A TESLA owner was left stranded when his EV ran out of charge in the middle of the road.
Ben Sullins took to YouTube to explain the ordeal he experienced with his £42,000 Model 3.
YouTube/@BenSullinsOfficialBen Sullins was range testing his Tesla Model 3 when it ran out on the road[/caption]
YouTube/@BenSullinsOfficialHe was left parked in a ‘dangerous’ position[/caption]
Ben was range testing the car to see if it would actually reach its stated distance under normal driving conditions.
With enough charge for a stated range of 310 miles, he and a pal set out on the highway with their electric motor running to see how long it would last.
The first signs of an issue arose at 279 miles, when the car automatically limited itself to around 35mph.
Interestingly, this was well after the infotainment system informed him that he had hit zero percent charge.
At 280 miles, the brightness on the infotainment screen was turned down, but the self-driving system was still useable.
Unfortunately, when it eventually did run out, Ben was unable to fully pull into a parking space within the 30-second time limit the car gave him before shutting down.
This meant that the expensive EV was sticking out into a busy road while unable to move.
Despite the loss of power, some of the electrical components, like the door locks and infotainment screen were still on.
Ben said: “Autopilot is technically still working.
“The AC doesn’t work, that makes sense.
“We’re dead in the water here.”
They ended up only getting 281.1 miles out of the stated 310 mile range, he added.
He went on: “We have the tow truck on the way.
“We’re literally 500 yards away [from a charger].
“We can’t put it into neutral or anything and the tow mode option only lasts for a certain amount of time so we can’t use that to move it either.”
The tow truck eventually arrived and carried them to the nearest supercharger and, after a brief charging stop, they were on their way again.
Ben said that the process of having the car towed was “flawless” but his only concern had been that he had been stranded in a “dangerous position” on the road.
Social media commenters were quick to chime in.
One wrote: “I am a brand new Tesla 3 owner and this was my biggest fear.”
Another added: “It took me almost a year to trust the route guidance and battery percentage in my Model S.”
Tesla has been contacted for comment.
It comes after The Sun’s own Rob Gill road tested the new Fiat 600e and praised its range.
Meanwhile, an expert car salesman revealed five easy checks that could save you £25,000 at a dealership.
YouTube/@BenSullinsOfficialThe car ended up having to be towed to the nearest charger[/caption]
YouTube/@BenSullinsOfficialEven when it ran out some electrical components still worked[/caption]
YouTube/@BenSullinsOfficialHowever, it died about 30 miles short of its stated range[/caption]