Tesla Owners Stranded as Arctic Cold Zaps Batteries

Tesla owners in the Midwest are not only being stranded by snow, but an Arctic air blast that is zapping their car batteries faster and creating longer charging times.

Motorists in the Chicago area complained to local news outlets that they have been stranded at car charging stations, with some of the stations taking hours to deliver a charge and others not working at all, reported Newsweek.

"Our batteries are so cold it's taking longer to charge now," Chicago Tesla owner Brandon Welbourne told local news station KABC. "It should take 45 minutes, [but] it's taking two hours for the one charger that we have."

Welbourne said he has seen at least 10 Teslas being towed away after batteries died, including in cars where power was drained while drivers were keeping their cars warm while waiting to recharge.

Tyler Beard of Oak Brook, Illinois, told Fox32 that even though he tried to charge his Tesla for three hours at a time on two successive days, its battery stayed at 0%. 

According to the Tesla owners' manual, motorists should either drive their cars to a charging station a half hour to 45 minutes away or precondition it before driving so the battery will remain warm enough to charge it.

"Cold weather can increase energy consumption because more power is required for driving, cabin and battery heating," according to the manual. Car owners will know their battery is too cold when a blue snowflake icon appears on the vehicle's touch screen. 

The cold is also sucking the power out of batteries faster, even when they are parked. 

"I think I had 30% when I went to bed and parked at 8-9 p.m.," Eddie Zipperstein, the owner of Richards Body Shop in Chicago told WGN in Chicago. "When I woke up it's at 16%, so this cold definitely sucks the power out of the batteries faster." 

Zipperstein said his business is a certified Tesla service center and suggested some tips to avoid being stranded. 

"If you can park in a garage, clearly, it's better to keep the car warm," he said. "It makes a huge difference when you're going to charge, [and] lets the navigation know you're going to a charger so the car can pre-condition the battery to accept a charge a lot faster that way."

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