Hi, all.
We picked up our 2017 Model X about a month ago, and, as our first Tesla, we love the experience and are glad we picked up the vehicle. I'm guessing we'll keep it until the wheels fall off, and we're already plotting to replace our second vehicle with another Tesla in the near future.
I've had some interesting experiences with the Supercharger and rates we're getting during our travels. We've taken two road trips with the MX, and seen charging rates all over the map. While I understand different charging stations may have different issues, v2 versus v3 Superchargers, and the algorithm (and the updates to that) for pulling kW depending upon the State of Charge (SoC), I thought I'd share what I've seen and see if we're on-par with the capabilities expected for this model year.
Interestingly, the first Supercharger we did with the vehicle must have been the perfect combination of SoC, ambient temperature, etc., because I can swear I saw the 225 kW for a brief (very brief) time when I plugged-in. Of course, the charge quickly hit 20%, and the algorithm kicked in to bring the rate down. I've never seen a rate over 200 kW since.
I should also state we've also upgraded from MCU1 to MCU2, had a bunch of service done on the vehicle (some of it software-related issues), and may have had the computer reset once or twice as a result. I'm guessing the software has more to do with charging than the hardware, but we have seen updates over the few weeks we've had the vehicle.
I believe we just had a software update a couple days ago, so we're running the latest and greatest for our configuration (v2023.26.7). I went to the Supercharger last night, and I peaked out at 183 kW with 16% SoC, 88ºF ambient temperature, and a very short navigation to the Supercharger (just over a mile).
I'm not entirely preoccupied with the initial rate of charge being maximized. While it's fun to see us flirt with 200 kW, it's a larger (and older) battery pack than, say, the Model Y, so it's not really going to be capable of that for very long, and, either way, the algorithm kicks in for all vehicle models. I'm more concerned with how long my total charge to 90% is taking and the calculated estimate on time to completion.
When plugging-in last night, the vehicle estimated a 45-minute session to get to 90% from the 16% SoC. The problem is, the calculation lowers down to 40 minutes remaining when I've been sitting there for 15 minutes, and it's down to 30 minutes remaining when I'd been there for 30 minutes. I put in about 70 kWh worth of charge in total, and I was there for about 75 minutes. I believe my lowest rates were in the 30 kW range which, after messing with Destination Chargers during our travels, I won't complain it's the worst. That said, I'm not charging the last 10% (to 100%), so I'm not sure why the charge rate needs to push so low (or if it's properly doing so).
When you "set it and forget it" on your charger at home, I'm sure most don't even pay attention to these things. As we're still working on the installation of our home Wall Connector, I've almost exclusively used SuperCharging over the past four weeks. It almost seems like the problem of underestimating the charge time (or taking too long to charge - depending upon how you look at it) is getting worse.
Since SuperCharging bypasses the Onboard Charger, I have to surmise the rate is all determined by the software between the SuperCharger and the Vehicle. I'm guessing the feedback the vehicle gives the station would account for any battery pack issues, overheat, etc. This leads me to question whether or not I have a coolant problem, battery issues, etc. I'm not sure if there's a way to self-diagnose, but I'm also not sure how to request a check on these systems. I'm also not sure if this is just par for the course with this model, but, again, it seems like it was more accurate and capable in our early days of ownership (albeit just a month ago).
I'd appreciate any feedback or thoughts from the community!
- Dave
We picked up our 2017 Model X about a month ago, and, as our first Tesla, we love the experience and are glad we picked up the vehicle. I'm guessing we'll keep it until the wheels fall off, and we're already plotting to replace our second vehicle with another Tesla in the near future.
I've had some interesting experiences with the Supercharger and rates we're getting during our travels. We've taken two road trips with the MX, and seen charging rates all over the map. While I understand different charging stations may have different issues, v2 versus v3 Superchargers, and the algorithm (and the updates to that) for pulling kW depending upon the State of Charge (SoC), I thought I'd share what I've seen and see if we're on-par with the capabilities expected for this model year.
Interestingly, the first Supercharger we did with the vehicle must have been the perfect combination of SoC, ambient temperature, etc., because I can swear I saw the 225 kW for a brief (very brief) time when I plugged-in. Of course, the charge quickly hit 20%, and the algorithm kicked in to bring the rate down. I've never seen a rate over 200 kW since.
I should also state we've also upgraded from MCU1 to MCU2, had a bunch of service done on the vehicle (some of it software-related issues), and may have had the computer reset once or twice as a result. I'm guessing the software has more to do with charging than the hardware, but we have seen updates over the few weeks we've had the vehicle.
I believe we just had a software update a couple days ago, so we're running the latest and greatest for our configuration (v2023.26.7). I went to the Supercharger last night, and I peaked out at 183 kW with 16% SoC, 88ºF ambient temperature, and a very short navigation to the Supercharger (just over a mile).
I'm not entirely preoccupied with the initial rate of charge being maximized. While it's fun to see us flirt with 200 kW, it's a larger (and older) battery pack than, say, the Model Y, so it's not really going to be capable of that for very long, and, either way, the algorithm kicks in for all vehicle models. I'm more concerned with how long my total charge to 90% is taking and the calculated estimate on time to completion.
When plugging-in last night, the vehicle estimated a 45-minute session to get to 90% from the 16% SoC. The problem is, the calculation lowers down to 40 minutes remaining when I've been sitting there for 15 minutes, and it's down to 30 minutes remaining when I'd been there for 30 minutes. I put in about 70 kWh worth of charge in total, and I was there for about 75 minutes. I believe my lowest rates were in the 30 kW range which, after messing with Destination Chargers during our travels, I won't complain it's the worst. That said, I'm not charging the last 10% (to 100%), so I'm not sure why the charge rate needs to push so low (or if it's properly doing so).
When you "set it and forget it" on your charger at home, I'm sure most don't even pay attention to these things. As we're still working on the installation of our home Wall Connector, I've almost exclusively used SuperCharging over the past four weeks. It almost seems like the problem of underestimating the charge time (or taking too long to charge - depending upon how you look at it) is getting worse.
Since SuperCharging bypasses the Onboard Charger, I have to surmise the rate is all determined by the software between the SuperCharger and the Vehicle. I'm guessing the feedback the vehicle gives the station would account for any battery pack issues, overheat, etc. This leads me to question whether or not I have a coolant problem, battery issues, etc. I'm not sure if there's a way to self-diagnose, but I'm also not sure how to request a check on these systems. I'm also not sure if this is just par for the course with this model, but, again, it seems like it was more accurate and capable in our early days of ownership (albeit just a month ago).
I'd appreciate any feedback or thoughts from the community!
- Dave