Polar Vortex Infuriates Tesla Owners With Dramatically Reduced Range

Before plunking down $60,000 on a vehicle he should have invested some time researching the effects of cold temperature on batteries.
There is a reason the vast majority of Teslas are sold in California.

A Goldylocks car...this weather is too cold, this weather is too hot, California weather is just right.

Although the complainer is a Tesla driver, it's important to note that all of today's EVs are similarly affected.

Lithium ion batteries -- the kind used by virtually every EV today -- have a specific thermal operating range, meaning you'll use some of your battery's power to warm it when it's too cold outside, and to cool it when it's too hot. This energy draw can be substantial.

Additionally, when the weather is outside of "comfy for humans" range, you'll use additional battery power for:
- Windshield wipers
- Cabin heater
- A/C
- Heated seats and/or steering wheel
- Windshield and rear window defroster
These item, especially when combined, can draw a lot of battery energy. Anything with considerable battery draw reduces driving range.

As the folks before me said, this is a big part of why EVs are popular in California, and less so in toasty Georgia and the chilly Dakotas. It's also a big reason consumers should do their due diligence before buying any product.

Lastly, battery tech is advancing in leaps and bounds. New, solid-state batteries already exist in the lab, and are undergoing long-term testing and validation. They feature:
- 2x to 3x the energy density (that means 2-3x the range per battery pound)
- a much wider ambient temperature operating range
- 10-minute recharge from empty to full
- expected lifetime of around 50 years (!!!)
- safer (less likely to burst into flames)
- don't use exotic materials
- cost about 1/2 of today's lithium ions (4x to 6x the range per battery $)
If these new batteries prove to deliver on their alleged benefits, they'll be a game changer.

You may want to quantify the power draw of the accessories and compare it to that of the powertrain before qualifying them as "substantial".

So not only do I have to suffer paying an exorbitant price for an electric car, I have to wait in lines at superchargers and suffer reduced range when it's cold out. Wonderful. I'll stick with my gas powered cars.

It was so cold here that when I started my 4Runner, for the first time ever I saw an oil/temp warning light flash. Blocker heater was plugged in for 2hrs before I took a trip for the rest of the cold snap.

My best friend had an early Model X and he lived in Rochester, NY. He had a heated garage at home and a heated garage at his office compound (he is a tech entrepreneur) so range drain not a huge issue.

What WAS an issue was when it got below freezing with his early Model X, and melting ice and snow water would seep into the 'falcon doors' (cue trumpets) and then when they opened, they would not close because the sensors thought there was an obstruction.

He had to drive home with the falcon doors partially open in 20 degree weather until he got back to his heated garage.

I guess that what happens when a car is developed in CA.