by the way, solve the problem of the ecological bonus which will be reserved for European electric cars by the end of the year.
Let’s take this opportunity to remind you that Tesla is preparing the restyled Model 3 by the end of the year, and the restyled Model Y for next year. Rumors announce it more powerful and less expensive.
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