Tesla owner’s frozen Model 3 experience shows how easy it is to use EVs in icy conditions

Randell Suba

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Posted on January 13, 2020

Does preheating your Tesla help when you have freezing rain? Another Tesla owner asked himself that question upon waking up to a completely frozen Model 3 in Ontario, Canada and documented why Tesla owners should preheat or defrost the car during snowy conditions.

Trevor Page, who runs the Tesla Owners Online YouTube channel, shared a video about his experience over the weekend when it rained all day in Toronto and temperatures dropped below zero overnight. He woke up to a Tesla Model 3 frozen charge port, frozen windows, frozen door handles, or practically — a completely frozen Model 3.

Page took the opportunity to put the preheat feature of Tesla in the spotlight. He set up a timelapse camera to see how it will defrost the vehicle. He checked on the car after half an hour but found out that the car’s charge port was still frozen, the windows started to defrost, and the windshield defrosted nicely. After an hour, the Model 3 owner found the car’s roof defrosted and he was also able to open the doors of the car. He was also able to pull out the charger and close the charge port.

“I know some of you are going straight to the comments and say stuff like ‘oh this is a Tesla problem’ and we’d never buy one… matter of fact, Tesla’s are fantastic in the winter but freezing rain is freezing rain. These kinds of problems can happen to any car,” Page said. “Do your pre-heat at least half an hour, maybe up to an hour and just use your phone app to heat it up. I will say that getting into a car that’s nice and warm and the windows defrosted is fantastic and the fact is you can do it in your garage without killing your family in the process.”

Tesla engineered its electric cars so they can be easily operated and remain efficient during the cold months. One can preheat a Tesla by switching on the preconditioning or defrost feature via the Tesla App to melt ice and snow on important surfaces. The system prioritizes specific parts of the car that are crucial to driving in icy conditions.

A previous report where a Tesla owner used a thermal camera showed which parts of the car are heated up. It revealed that the Autopilot camera, as well as the side and rear cameras, were heated to ensure the Tesla car and driver see the environment clearly regardless of the weather. The headlamps, wheels, steering wheel, and wipers were also brought to an optimal temperature.

Tesla also has some snow and ice tips such as repositioning wipers to service position to prevent icing and deactivating mirror auto-fold. The carmaker also reminds owners to make sure that important surfaces are not frozen or covered before heading out for a drive. During cold weather, Tesla recommends to leave the car plugged in so the battery will retain some heat. There’s also the option to use Scheduled Departure to warm the vehicle up.

Check out the video from Tesla Owners Online below and see how Tesla’s preheating or defrosting feature works:

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Tesla owner’s frozen Model 3 experience shows how easy it is to use EVs in icy conditions

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Tesla Sentry Mode captures vandal’s attempt to break Model 3 charging plug

Joey Klender

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Posted on January 11, 2020

A Tesla Model 3 being charged overnight was subjected to a strange attack after a group of vandals began to tamper with its charger. The entire event was caught on one of the Model 3’s Sentry Mode cameras. Model 3 owner and YouTuber Fernando C posted the video from January 10. He states his vehicle was parked in the garage of the Park MGM Casino in Las Vegas at 2 AM when the incident occurred.

One male perpetrator initially tried to open the driver’s side door, but he seemed to be unfamiliar with the Model 3’s door handle mechanism and hence, he was unsuccessful. Another male then walked over and attempted to forcefully remove the charger from the Model 3’s charging port jack by its cord, also to no avail.

After realizing the charger was locked into the vehicle, the man then attempted to kick the charging plug from its side. This was also met with no success. The two men decided to just kick the car itself. The Model 3’s alarm was then triggered, prompting the two men to flee the scene.

The description of the video on YouTube states: “Our Model 3 was able to alert us that someone was tampering with the vehicle at 2am in Vegas. I had Sentry Mode on and it recorded these individuals trying to break off the charging plug. I was able to report and send this to Park MGM Security. Technology is kind of cool!”

While this is just another instance of hate toward Tesla vehicles and the electric car community as a whole, the incident could have been much worse. If the vandals succeeded in damaging the charging plug or the Model 3’s charging connector, the Tesla owner would have been subjected to hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, in repairs.

Teslas automatically lock the charging connector into the car when it is plugged in and locked. This is one of the main factors that thwarted the vandals from their attempts at dislodging the Model 3’s charger. While his car was still vandalized and potentially damaged from the kicks the perpetrators laid into the side of the vehicle, the incident could have been much worse.

Teslas have been the target of many acts of vandalism in the past. Owners have reported keying, tire slashing, ICEing, and “Coal Roll”-styled attacks in the past few months. Damage to charging connectors has also been reported in the past but instances of this happening are far less frequent.

These attacks prove that the hazing of electric vehicles is still a very relevant issue. Some people hold such potent hatred for electric vehicles and environmental sustainability that they chose to damage vehicles that people bought with their hard-earned money for no obvious reason. Unfortunately, it will likely be a while before these attempts at vandalism stop. Luckily, Tesla’s Sentry Mode catches many of the vandals in the act and assists owners in bringing them to justice.

You can watch Fernando C’s video of his Tesla Model 3 being vandalized below.

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Tesla Sentry Mode captures vandal’s attempt to break Model 3 charging plug

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Every Tesla Model Y sighting so far: Subtle refinements from unveiling event to today

Joey Klender

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Posted on January 11, 2020

A Tesla enthusiast recently compiled all of the sightings of the Model Y in chronological order. The video shows how Tesla has been fine-tuning the vehicle ahead of its initial production phases and its first deliveries later this year.

YouTuber and electric vehicle enthusiast Ryan Shaw compiled a complete collection of every Model Y sighting, from its first public sighting in April 2019 in Fremont, California outside of Tesla’s headquarters to most recent ones shared online. From this sighting alone, it was evident that the Model Y is indeed a larger, taller version of the Model 3 sedan. It also provided a brief hint at the vehicle’s third row seats, which appear to provide very little space.

Amidst Tesla enthusiasts spotting the car on what seemed like a daily basis, the company did everything from equipping the vehicle with calibration equipment to testing out different wheels that are were initially only available to the Model 3 in China. Tesla seemed to be leaving no stone unturned when it came to the Model Y, refining the vehicle’s design and features as-needed to ensure a successful launch of its first SUV-style vehicle since the Model X.

One of the biggest topics of discussion surrounding the Model Y is its size. Some may have been under the impression that it would not be as spacious as traditional crossovers. These speculations were addressed as Tesla started to roll out the Model Y for public road testing, and photographs and videos were taken of the vehicle driving next to a number of popular cars on the road. Based on these sightings, it is becoming evident that the Model Y’s size will be comparable to popular crossovers like the Honda CR-V.

Quite interestingly, the chronology of the Model Y sightings show the subtle refinements that Tesla’s release candidates have been displaying over the months. Initial sightings of the vehicle in the wild featured rough edges on the crossover, such as mismatched trims and a lack of badges. This was not the case with more recent footage and photos of the vehicle, which reveal a crossover that looks every bit like it’s slated to enter production soon.

The Model Y will begin production at the Fremont factory by the Summer and those who have pre-ordered the vehicle are expected to take delivery soon after. The vehicle will also be produced at Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai and Gigafactory 4 near Berlin. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has even announced that the Model Y would be GF4’s first production vehicle.

Crossovers are currently a dominant force in the American automotive sector and make up for a majority of vehicle purchases in the United States. While manufacturers like Audi, Jaguar, Kia, and Hyundai have all released all-electric crossovers, Tesla will use its established ecosystem of trademark driver-assist features, OTA improvements, and charging network to give the vehicle an advantage in the market.

You can watch Ryan Shaw’s video of every sighting of the Tesla Model Y below.

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Every Tesla Model Y sighting so far: Subtle refinements from unveiling event to today

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