Tesla will install a new charging connector in its models that can adapt to any plug

Due to the difference in charging port design between continents, Tesla has decided to create a new and updated charging system for the Model S and X featuring two inlets. With the new connectors, users will be able to charge their vehicle in any country, saving users complications and reducing costs on the assembly line.

In addition to the connector itself, the location of the charging flap will also change. Until now it was located on the left rear quarter panel, behind the taillight, but from now on the dual charging connector will be positioned more centrally on the car.

In Europe Tesla models feature a charging port similar to and compatible with the design used by most electric vehicle manufacturers: the Mennekes Type 2. However, the brand’s chargers have a higher charging power, reaching 145 kW. With 30 minutes of charging at a Tesla Supercharger, the vehicle gains a range of 270 kilometres. On the other hand, at charging points of up to 22 kW the battery would be fully charged in roughly 4 and a half hours, and on home-installed chargers, speeds of 60 kilometres per hour can be reached with just 11 kW.

The current Tesla cable is also compatible, via an adapter, with Japanese manufacturers that use the standard known as CHAdeMO. The situation changes in the USA and Canada, where Tesla uses its own connector designed specifically by the brand.

However, the decision to completely renew the connection port was driven by the difficulty of adapting the charging cable to Chinese sockets. For Tesla, the Chinese market is one of the most powerful, as the country’s authorities have bet on electric vehicles and want to install more than 12,000 charging stations.

As the electric vehicle industry grows, car manufacturers and charging network operators are working together to achieve standards that adapt to connectors in different regions around the world. Tesla has published several images showing what the new charging connectors will look like.