Chicago electric vehicle owners got the shock of their lives when frigid temperatures caused their cars to go dead, and the the internet is here for it.
A wave of bitter cold weather made charging EVs impossible over the last few days, with drivers trying and failing to get juice into their batteries for hours on end.
The problem has overwhelmingly afflicted Tesla drivers in Chicagoland, who after attempting to power up their vehicles at the company’s area supercharging stations, were forced to abandon their vehicles to seek shelter from temperatures as low as -5 °F.
The charging stations effectively became Tesla “graveyards” as drivers slowly realized that their EVs weren’t getting any power after hours of charging.
Tesla driver has instant regrets. 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/KszkyvP37z
— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) January 16, 2024
On Monday, Tesla owner Tyler Beard told Fox 32 that said that he had been trying to charge his car since Sunday afternoon to no avail.
“Nothing. No juice. Still on zero percent,” he told the outlet. “And this is like three hours being out here after being out here three hours yesterday.”
Beard wasn’t the only one, Tesla drivers waited in line for hours at charging stations, with many eventually giving up and leaving their car’s behind due to the vehicle’s Lithium ion battery, which is notoriously finicky in extremely cold weather.
“I’ve been here for over five hours at this point and I still have not gotten to charge my car,” Brandon Welbourne told CBS News Chicago. “A charge that should take 45 minutes is taking two hours.”
According to Axios, not only does charging take longer, but EV’s driving range in freezing temperatures drops about 70%.
Many of the Tesla’s lost what little power they had while waiting in line to get a charge. “We got a bunch of dead robots out here,” one person remarked.
#WATCH 🔴 In #Chicago, freezing temperatures disabled charging stations for #Tesla, as reported by Fox News. Drivers were forced to abandon their cars in various parts of the city. pic.twitter.com/Wrkf5ks249
— Voice of Europe 🌍 (@V_of_Europe) January 16, 2024
For Model S drivers, totally draining the battery could be life threatening, as the door’s are difficult to open when the voltage is low in normal temperatures.
“Always connect to an external, low voltage power supply before opening a door when the vehicle has no power,” Tesla helpfully recommends. “To avoid breaking a window.”
To combat this issue, Tesla recommends keeping their cars plugged in to maintain a charge of 20% or more at all times.
Get an electric vehicle they said.
Everything will be fine they said.
Reality: Chicago-area Tesla charging stations lined with dead cars in freezing cold.
Gas-powered vehicles don't have this problem. pic.twitter.com/Vrz31KEVUW
— Daniel Turner (@DanielTurnerPTF) January 16, 2024
They also recommend driving the car 30-45 minutes before heading to a charging station to “ensure optimal Battery temperature and charging conditions.”
Social media had a field day over the news that the EV’s the government are pushing over gas-guzzlers are rendered useless in standard North American cold weather.
“Get an electric vehicle they said,” someone captioned Fox 32’s news report about the issue. “Everything will be fine they said.”
“Reality: Chicago-area Tesla charging stations lined with dead cars in freezing cold,” he pointed out. “Gas-powered vehicles don’t have this problem.”
“But at least we stopped global warming,” another quipped.
YouTuber TFL tested cold weather range of a Tesla Model 3, simulating what many who lack a temperature controlled garage /park outside in the cold can expect—the Tesla went ~160 miles. Congress should make Tesla note this on their website/ad materials. https://t.co/KlCVAntRfj pic.twitter.com/GSoYqNduxc
— Facts Chaser 🌎 🤦🏻♂️ (@Factschaser) January 17, 2024
“Sounds like they need a little global warming to get their cars to work,” somebody else added.
“Democrats do not possess foresight, only disastrous hindsight,” one X user responded.
“Hey Democrats….Winter is coming,” Chicago Guy joked.
Another replier wondered why no locals were profiteering off the situation.
“Why is no one out there with a generator,” someone with an entrepreneurial spirit questioned. “You could be making a killing.”
While another X user pointed out that the owners of the dead Tesla’s were in for some future sticker shock.
“FYI frozen batteries have to be replaced being frozen,” they wrote. “Good luck they cost a small fortune about $20,000.”
“These cars cost a good amount. A 30k gas car would not have to deal with this. Or even a 10k used car. The EV stuff is overhyped,” one person criticized.
“We have to charge everything,” the continued. “Once it’s too cold or a power outage, good luck.”
“All EV owners basically need a gas car as a backup or access to one.”