Tesla Cybertruck Hack: Wet Towel Trick Combats Charging Time Suck
Beyond a “soapy throttle”, the Tesla Cybertruck / CyberBeast owners may have come across another downer when it comes to their new EV ownership – the slowdown of summertime Superchargers. For those that haven’t yet experienced it, word on the CyberStreet is that weather extremes can not only reduce battery range; but can also bog down recharging speed as the Tesla battery burns more energy to heat or cool the interior. And, while we all love a “sun's out, guns out” day, when it comes to the sun's out, runs out (of range) this summer, behind the steering yoke of a new Cybertruck – well, um you know – "ain’t no one got time for that".
Flashback to an Apple commercial circa 2010 when the phrase, “there’s an app for that” was trademarked, and know that 15 years later, that “app for that” phrase has evolved. Now the phrase is – “there’s a hack for that” and yes, just like that, there is a hack for the Tesla summer Supercharger slowdown. So, when the question was asked – how does a CyberDriver combat a summer CyberSuck of their time? The internet answered.
Ultimately, the hack became known as the “Wet Towel Trick” and yes, it is as easy as it sounds. It is not new to all Tesla owners. However, with the heat of summer ramping up and reduction in recharge speed now plaguing the new Cybertruck owners, we thought we would take a closer look at the hot weather hack with the Cybertruck as the focus and where it is successful for the Cybertruck that it is not for other Teslas. Here’s what we found out.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Tesla and other authoritative sources, such as EnergySage, as well as Tesla owners themselves.
2024-Tesla-Cybertruck Dual Motor
Related
Tesla Cybertruck Tested:The Impossible Happened - I Loved It
The Tesla Cybertruck has a futuristic feel with a drag car dynamic and rolls with insta cyber-celeb fame.
The Tesla Wet Towel Trick Works
Materials Needed
- Bottle of Water (Tap, Sink, or Bottle of Any Kind Preferably Cool)
- Cloth / Rag / Towel
Executing The Wet Towel Trick For Tesla Superchargers
- Locate and park at a Tesla charger.
- Insert the charging handle into the charging port to initiate re-power.
- When the inserted charging handle heats up, simply wrap a cool damp cloth over it to reduce its temperature.
Tesla Cybertruck aerial shot of the bed.
Related
The Cybertrucks Range Extender Adds 130 Miles, But Not Without Compromising On A Crucial Aspect
Tesla's introduction of the range extender for the Cybertruck is a good move, but it comes at the cost of compromising on another important aspect.
EV Charger Slowdowns Can Be Multi-Faceted
Although charge times are often advertised as maxed-out versions in optimal circumstances, in reality, EV charging speeds can be bottle-necked for a couple of different reasons, including environmental temperatures, direct sunlight vs. shaded charging areas, number of cars simultaneously pulling power, and the differing technology at various types of charging stations.
Specifically, at the crux of the Wet Towel Trick are the V2 Supercharger stations. The handles on this generation of power-granting posts weren’t produced with the benefit of a cooling component and can whittle down the kW when challenged by higher ambient temperatures or general sun exposure. Although it is said that the Wet Towel Trick isn’t effective on the more recent-gen V3 stations, which feature an actively cooled handle, the appearance of the 2024 Cybertruck has that thought in question. Cybertruck owners testing the hack have revealed that the relief of the damp cloth can breathe new life into the V3 when charging their beefy, stainless, traveling trapezoid, built on Tesla’s 800-volt architecture.
Tesla Supercharger Spec
google news icon large
Add TopSpeed to your Google News feed.
Follow On
Google News
Tesla Wet Towel Trick Demonstrated
Regardless, if the Cybertruck is pulling into a V2 or V3 station, the remedy is the same. Wet the towel and wrap it around the charger handle for a simple solution to improve charging speed. Like an ice-cold glass of Diet Coke, (Elon’s favorite drink), the Wet Towel Trick offers some immediate cooling comfort to the charging connector, allowing it to pump its power back to the battery. It may be a low-tech solution, but Tesla owners are confirming its effectiveness.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Tesla Cybertruck driver Kyle Conner (shown above) looks as though he didn’t have a cloth on hand and opted for some regular old gas station paper towels to run the hack. But, he is not the only one and other drivers are taking to social to show out with their kW performance changes when using the Wet Towel Trick.
Proof Is In The Post
Tesla Cybertruck towing and cruising down a highway
Related
The Cybertruck Heads Back To Tesla At "Full Throttle" In Latest Setback
Tesla had to recall nearly 4,000 of its Cybertruck models due to a soapy error in production. Here's what we know.
The Tesla Supercharger Wet Towel Trick Dangers Discussed
Obviously, we're dealing with electricity and water and with that, way faster than a Cybertruck can charge, the electrocution rumors fly. While we say it is absolutely something to try at your own risk and don’t recommend the hack, there are both sides of that coin being flipped all over the internet. The Tesla Mobile Connector Owner’s Manual doesn’t say, “don’t charge in the rain.” Therefore, one would surmise a Tesla can charge in the rain and thereby charge in other types of wet situations.
Note: The same manual does give the warning, “if rain falls during charging, do not allow rainwater to run along the length of the charging cable, causing the electrical outlet or charging port to become wet” and it also warns against plugging “into an electrical outlet that is submerged in water or snow”. With that in mind, theoretically, a damp towel seems nothing like submerged water and shouldn’t be wet enough to provoke fluid to drip and run the length of the cable.
Is The Tesla Wet Towel Trick A Go Or Is It A No
A discussion in the TeslaMotorsClub references a former Tesla employee and explains, “It (the wet towel) could be fooling the sensor to allow higher power when the handle gets hot, however, the handle is cool to the touch.” The post continues with, “He (the former Tesla employee) believes the temperature limitation was put in for customer experience (not burning hands) more than actual heat buildup in the DC connection.”
So, that leaves one to believe, the Wet Towel Trick has no immediate damaging consequences and is just a rocket-quick method to alleviate some of the time suck that charging in the summer sun can create. Again, we cannot recommend the hack, and although it is interesting, once ready to try, proceed with caution and execute at your own risk, at least until Elon weighs in.