When temperatures drop below freezing, Tesla owners in Alaska and Canada will be forced to use their cars without heating.
Since last winter, the issue has plagued Model 3 & Model Y vehicles. The problem started after a heat pump system was installed to the cars. After a software upgrade, it continued.
Tesla owners are venting their anger on Twitter, where Elon Musk is not the only one in the company’s customer support team. A customer claimed that his family could have died.
Tyler Selvig stated in a Twitter that heat in his Model Y stopped working after it was dropped to -40F.
‘Our Model Y could be the death of my family,’ said the victim. The heat had stopped working at -40C. Tweet: “Hour away from any service,”
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When temperatures drop below freezing, Tesla owners in Alaska and Canada will be forced to use their cars without heating in the cabin.
Musk has however acknowledged that there was an issue and stated on Twitter that fixing it is a priority at Tesla. This weekend, Musk announced that Tesla will be rolling out software to fix the problem:
He wrote, “Firmware solution to calibrate heat pump expansion valve”
Some Tesla owners however shared pictures of their heat pumps, which appear to have been damaged or are not operating properly.
This suggests that a quick over-the-air fix may not be enough to resolve the issue.
Tesla owners are venting their anger on Twitter, Elon Musk being the only member of the customer support team. A customer even claimed his family could be killed.
Wick H (a user on Twitter) joined in the discussion and provided an explanation as to why the cabins were not heated.
Wick H (a Twitter user) joined in with a explanation on why heated cabins don’t exist.
‘Heat pumps are not designed for areas that get under 20F… the colder it gets there, the longer/more difficult it gets to draw heat. Things don’t work when you add wind and/or ice to the mix, as tweeted.
Wick H explained that refrigerant cannot be used to transfer heat at low temperatures.
Many customers who were plagued by this issue decided to get their car serviced rather than wait for an update from Tesla.
Tesla issued a software upgrade to correct the problem. However, it doesn’t seem to have any effect on all cars. This could indicate that there may be an issue with the vehicle.
Tesla owners have shared photos of the heat pump in their vehicles, showing that it appears damaged or not functioning properly. The owners suggested that a quick over-the air update might not solve the problem.
Tweet by ‘Tapic, a Twitter user directed at Musk: “Are you going comment on the fact my Tesla is totally useless right now? My heat pump is not working at -20C and my next service date for Jan 28. Can this be acceptable? It seems to be an issue that is common. It can be fixed!
Transport Canada (NHTSA) has also launched investigations into the defective heating system due to ‘potentially safety concerns’
NHTSA claimed it was aware of the issue, is still gathering information and discussing the issue with Tesla to evaluate safety concerns.
Transport Canada says the issue could impact windshield defogging/defrosting, and thus driver visibility.