Can You Charge Your Tesla During Bad Weather?
You’ve got your Tesla sitting in the driveway. Maybe its raining out, or it could be 100 degrees and baking in direct sunlight. Maybe its really windy or snowing and your thinking to yourself can you charge your Tesla during bad weather?
Can You Charge A Tesla In The Rain?
Yes both the charging plugs and the charging port on the vehicle have been designed to be waterproof. Even if there is water on the charge plug or the charge port you can still plugin the charger and it will begin to charge just fine. You do not need to take any special precautions to be able to charge during rain.
The Tesla charger cord is well insulated so water cannot get inside. Also there are built-in safety features to prevent current flow if moisture is detected this will protect both the car and you from electric shock. YouTubers have tested it by putting the charge plug into a cup of water and then splashing the charge port. They then plugged in the charger and it started charging the vehicle just fine. Obviously though use common sense and try to keep the charge port and connector as dry as possible.
Be aware that according to the manual the Tesla Mobile Connector is not as waterproof as the Tesla Wall Connector and the Tesla Superchargers. The manual says not to charge during severe rain, snow, electrical storm or other inclement weather.
One important thing to consider when charging in the rain is to prevent water from flowing down the cable and into the car or the house. Ensure there is a low point in the cable for water to pool on the ground, keeping it away from both the car and the house wiring.
Can You Charge A Tesla In A Thunderstorm?
No this can be extremely dangerous. If the vehicle were to get hit by lightning it could completely destroy the vehicle and worst case cause an explosion. Do not charge during a thunderstorm you would be putting yourself in danger of bodily harm.
Can You Charge A Tesla In Direct Sunlight?
You may have your Tesla in the driveway during a hot summer day. Its over 100 degrees and you need to charge your Tesla in the direct sunlight. Will this damage the vehicle? First off the max operating temperature for the Tesla chargers is 122 degrees. In the case you are having a record breaking heatwave and its over 122 degrees outside then you should not charge your vehicle.
In general yes its fine to charge your Tesla outside in the sun during a hot day. It may end up charging at a slower speed than normal. This is to manage the battery temperature. It might also charge less efficiently because the active cooling system has to kick in to cool down the batteries as they charge.
Can You Charge Your Tesla When Its Really Cold And Icy?
Yes charging your Tesla during the cold will have no ill effects on the vehicle. It is possible however for the charge port to freeze and not open. If this happens check your manual. You may have a charge port heater than can be turned on by turning on the rear defrost. You can also thaw the ice by using the preconditioning mode in the Tesla app.
Another thing to be aware of when charging in very cold temperatures is the vehicle may produce steam. This steam may come from the front of the vehicle when charging at a Supercharger. This is normal and nothing to worry about.
Conclusion Charge Your Tesla During Bad Weather
The Tesla vehicles have been engineered to take a beating and stand up to the elements. Most of the time you will be able to charge your vehicle just fine during inclement weather.
