Chicago is currently experiencing an extreme cold spell, with temperatures dropping to a frigid minus 32 degrees Fahrenheit and Tesla owners are growing increasingly frustrated because their vehicles are unable to charge or maintain a charge, even after visiting a Supercharger.
According to local news station Fox 32, many electric car owners in Chicago are waiting in line at supercharging stations, and some are even abandoning their vehicles at public charging stations, thus turning them into “car graveyards.”
This news brings attention to a major flaw of electric vehicles, which is not a positive sign for the carmaker. The issue of EV batteries draining quickly in cold temperatures is not limited to Tesla, as it can significantly impact the vehicle’s performance.
Meanwhile, Tesla was caught trying to alter the negative perception surrounding their vehicles’ range issues by creating a team that would cancel appointments with dissatisfied customers. These complaints were primarily tied to the vulnerability of Tesla vehicles to cold weather.
Last year, South Korean regulators imposed a $2 million fine on the company for making false claims about the range of its cars in cold weather. The regulators found that the range of the cars decreases by more than 50% in cold climates.
Reference- Fox 32 station, Business Insider, Reuters, Inside EVs, Electrek