London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Tesla owners share videos of cars struggling in below-freezing temperatures

Tesla owners share videos of cars struggling in below-freezing temperatures

The freezing temperatures sweeping Canada and the US over the holidays have left some Tesla owners unable to use their cars.

Ontario-based meteorologist Rachel Modestino found the door to her Tesla frozen shut on December 23 when the mercury dropped to -15°C.

In a Twitter video seen more than 10.1 million times, Modestino showed how the handles were covered in thick frost.

Tesla door handles sit flush with the car’s body and pop up out of the door to use, meaning she couldn’t just grab onto it and tug the door open to get inside.

Modestino tweeted: ‘@elonmusk bet ya didn’t think of ice in the Tesla design.’

She stressed that she did preheat the car before trying to open it and used the vehicle’s defrost feature.


‘First Tesla winter, learning a lot,’ she added. ‘Absolutely love the car, don’t get me wrong.’

Twitter users were polarised, to say the least, by Modestino’s struggle to open her Tesla.

One said, ‘If you have a tesla you should have enough money to have it in a garage,’ though Modestino replied saying she doesn’t.

A second user said: ‘You shouldn’t need to use Twitter to learn how to use your expensive car.’

As some people hounded her, Modestino said: ‘OKAY, this went off… Not meant to dig Elon (I love my car). Only tweeted because I thought it was a silly flaw for the price.’

Modestino later revealed that by updating the Tesla smartphone app, she was able to manually open the latch.

The meteorologist eventually used the Tesla app to get inside the cabin


A few other Tesla-owning Twitter users said they were also struggling with this too. One person said on Christmas Eve: ‘Can’t even get into my model Y in these temperatures, handle frozen shut… what’s the answer?’

A second said: ‘It it’s freezing outside. My Tesla door handle was frozen – took few minutes just to open the door.’

Another Tesla owner said he was stranded on Christmas Eve when below-freezing temperatures meant his car wouldn’t charge.

TikTok user Domenick Nati showed his dashboard listing the temperature as -7°C and 19 miles remaining until the battery dies.

When Nati tried plugging his car into a charging station by Lynchburg Regional Airport in Virginia, the vehicle’s screen read: ‘Battery is heating – keep charge cable inserted.’

Two hours later, the same message remained.

In a follow-up video, Nati says Tesla towed his vehicle and provided him with a Tesla Model 3 while his was serviced.

Some Twitter and TikTok users used the issues as an excuse to knock electric vehicles in general.

Electric car batteries generally don’t fare too well in the cold, with experts recommending heating up the vehicle’s interior while the battery is recharging.

But electric cars are substantially better for the environment, producing fewer planet-warming fumes and air pollutants than petrol or diesel cars.

And frozen door handles – in chilly Ontario no less – certainly aren’t a Tesla-only problem and do happen to petrol and diesel cars too.

One Twitter user told Modestino: ‘If you park your car outside in freezing rain, you have to be prepared for the aftermath,’

Another added: ‘I have a Nissan Titan XD and it was frozen solid all entries for 9 hours after a road trip to Albuquerque, NM 3 weeks ago. This is life in the zone where stuff freezes.’

It comes as across the pond in the UK, videos of snaking queues of Teslas waiting at charging ports over the holidays went viral.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×