Electric vehicle charging stations were broken by bitter cold in Chicago, stranding dozens of Teslas. This phenomenon happened all over the city. Most stations ceased operation while some squeaked out modest kilowattage. The average “good” charger will get 150kW to the battery during charging. This will take an EV from “zero to one hundred” in about one hour. If the kilowattage drops to 20kW, charging the exact vehicle may take four hours. Slow or no charging is an issue when there are already few stations to service the ever-growing number of electric vehicles. Cold weather will be a constant factor in northern cities with high populations like Chicago. The lack of proper infrastructure and technology in the vehicles themselves concerning reliable batteries is keeping the “EV movement” from truly pressing forward.
SOURCES:
Dead Teslas pack Oak Brook Supercharger station due to cold weather
Frigid cold, broken chargers leave Chicago area Tesla owners frustrated – YouTube
Dead Teslas pack Chicago area Supercharger station due to frigid temps – YouTube
Chicago weather forecast: Wind chill warnings in effect for brutal cold; frigid temps leave some EV owners stranded – ABC7 Chicago
