Uncovered Tesla permit details how Tesla's massive Semi will be charged

As Tesla plans to produce its Semi en masse later this year, one nagging concern has been how it plans to charge those behemoths. According to an uncovered permit filing, Tesla is planning a “Megacharger” station with 12 bays for its semi trucks and trailers. The station will also host a 1,600 sqft. “amenity building” with vending machines, a lounge, and restrooms for truckers to wait in while their trucks charge.

Related: Tesla Model X vs BMW iX: A six-figure EV SUV showdown

What Tesla’s Megacharger plans show

The Megacharger will be located in Gardena, California, near the Port of Long Beach and several major freeways in southern California. It will be at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Knox Street, near the interchange of the 405 and 110 freeways, two major thoroughfares for transporting goods in the greater Los Angeles area.

Semis will enter through one of two entrances on Hamilton Avenue and can park in one of 12 bays. The plans suggest that trucks park facing the lone exit point, and the bays are slanted.

There is the aforementioned amenity building, a bicycle locker, and eight employee parking spaces. A corporate center currently occupies the lot, which will be demolished to make room for the Megacharger.

What we know about the Tesla Megacharger so far

As the name suggests, the Megacharger can charge Semis at 1 megawatt (1,000 kilowatts). Tesla claims its Semis will have a 500-mile range and that the Megacharger can charge a Semi to 70 percent in 30 minutes.

The Tesla Semi is currently being produced at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada. A handful are in the internal Tesla fleet, and a few have already been seeded to customers.

As expected, the Megacharger connectors are massive, but the apparatus is the same as that on any EV. Tesla has a smaller, private Semi charger in Baker, California, which is about 200 miles from its incoming Gardena charger and about halfway between Gardena and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Related: Tesla sues customers, reporters to silence negative press

Tesla Semi is coming, like it or not 

Tesla first announced the Semi in 2017 to mixed reviews. Many truckers deride its center-seat cabin, claiming it will be problematic for everyday tasks like handing paperwork out of the window or scanning a badge to enter a facility. The position of the doors, which sit behind the driver, makes these tasks even more difficult.

The Semi is sleek, and the promise of a fast-charging semi truck with a decent range is enticing, but it’s unlikely to totally disrupt trucking as we know it. It seems positioned more for short-haul routes, as traditional semis can go one thousand miles or further on a single fill-up.

Final thoughts

Tesla’s Megacharger should be seen as a proof of concept, not a leap forward in EV semi-charging. The automaker has already mastered EV charging and has been privately charging its Semis for some time. 

Tesla seems to be working towards a series of Megachargers that can create short-haul advantages for it and its partners. If the economics at scale are favorable for large companies, expect to see branded Tesla Semis on southern California highways in a few years.

Love reading Autoblog? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get exclusive articles, insider insights, and the latest updates delivered right to your inbox. Click here to sign up now!

Related: Car Dependability Hits Historic Low, New Research Finds