Tesla has issued a cautionary statement regarding a concerning trend among Tesla owners and enthusiasts. The practice involves placing wet towels around Supercharger connectors to allegedly accelerate the charging process. While this method has garnered attention and reports of success, Tesla warns against its use due to potential risks and misinformation.
In recent weeks, a method has circulated among the Tesla community suggesting that wrapping a wet cloth around the Supercharger handle can significantly boost the charge rate. Reports and social media posts have highlighted instances of noticeable improvements. For example, Electrek shared a post from Out of Spec Studios, which tested the method and observed an increase in charge rate from 58 kW to 119 kW. This dramatic improvement has led to widespread interest and experimentation among Tesla owners.
Tesla’s Official Warning
In response to this trend, Tesla has issued a clear and direct warning: “Placing a wet cloth on Supercharger cable handles does not increase charging rates and interferes with temperature monitors, creating a risk of overheating or damage. Please refrain from doing this so our systems can run correctly, and true charging issues can be detected by our systems.”
Tesla emphasizes that this practice does not enhance charging efficiency. Instead, it disrupts the vehicle’s thermal management system, a critical aspect of the fast-charging process. The high-voltage currents involved in fast charging generate substantial heat, and the system relies on accurate temperature monitoring to manage this heat effectively.
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Thermal management is essential to ensure safe and efficient fast charging. The high-voltage currents passing through small cables during the charging process generate significant heat. While it might seem helpful to assist with cooling using a wet towel, this method can interfere with the Supercharger’s heat sensors. By disrupting these sensors, the system may misjudge the temperature and potentially send more current than is safe, leading to overheating or damage to the vehicle, the charger, or both.
Many Tesla users have shared their experiences online, claiming that the wet towel technique has increased their charging speeds. For instance, Out of Spec Studios conducted another extreme test, where they started charging at 2% State of Charge (SoC). Initially, the charge rate ramped up to 147 kW but throttled down to 58 kW at 34% SoC due to thermal management. After applying a wet towel, the charge rate climbed back to 119 kW. This result has been hailed as impressive by many, fueling the misconception that the method is beneficial.
The Science Behind Fast Charging
Fast charging relies on precise thermal management to ensure safety and efficiency. The heat generated by high-voltage currents can damage the charging components if not managed correctly. Tesla’s Superchargers are equipped with advanced temperature monitoring systems designed to regulate the heat and maintain optimal charging conditions. Interfering with these systems by using a wet towel can lead to inaccurate temperature readings, causing the system to allow unsafe levels of current to flow through the cables.
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The idea behind using a wet towel is to provide additional cooling to the Supercharger handle. However, this approach is fundamentally flawed. The wet towel can only provide superficial cooling and is not capable of dissipating the intense heat generated during fast charging. Instead of aiding the cooling process, it confuses the temperature sensors, leading to potential overheating. The heat generated by the high-voltage currents requires sophisticated thermal management systems, not simple cooling methods like wet towels.
