Can a Tesla Model S be charged in 10 minutes?

Tesla's Proposed by 2015 Supercharger Sites

How about in 5 minutes?

Tesla’s chief technology officer, JB Straubel,seems to think so, but don't count on it being a possibility anytime soon.

In an exclusive Supercharger-related interview with MIT Technology Review, Straubel stated:

"It’s not going to happen in a year from now. It’s going to be hard. But I think we can get down to five to 10 minutes."

Why then would one need battery swapping? You probably wouldn't if a 5 to 10-minute charge was possible.

But it's not. Maybe it is possible, but feasible?

The current Supercharges out there deliver up to 120 kW. If Tesla scaled that up to charge a Model S in 10 minutes, then we'd be looking at something like 720 kW. The heat generated while charging would be a major issue at 720 kW. To which Straubel says this:

"To do that kind of charging, everything has to be designed and working in perfect synchrony."

But perhaps the biggest hurdle to overcome at that rate would be the sheer size and weight of the required charging cable. We're looking at something in the 1,500-volt and 480-amp range to carry those 720 kW. That cable would be a monster and we see no way around this problem.

In Tesla's defense, Straubel says that the current 120-kW Supercharger "seemed pretty crazy even 10 years ago" when conventional chargers delivered under 10kW. So, maybe this theoretical 720 kW Supercharger is possible...in time.

But what's the work-around solution for the size and heft of the cable? We don't see one. Do you?

Source: MIT Technology Review