Lethal temperature in brand new Tesla: No heating at -40 degrees

by Tobias Stahl on January 12th, 2022

Severin Demchuk/Unsplash.comSome Canadian Tesla drivers report that they cannot rely on their electric vehicles in winter.

Tesla had its headquarters for a long time in the sunny US state of California, which is why electric cars also had the reputation of being "fair-weather cars". Tesla's vehicles have meanwhile been sold by the millions and, for the most part, can also be driven in cold areas without any problems - but there are also a few cases in which particularly cold outside temperatures in the Tesla have even become downright life-threatening.

In an interview with the automotive portal autoevolution, two Tesla drivers recently reported on their experiences with the Stromer in extremely cold temperatures. Reports show it's not a bad idea to keep a few blankets in the car just in case.

The first Tesla driver, named Mark in the report for reasons of anonymity, is driving his Model Y in Calgary, Canada. Despite being promised by Tesla that his Tesla would perform exceptionally well in cold climates, the Model Y's heat pump gave up the ghost for the first time in January last year. The damage should be the start of a longer ordeal for the Canadian.

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No heating at -30 degrees in Model Y

"January 2021 came and we had no heat in the driver's cabin unless the car was stationary or plugged in. The car was only towed to Saskatoon in mid-February, literally a few days after this location opened. After a four week stay in the shop we got our car back after a major overhaul of the heat pump system and a part called the 'Super Manifold' replacement."

The Super Manifold is one of two components that most impressed auto expert Sandy Munro after Munro scrutinized the Model Y with the new heat pump system.

"The car seemed repaired, but the worst of winter was over by mid-March," continues Mark. "Thanks to Tesla, they paid for towing from Estevan to Saskatoon and a rental car for the entire period. However, Tesla also expects you to collect the vehicle at your own expense."

The following winter, Mark was called back to the workshop because the sensors in the heating system had to be replaced as part of a safety bulletin. Mark recalls: "This work was done in the third week of December, which was the earliest I could drive the 450 kilometers to my service center. Everything seemed fine for the first few days as we headed out on Christmas vacation be."

On the way home, however, things got downright dangerous for the family: "When we drove between Moose Jaw and Regina in -30ºC, we didn't have heat in the cab. I thought if we made it to Regina - where only Tesla-approved towing company is there - we'll call roadside assistance and get help again."

The problems were just beginning

The family said they were only able to survive the trip with the help of hand and foot warmers. Mark's nine-year-old complained of shooting pains in his feet while driving. "It was a horrific experience and I vowed never to do it again. The car was towed from where it was parked in Regina the next day (December 27)."

The car was at the Tesla Service Center in Saskatoon from December 31st to January 6th. Since Mark lives far away, he asked a relative to pick up his car and drive it halfway to another family member's house. The relative was able to complete the journey with no problems and with the heating working after the Super Manifold was replaced as well as some valves and lines.

"I couldn't pick up the car right away due to a snow storm, so it sat at a family member's house for two nights, plugged into 110V. On January 9th, I drove my rental car there to pick up my car after the storm had settled. We put the car on 'Preconditioning' and otherwise tried to follow all recommendations from Tesla."

And yet: "Five minutes before the return of the rental car, my family member called me and said that the warning 'no interior heating' popped up again. I had a stone in my stomach."

"Late in the afternoon I was told that the car would need another overhaul of the heat pump system. I was told that even some engineers are working to figure out what's wrong with the system."

At the time of the interview, Mark still hasn't received his Model Y back - although the Canadian has already finished with the Stromer: "I'm not an engineer or an expert, but based on my limited experience I believe that these cars have fundamental design flaws, when it comes to extremely cold climates. At the very least, cars that are suitable for cold climates should have an additional heating system installed to avoid such life-threatening situations that my family and I have encountered." Mark is a member of a large electric car community in his hometown of Saskatchewan and tells of other Tesla drivers who are having problems with the heat pump.

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Other Tesla drivers in Canada are experiencing similar issues

Tyler Selvig is one of the people who has also experienced the issue. Selvig didn't have to go through the same ordeal as Mark, but he did have to endure it with his family in even colder temperatures.

Selvig bought his Tesla Model Y in November 2021 and drove it from Saskatoon to Regina over the Christmas holiday with no problems. On the way back with his two children, both of whom are not yet three years old, the Model Y's heating system failed after 45 minutes.

Fortunately, Selvig's father-in-law was right behind Selvig and was able to take the two children with him in his truck - the outside temperature at that time was -40 ºC.

In a tweet addressing Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Selvig said the issue could have killed his family. "The car was in maintenance at the Saskatoon dealership and they were waiting for parts until the engineers at Tesla HQ told them to replace the Super Manifold. I got the car back and it seems to be working fine now."

Electric cars are usually winterproof

The two cases presented here are reports from people who have been on the road in borderline situations in extreme cold. Normally, electric cars offer sufficient warmth even in very cold temperatures, as Nextmove boss Stefan Möller has already been able to prove.

The independent fact check portal Correctiv has already shown that electric cars can easily generate enough heat for several hours to days, even with only half-charged batteries. The problems presented here with Tesla vehicles could indicate a material or construction defect. As Tyler Selvig reports: "The techs here have told me that they hope there will be a solution in the future to avoid this with software updates. It sounds like the heat pump inlet valves/damper could freeze up and then possibly failing the valves in the 'Octo Valve' (a Tesla proprietary component in the heat pump, ed.)."

You might also be interested in this: Important winter tips for (electric) drivers

Annoying scratching of the windows, fogged up interior windows, less range: winter is often a challenge for drivers, regardless of whether you are driving in the cold with a Combustion engines or are traveling with a Stromer. EFAHRER.com knows tricks and tips how to get through the cold season better: