Australia's First V4 Supercharger Cabinet: 6 Details That Matter

Tesla has activated its first Supercharger station running true V4 cabinets in the entire Asia-Pacific region, and it's sitting in a Sydney suburb. The six-stall site at The Italian Forum carpark in Leichhardt, NSW opened on October 14, 2026 — a milestone that goes well beyond a routine network expansion. Here's what makes it genuinely different from every other Supercharger in the region.

1. This Is a V4 Cabinet, Not Just V4 Posts

The distinction matters more than it sounds. Australia already had V4-style posts installed — Albury got them back in December 2023 — but those were wired into V3 cabinets, which capped output at V3 speeds (up to 250 kW). Leichhardt is the first site in APAC where the cabinet itself is V4, unlocking the full architecture that makes higher-speed charging possible. The posts are only as capable as the cabinet behind them, which is why this site is the real first.

2. The Voltage Range Jumps Dramatically

V4 cabinets support charging voltages from 400 V all the way up to 1,000 V, compared to the narrower range on V3 hardware. That wider voltage window is what allows 800 V platform vehicles — think Hyundai, Kia, Zeekr, XPeng — to pull power at speeds that V3 sites simply couldn't deliver. For Tesla owners on 400 V architecture, the practical difference is more modest, but the infrastructure is now future-ready for whatever comes next.

3. Real-World Speeds Are Already Higher for Non-Tesla EVs

Early data from the Leichhardt site is telling. According to reporting by zecar.com, a Hyundai Ioniq 6 was observed charging at 170 kW at 40 percent state of charge — compared to a reported 100 kW ceiling at older Tesla Supercharger sites in Australia. That's a 70 percent real-world speed improvement for one of the most popular non-Tesla EVs in the market, on day one.

4. Peak Output Is 415 kW — Not the Full 500 kW (Yet)

V4 cabinets are rated for up to 500 kW per post, but Leichhardt tops out at 415 kW because the site doesn't have a dedicated transformer. According to background research from thedriven.io, future V4 sites in APAC that are built with a dedicated transformer from the ground up are expected to hit the full 500 kW ceiling. Leichhardt is a first step, not the ceiling — and it's still a significant leap over anything previously available in the region.

5. Non-Tesla Vehicles Are Welcome — By Requirement

The Leichhardt station is open to all EVs, not just Teslas. That's partly by design and partly by obligation: the site received funding through NSW Government fast-charging grants, which require recipient stations to be accessible to non-Tesla vehicles. For owners of 800 V platform cars who've been frustrated by slow speeds at older Supercharger sites, this location is now worth adding to your route planning.

6. More V4 Cabinet Sites Are Coming to APAC

Leichhardt is explicitly described as the first, which implies a pipeline. As Tesla builds out new APAC Supercharger sites with dedicated transformers, the full 500 kW output becomes achievable. The region has been running on V3 cabinet infrastructure while other markets moved ahead — this opening signals that the hardware upgrade cycle has now reached Asia-Pacific in earnest.

For Australian Tesla owners, the immediate takeaway is straightforward: Leichhardt is now the fastest public charging option in the country for 800 V EVs, and it sets the template for what new Supercharger builds across APAC should look like going forward. Whether Tesla accelerates the rollout or paces it slowly will be worth watching over the next few quarters.

This report was curated by the BASENOR Editorial Desk from the sources listed above. Read our editorial standards or email editorial@basenor.com to report an error.