Motorists in Chicago waited hours to start their cars in temperatures of -18C (0F). Photo: @DanielTurnerPTF
Teslas were left abandoned by US drivers after charging stations struggled to cope with the arctic weather that gripped parts of the country.
Charging a Tesla should take about 45 minutes, but according to According to motorists, electric vehicles need to be connected to the network within a few minutes. at least two hours on ice.
The problem caused some owners in Chicago to abandon their cars on the side of the road after temperatures in the city dropped to -18C (0F), the coldest since 1996. .
Tow trucks were sent to move the affected vehicles, and long lines formed at charging stations.
“I’ve been here for more than five hours and still haven’t had time to charge my car. Tesla driver Brandon Welborn told CBS News Chicago.
An abandoned Tesla is pushed into a parking space before the tow trucks arrive. move damaged vehicles. Photo: @DanielTurnerPTF
Mr Welborn added that he had seen at least 10 cars worth more than $38,990 (£30,841) apiece towed away after their batteries died.
Co-owner Tyler Beard told Fox 32 his car's battery remained at 0 percent charge despite trying to charge it for three hours for two days straight.“It's crazy. This is a disaster,” Shalice Mizelle told the same publication before ditching the car and heading out on a road trip with a friend.
Tesla manuals contain detailed tips on how to cope with cold weather.
p>Its mobile app has a setting for defrosting the car, which is also designed to warm up each car's high-voltage battery if necessary.
In cold weather, more battery power may be used as it is needed to heat the vehicle as well as engine power. Drivers are alerted by a blue snowflake icon on the car's dashboard.
Teslas dominates the electric vehicle market in the United States. auto market, with Elon Musk's firm accounting for 55 percent of the 1.2 million vehicles sold last year.
Overall, there are more than three million electric vehicles on American roads, and there are 135,000 public chargers nationwide stations.
US President Joe Biden's administration wants half of all new cars to be electric by 2030.
Mr Biden endorsed the initiative in a photo call two years ago. in which he got behind the wheel of Ford's new electric truck and declared that «this sucker is fast» and drove off at breakneck speed.
The Telegraph has reached out to Tesla for comment.
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