Charging Speed Race: Tesla Model 3 Vs Audi E-Tron

The Tesla is more efficient but does it charge faster?

Michael Cantu

By: Michael Cantu

Mar 16, 2021 at 5:41pm ET

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Many people tend to focus on the driving range of EVs for obvious reasons, but what about charging speed? In certain cases, that's more important because you'll get back on the road faster.

In the video, the presenter takes a Tesla Model 3 Long Range and Audi E-Tron to the same charging station to find who charges faster to 90 percent. Both vehicles start at the same location with 90 percent battery and travel about 105 miles. When they reach a Shell fast-charging station, the E-Tron has 41 percent battery left and the Model 3 has 51 percent left. If this was strictly a range test, the more efficient Model 3 would win, but it's not.

The Shell charger they use says it can charge up to 175 kW. Before they plug in, the presenter (who is very familiar with Teslas) knows the Model 3 won't be able to charge at that rate, especially at the start. On the other hand, he has a lot of confidence in the Audi.

At the beginning of charging, the Model 3 starts at about 70 kW, but the E-Tron is much faster at about 115 kW. The E-Tron sustains a faster charging speed and quickly closes the percentage gap.

At 21 minutes in, the Audi E-Tron hit 90 percent and won the charging race. The Model 3 was still at 79 percent. It took 30 minutes for the E-Tron to fully charge to 100 percent while the Model 3 was at 93 percent after 34 minutes.

What do you think?

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The Model 3 probably reached 100 percent charge in about 40 minutes, which is not much of a difference unless you're in a rush. But sometimes that extra 10 minutes is a big deal during a busy day. Also, if they had started at a lower SOC, the difference would have been slightly bigger.

Lastly, keep in mind the battery pack size. The Model 3 has a smaller 75-kWh pack versus Audi's 95-kWh pack (presenter claims 88 is usable). Would a Tesla Supercharger station have made a difference for the Model 3? It's hard to tell with all the variables that affect charging speed.

Source: RSymons RSEV