Science & Tech

Epic snowstorm exposes Tesla flaws

Epic snowstorm exposes Tesla flaws
Tesla Stock Tumbles to Lowest Level in 2 Years
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Tesla owners have erupted - and not for the first time in December - over a potential flaw in the luxury vehicle that has been exposed due to the horrendous cold snap that the North American continent is currently experiencing.

Meteorologist Rachel Modestino of The Weather Network posted a clip directed at Elon Musk of a Tesla car door handle refusing to budge open in Ontario temperatures of -15 degrees celsius (5f) on December 23rd.

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The main problem with the car was that the touch-sensor used that prompts the door handle to pop out appeared to be frozen over, making the feature falter in that moment.

While Modestino didn't seem too angry after being offered an assortment of tips and tricks by the Tesla faithful (including using car covers and defrosting it for longer), it was a different case for radio host Domenick Nati - who was left isolated due to his own Tesla failure.


In an interview with Business Insider, Nati claimed that the Tesla failed to charge in low temperatures. This situation eventually led to him missing the opportunity to see his son on Christmas Day.

Tesla do offer advice for starting the luxury cars in cold weather, but it seems like this has faltered on occassion for a few owners.

It hasn't been the best year for the brand - and it's currently enduring a horrible month. Currently, Tesla stock ($TSLA) sits at 121.82 USD, down from a 2022 high of 361.53 USD (ironically achieved on April Fools' Day).

The collapse in price appears to be a reflection of the concerns of investors due to Musk's behavior on his new acquisition - Twitter.

The billionaire's erratic and spontaneous behavior in control of the social media monolith has raised concerns amongst supporters and investors of Tesla, who believe he is ruining the brands reputation - and killing the stock price.

2023 could be a rocky year for Tesla, Twitter and Musk - who has just asked staff at the car group to 'voluntarily' commit to shifts to ensure the company finishes 2022 well.

That's a big ask.

This article was amended on January 5 2023 to remove an inaccurate reference to Ms Modestino’s Tesla having a fingerprint sensor ‘similar to an old iPhone’. This model of Tesla does not employ that kind of fingerprint technology, while some models of iPhone still do.

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