6 ms·

It's a charger issue, did any one read the damn article?

curtis3389 3y ago
That's not what the article says. The article doesn't even state the problem. The actual problem is that cold batteries have higher resistance, so these cold cars aren't charging. The owners need to run the heaters in their car for 30-45 minutes before they try to charge to be able to effectively charge at all.
- cozzyd 3y ago
  Right if everybody's range is reduced (due to cold) and charging takes longer (to warm up the battery, if it wasn't warmed before arriving, which could either be user error or due to a car that was parked nearby outdoors before being taken to the charger), then the effective capacity of the chargers is reduced by a large factor and quite possibly people are running out of battery waiting for a spot. I suspect a large fraction are Uber drivers who may not have a spot available ti charge at home.
  - chrisjj 3y ago
    > if it wasn't warmed before arriving, which could either be user error How could that conceivably be user error?
    - cozzyd 3y ago
      based on what I've read (I have never driven an EV...) you're "supposed" to "precondition" (i.e. warm?) your battery before charging if it's cold.
somedude895 3y ago
Am I blind or is there only one sentence that could possibly imply that? > He was forced to hire a flatbed tow truck to haul the vehicle to a working charging station. The rest of the article is talking about other issues.
- SideburnsOfDoom 3y ago
  Indeed, it's not a good article. It is low on actual information about causes, just one sentence, it is low on context and comparison, and spends time talking about other issues. It is IMHO pushing a point of view that it hopes to confirm readers' current opinions.
gwbas1c 3y ago
The article says nothing about the charger. (Maybe you can quote it?) In general, Teslas won't supercharge until the battery reaches a specific temperature. It's well-known that a Tesla will sit at a Supercharger and heat the battery until it's warm enough to charge, sometimes for 20+ minutes. As far as why this incident happened, I have no idea, and nor does the article speculate.
chrisjj 3y ago
No and yes. " One expert told the news outlet that cold weather can impact the ability of electric vehicles to charge properly. "It’s not plug and go. You have to precondition the battery, meaning that you have to get the battery up to the optimal temperature to accept a fast charge," said Mark Bilek of the Chicago Auto Trade Association. "

That's not what the article says. The article doesn't even state the problem. The actual problem is that cold batteries have higher resistance, so these cold cars aren't charging. The owners need to run the heaters in their car for 30-45 minutes before they try to charge to be able to effectively charge at all.

cozzyd 3y ago
Right if everybody's range is reduced (due to cold) and charging takes longer (to warm up the battery, if it wasn't warmed before arriving, which could either be user error or due to a car that was parked nearby outdoors before being taken to the charger), then the effective capacity of the chargers is reduced by a large factor and quite possibly people are running out of battery waiting for a spot. I suspect a large fraction are Uber drivers who may not have a spot available ti charge at home.
- chrisjj 3y ago
  > if it wasn't warmed before arriving, which could either be user error How could that conceivably be user error?
  - cozzyd 3y ago
    based on what I've read (I have never driven an EV...) you're "supposed" to "precondition" (i.e. warm?) your battery before charging if it's cold.

somedude895 3y ago

Am I blind or is there only one sentence that could possibly imply that? > He was forced to hire a flatbed tow truck to haul the vehicle to a working charging station. The rest of the article is talking about other issues.

SideburnsOfDoom 3y ago
Indeed, it's not a good article. It is low on actual information about causes, just one sentence, it is low on context and comparison, and spends time talking about other issues. It is IMHO pushing a point of view that it hopes to confirm readers' current opinions.

gwbas1c 3y ago

The article says nothing about the charger. (Maybe you can quote it?) In general, Teslas won't supercharge until the battery reaches a specific temperature. It's well-known that a Tesla will sit at a Supercharger and heat the battery until it's warm enough to charge, sometimes for 20+ minutes. As far as why this incident happened, I have no idea, and nor does the article speculate.

chrisjj 3y ago

No and yes. " One expert told the news outlet that cold weather can impact the ability of electric vehicles to charge properly. "It’s not plug and go. You have to precondition the battery, meaning that you have to get the battery up to the optimal temperature to accept a fast charge," said Mark Bilek of the Chicago Auto Trade Association. "