The upcoming Tesla Cybertruck with the optional Range Extender (RE) is expected to be the best DC fast-charging electric pickup currently on the market. It should have the highest range replenishing rate among pickups and be comparable with many cars.

State Of Charge already had an opportunity to DC fast-charge test the Tesla Cybertruck AWD with a 123-kWh battery at a 325 kW V3.5 Supercharger (video here). It did relatively well for its battery size and, for about 10 minutes, matched the Chevrolet Silverado EV’s range replenishment rate.

However, what about charging the RE version at the upcoming 500-kW V4 Superchargers (V4 power electronics cabinet and V4 dispenser)? Tesla promises 500 kW Supercharging for the Cybertruck, and we expect this to be especially important for the RE version.

Well, to better understand what to expect, we simulated the DC fast-charging results of a Tesla Cybertruck with the optional Range Extender at a 500-kW V4 Supercharger. There is no data available, so we simply scaled up the Cybertruck AWD’s results at a 325-kW V3.5 Supercharger. We assume that we can do that because the increase in peak power is similar to the increase in battery capacity (the load on the battery should be only slightly higher).

Specs

The Tesla Cybertruck AWD with an optional Range Extender (larger battery system) is expected to have a total battery capacity of about 170 kWh. Tesla estimates its range at 445+ miles — we will treat that as an EPA equivalent.

The cost of the RE will be roughly $16,000. Production of the RE is currently planned to begin in mid-2025.

The peak DC fast-charging power of the Tesla Cybertruck will be 500 kW.

Charging Curve

We expected to see the same charging power curve from 10 to 80% state-of-charge (SOC) as in the case of the Tesla Cybertruck AWD with a 123-kWh battery, just scaled up from 325 kW to 500 kW in the 170-kWh Range Extender version.

It’s reasonable to think that its performance will be similar if the battery type remains the same and the cooling system of the RE will have similar specs.

The average power in the 10-80% SOC window might be 236 kW.

C-Rate

The peak C-rate in the simulation would be close to 3.0C, compared to 2.6C in the 123-kWh battery version. However, the average in the 10-80% SOC window would be under 1.4C, compared to 1.2C, so only about 15% higher.

Info: The C-rate indicates the correlation between the charging power and the battery pack capacity. A value of 1C would mean that the power value in kW is equal to the battery pack capacity in kWh and that at such power (current) rate, the battery would be fully recharged in 1 hour. The higher the C-rate, the higher the load on the battery and the faster it charges. A flat 2C would translate into a 30-minute charging session (0-100% SOC).

Charging Time

Because we only scaled up the power level in the simulation, the charging time remains the same as in the Tesla Cybertruck AWD (123 kWh) test at a 325-kW V3.5 Supercharger. It took about 35 minutes to recharge from 10 to 80% SOC.

Range Replenishing Rate

The Tesla Cybertruck AWD with Range Extender has the potential to beat every other pickup in the range replenishing ranking. That’s thanks to its larger battery. It has significantly more range (445+ miles) and it charges at a higher power.

The simulated average range replenishment rate in the first 10-minute window is over 14 miles per minute (and adds 141 miles). The current Tesla Cybertruck and Chevrolet Silverado EV are able to only marginally exceed 10 miles per minute.

The average range replenishment rate decreases in the following 10-minute periods, but the 10-80% SOC window ended not far under 10 miles/minute, which is very good.

How Long To Add Driving Range

Now, let’s see how long it would take to add a certain number of miles. In the simulation, it took just 6.3 minutes to add 100 miles of range (out of 445+ miles estimated at full charge).

To replenish 150 miles of range, one would need just 10.5 minutes. Adding 200 miles of range would take less than 16 minutes, 250 miles in 23 minutes, and 300 miles in nearly 32 minutes.

These numbers clearly beat the Chevrolet Silverado EV RST tested previously, usually by several minutes. Just compare the results:

DC Fast-Charging Matrix

The DC fast-charging matrix summarizes the entire simulation. It lists several main parameters: time, average charging power, the number of replenished SOC percent points, kWh of battery capacity, and miles of EPA Combined range (Tesla estimated range in this case) added between certain starting and final SOC points.

Please remember that the results might differ depending on a variety of factors, including the starting point of the session (which could shift the charging curve), charger, temperatures (ambient, that of the charger and its cable, and battery), and car (exact version, age, battery state-of-health, and software version).

Summary

The optional $16,000 Range Extender for the Tesla Cybertruck AWD increases its range from about 325 miles to 445+ miles. Assuming similar DC fast-charging performances — just scaled up to 500 kW — it should significantly improve the range replenishment rate too.

This will put the Tesla Cybertruck AWD with Range Extender at the forefront of all-electric pickups. Replenishing range will occur faster than in the case of the Chevrolet Silverado EV, at least if it does not get an upgrade by that time.

Overall, the range replenishment rate is significantly better than for the Cybertruck without the Range Extender. One might be able to add 150 miles of range in just about 10.5 minutes — 6 minutes faster.

Of course, this is only a simulation. Nothing is certain at this point. Nonetheless, knowing that the range replenishment rate will be significantly better — which matters for long-distance driving — it might inspire more customers to consider purchasing the Range Extender.

Check more of our DC fast-charging analyses here.