– The Dark Future of Electric Cars
Tesla’s electric vehicles, with their futuristic design and advanced autonomous driving capabilities, have quickly captured consumers’ hearts and climbed to the number one spot in the electric vehicle industry. However, Tesla’s solid position is shaking as it gave up the top sales spot in the last quarter to the Chinese electric vehicle company BYD.
Adding insult to injury, with the Arctic cold wave sweeping across the United States, there are reports of a series of incidents where Tesla’s electric vehicles are draining their batteries. Electric cars are significantly more expensive than internal combustion engine models, and with the unpredictability of battery drainage and charging concerns, consumers are quickly turning their backs on Tesla.
Tesla Electric Vehicle Charging Chaos in -69°F
The U.S. is hit by winds blowing from the Arctic. The
wind chill temperature in the Midwest dropped to -69°F, and a cold wave warning was issued to 150 million people in U.S. Amidst this, incidents of Tesla’s electric vehicles draining their batteries and being towed have occurred across the U.S., including Texas. The electric vehicle charging station in Chicago quickly turned into a scene of despair, with drivers conflicting over who gets to charge first and a long queue stretching down the street.
A 35-year-old engineer residing in Chicago reported that his Tesla vehicle was so frozen that the door wouldn’t even open. After managing to get inside by pressing the built-in handle on the body of the car, he had to wait for hours because all 12 charging stations were already in use.
Another Tesla owner interviewed on a local Chicago broadcast reported witnessing at least 10 Tesla vehicles being towed due to battery drainage.
Photo source = Yongsan Police Station
Tesla Remains Silent Amid Domestic Electric Vehicle Fire ControversyRegarding the Tesla battery drainage incident in the U.S., a mechanical engineering professor at the University of California, Irvine stated that operating an electric vehicle powered by batteries in cold conditions is a very difficult task. When the weather is cold, the battery charging speed slows down, and there is currently no physical solution to this problem. Tesla has yet to make any public statement regarding this issue.
Meanwhile, there has been ongoing controversy over Tesla’s electric vehicles in Korea as well. The most significant incident was a Tesla electric vehicle fire in Yongsan District, which resulted in the death of a 60-year-old car owner, Mr. Yoon.
Firefighters tried to rescue Mr. Yoon, who was in the passenger seat, by entering through the rear seat, but the rear door did not open easily, which delayed the rescue. Tesla’s electric vehicles are designed according to U.S. safety standards, which prevent the rear doors from being opened from the inside or outside when the power supply is cut off.
Tesla’s Outlook Darkens as Quick Emergency Response is ImpossibleUnlike Korean law, U.S. law does not explicitly state that “doors must open in case of a vehicle collision.”
The unpredictable battery drainage incidents and fire accidents in the U.S. and Korea have cooled consumers’ interest in Tesla. High prices, inadequate charging infrastructure, and battery worries have all raised the barriers to entry for electric vehicles. The future of electric vehicles, including Tesla, is looking increasingly bleak.
By. Yong Hyun Cho
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