Apart from various issues that Tesla owners have already faced, the current polar cold wave in the USA has rendered Teslas incapable of being charged with superchargers. This fact has been covered by CBS News, one of the major national news channels: Read here.
It’s amusing to see these electric vehicles, which are far from being aesthetically pleasing, being transported on trucks with internal combustion engines to be charged in garages or at home. Despite offering a 20% discount on charging during severe cold weather, Tesla’s brand image has taken a serious hit. Many users who have experienced various problems with Tesla vehicles are now considering switching to other options. This clearly highlights the limitations of electric vehicles, which are certainly not the ideal solution for the future. The high cost of components, limited battery capacities, scarcity of certain parts affecting production, and the fact that extreme cold temperatures reduce battery life—all these issues, combined with the exorbitant price of Tesla batteries, make it more sensible to change to a different vehicle.
Currently, hybrid vehicles are likely the best solution while waiting for technologies that offer batteries with reasonable prices and significantly higher capacities, capable of functioning in very high or very low temperatures. Alternatively, investing in low-cost electric vehicles as secondary vehicles, as proposed by companies like MG, could be an option. In any case, electric vehicles are still far from being capable of replacing combustion engine vehicles. With a bit of luck, other technologies could emerge in the coming years.
Thierry De Clemensat
Editor in chief
Bayou Blue Radio/Bayou Blue News