As the InsideEVs resource told with reference to the SaskTesla video blog, a Canadian resident, as part of an experiment, left a Tesla Model 3 electric car for 15 hours surrounded by snowdrifts at a temperature of minus 17 degrees Celsius without being connected to the mains. Before the start of the experiment, the on-board computer showed a power reserve of 362 km, after 15 hours it was reduced to 318 km. In fact, for 15 hours of inactivity in the cold, the electric car “lost” the opportunity to drive 44 km.

By the end of the experiment, the computer showed on the schematic image of the traction battery a small area of ​​blue color – the part that temporarily lost the ability to power the power plant as a result of exposure to negative temperatures. To restore the working capacity of this fragment of the battery, the electric car had to ride for 15-20 minutes.

It should be noted that the loss of charge during parking was influenced by the activity of the Sentry Mode security function. According to the owner’s estimates, the battery lost about 5% of its initial capacity purely due to being in the cold. Taking into account the work of the security system, all 9% turned out. Tesla allows you to pre-warm the interior of an electric car after long parking in the cold, the function is started remotely using a smartphone. In this case, warming up the passenger compartment to a comfortable temperature “cost” the owner another 8 km of the possible run without recharging, or about 1.5% of the battery capacity.

It is important to bear in mind that Tesla has already introduced a heat pump in Model Y crossovers, which is quite effective in helping to heat or cool the passenger compartment, so as this unit spreads to all other electric vehicles of the brand, the “accompanying” energy costs for maintaining the desired microclimate in the passenger compartment will be reduced. The Tesla Model 3 is expected to receive a heat pump during the 2021 model year update.

The experiment of the Canadian blogger ended with a 15-minute trip after a long stay in the cold, as a result, the traction battery lost about 34% of the initial charge, retaining the theoretical ability to move for another 195 km. At the same time, the owner practically did not deny himself the use of functions that ensure the comfort of operation: the car was guarded, before the start of the trip, the interior was warmed up, like the traction battery itself. Of course, pre-plugging into an outlet would reduce energy losses, but this experiment allows residents of countries with cold climates to understand what can be expected when operating modern Tesla electric vehicles in freezing temperatures.