A Tesla owner’s video went viral after he couldn’t get his Model S to charge at a Supercharger station. The video and media reports on it are creating some confusion. Some are associating this with the normal problems charging in the cold. First off, it’s true that electric vehicle charging is affected by colder temperatures, but this is not normal. It takes time for the battery pack to warm up enough to accept higher charge rates. That’s why Tesla built in a feature that enables the battery pack to condition itself for charging ahead of time if you enter a charge point in the navigation system. So yes, there are issues with charging in colder temperatures, but this is not it – this is a malfunction with this gentleman’s specific vehicle.

Objective data on charging temperatures and tolerances.

Batteries operate over a wide temperature range, but this does not give permission to also charge them at these conditions. The charging process is more delicate than discharging and special care must be taken. Extreme cold and high heat reduce charge acceptance and the battery should be brought to a moderate temperature before charging.