Mastering Tesla Charging in Frigid -31 Degree Conditions: One Man’s Success Story

3 Fast Charger Wins Across 3 Charging Attempts

Tesla Supercharging in Extreme Cold

As it happens, with the proper understanding, a Tesla can rapidly charge even at a frigid temperature of negative 31 degrees. So, what is the secret to successfully charging in such harsh conditions?

The video showcases a 2022 Tesla Model Y AWD Long Range variant being driven in Alberta, Canada. The temperature is approximately -31 degrees Fahrenheit, although the vehicle’s display indicates an even lower temperature at one point during the footage.

Here we are showcasing a video that presents an opposing viewpoint to the recent events in Chicago when faced with an intense cold front. Amidst the severe cold, a multitude of electric vehicles in Chicago were unable to recharge, however, there were various causes for this deficiency in charging capabilities. These included not properly preparing the vehicles for such weather conditions, limited understanding of EVs, expired batteries in shared EV rides, insufficiently plugging in the vehicles for an adequate amount of time to begin the charging process, and more.

Despite rarely using public chargers, a Model Y owner in Canada demonstrates the correct way to handle charging in cold temperatures, even when it’s colder than Chicago. The crucial step is to properly precondition the vehicle. This Model Y owner begins the preconditioning process as soon as they head towards a Supercharger. Preconditioning works by warming up the battery enough so that it can receive a charge. However, this process does consume some energy, so it’s important to ensure that there is enough battery power available to use this feature and still have some remaining capacity when arriving at the charger.

Upon arrival at the Supercharger, the battery was at a suitable temperature to receive a high voltage input of 100 kilowatts, enabling a rapid charging process. Eager to explore additional charging options, the owner disconnected their Model Y and proceeded to a nearby FLO station. Within a minute of plugging in and activating the charge, the Tesla started accepting electricity at a pace consistent with the charger’s capacity. A third charging station was located and it also successfully charged the Tesla without any issues.

The lesson to be learned from this narrative is that with a thorough understanding of how to effectively utilize your EV, charging in severe cold weather should not pose a significant issue. However, it is crucial to account for limited driving capacity and potentially lengthened charging periods.