Tesla owners share videos of their cars failing in arctic freeze

Furious Tesla owners are blasting the company over how their high-end cars are not functioning in extreme weather, as the recent Arctic freeze left their door handles frozen shut and the electric vehicles unable to charge.

“Bet ya didn’t think of ice in the Tesla design,” Canadian meteorologist Rachel Modestino wrote alongside a now-viral video of her Tesla door handle refusing to budge. The footage was shared on Dec. 23, when temperates in Ontario hit a low of 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Other Twitter users came to her aid and quickly shared some tips in the comments of her video, which has been viewed over 10 million times,

“Okay, this went off…Not meant to dig Elon (I love my car),” she replied to the influx of responses. “I learnt: unlatch capability, defrost longer, be less gentle with your 2nd baby & car covers. [Thank you] for the help, be kind, Merry Christmas.”

But Modestino was not the only Tesla owner left out in the cold over the weekend. Domenick Nati of Virginia was forced to cancel his holiday plans after his Tesla S failed to charge in the frigid temperatures.

“Two hours went by and not much changed,” the radio presenter told Business Insider of the Friday night ordeal, when temperatures hovered around minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit.  

“It was very slow and the numbers got lower as the temperature dropped. Eventually, it stopped charging altogether.”

Nati, who documented his struggles in a TikTok video, later tried to charge the car at home, to similarly dismal results. 

Because there were no Ubers or Lyfts working in his area, Nati was forced to miss being with his son on Christmas Day.

He told Business Insider that he tried to contact Tesla for assistance, but received no answer.

Complaints about the Tesla model’s cold weather performance is just the latest chink in the clean energy automotive giant’s armor, as its stock continues to plummet while CEO Elon Musk pivots his focus to his new role at Twitter.

In an email to staff on Wednesday, however, Musk cautioned employees against the “stock market craziness.” He urged staff to do everything in their power to deliver vehicles through the end of the quarter.

“Please go all out for the next few days and volunteer to help deliver if at all possible. It will make a real difference!” he wrote.