With truly Arctic temperatures hitting the U.S. and Canada over the past month, North Americans probably don't have a great deal of sympathy for their counterparts in Norway as winter finally closes in.
But the Norwegian winter is causing plenty of trouble for Tesla Model S owners in the country, as the cold is playing havoc with the cars' ability to charge.
According to News in English (via The New York Times), charging cables supplied with the car are proving unable to provide hold a charge in below-zero temperatures.
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It's already left one owner stranded with a dead battery nearly 100 miles from the nearest charging station, and others have found themselves unable to charge as the mercury falls. With Tesla's relatively high sales in the country the brand is already big news--but front-page stories on cold-weather troubles are hardly ideal for Tesla.
The company is already "trying hard to resolve" the issue, says northern European sales chief Peter Bardenfleth-Hansen, apologizing for the inconvenience owners are facing.
Spokesman Esben Pedersen adds that the Tesla's recharging system is "too sensitive" for the Norwegian electricity network--though stops short of blaming the network itself.
The issues are simply down to differences in the Norwegian network that Tesla has not experienced elsewhere. Norway does actually use a slightly different adapter to other countries in Europe, and indeed the U.S.--and this could influence the problems that customers in other cold countries don't seem to have faced.
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The charging problems have already been raised on the Tesla Motors Club forum, where several other small cold-weather issues such as fogging windows and parking sensors confused by snowfall are also vexing owners.
Others are even having problems with Tesla's customer service in the country--a situation unfamiliar to those in the U.S. with Tesla's proactive customer service.
At the same time, the Tesla's driving characteristics in the cold weather have been praised--so charging issues and minor problems aside, owners still seem very happy with their cars.
Do you live in a cold country and own a Tesla Model S? Have you experienced any issues with it? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
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