Tesla loaded at minus 26 degrees: YouTuber uses winter storm for extreme test (with video)

Created: 01/01/2023, 08:00

By: Marcus Efler

Winter Storm Elliot paralyzed large parts of the United States.

A YouTuber used the extreme cold for a very special kind of Tesla test – with remarkable results.

Word has gotten around that the operating conditions for electric cars are not optimal in winter.

The range suffers due to the cold-plagued batteries, and the heating also gnaws at the power supply.

Fortunately, the extreme conditions experienced by Winter Storm Elliot, which paralyzed large parts of the USA over Christmas, are very rare.

With heavy snowfalls and temperatures sometimes falling below minus 20 degrees, the cold wave was not only a particular challenge for Stromer drivers - apart from the fact that, according to urgent warnings from US President Joe Biden, for example, nobody should actually have been on the road by car.

Tesla loaded at minus 26 degrees: YouTuber uses Elliot for an extreme test

However, this did not stop Kyle Conner from Colorado from testing his Tesla Model 3 more precisely: its charging ability in arctic temperatures.

The YouTuber had parked the 2019 car at a supercharger station before Elliot arrived.

When the snowstorm swept across the country and the temperature dropped to minus 26 degrees, he started charging.

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Basically, this charging from a standstill takes longer than on the go if the batteries are preheated to the optimal temperature when driving to a charging station.

How effective this preconditioning is can also be seen in other electric cars, such as the Audi e-tron GT.

Tesla charged at minus 26 degrees: 45 minutes just to warm up

Under Elliot's extreme conditions, the literally "cold" charging start was all the more severe.

For the first three-quarters of an hour, the Supercharger used all of its energy exclusively to preheat the battery to the required charging temperature.

In the subsequent 45 minutes, he then charged the battery of the Tesla from 35 to 90 percent.

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The YouTuber reports on his adventurous test

on his channel

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After all, it takes time, but despite the extraordinary circumstances, the battery finally filled up and the Tesla was able to drive off with a usable range.

With the usual preconditioning of the battery, the service life on the column would have been only a little longer than usual - but probably a little more uncomfortable due to the low temperatures.