It is a well-known fact that electronics and water do not mix well, hence one would anticipate that electric cars are well shielded against the elements. However, this was not the case for a couple from Scotland who claim they received a hefty repair bill after driving their Tesla through a rainstorm.
Reported by Edinburgh Live, the couple drove their Tesla Model 3 during heavy rain in the city of Edinburgh. After parking the car at a restaurant for dinner, they found that the vehicle would not start when they tried to head back home. Subsequently, after a five-hour wait for roadside assistance, the car was towed to Tesla Edinburgh for repairs. Following a few days, the couple was informed that the battery had suffered water damage. This resulted in an eye-watering bill of £17,374 ($21,166 USD) that fell outside the coverage of the car’s eight-year warranty.
Owners of the car, Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey, expressed their astonishment at the amount and questioned Tesla about the cause of the issue. Bacigalupo mentioned that they were informed that the battery had essentially been submerged in water.
According to Bacigalupo, the blame was attributed to Scotland’s weather by the automaker. “After finally speaking with a manager, he informed me that the water ingress was due to the adverse weather conditions in Scotland. That was the issue,” Bacigalupo stated, adding “They conveyed that it is not necessarily my fault, but Tesla is not liable to cover it under warranty.”
In general, most vehicles do not perform well when traversing through deep pooled water. Nevertheless, an average road car is expected to endure a typical rain shower without malfunction. Bacigalupo could not recall encountering any large puddles and questioned whether the car was suitable for the rainy Scottish environment. “I mentioned to the manager, ‘So, are Teslas unsuitable for Scotland?’ ” stated Bacigalupo. As stated by Edinburgh Live, an email from Tesla customer service noted that a complaint had been logged and would be investigated, with a response to ensue.
In addition to the initial vehicle malfunction, concerns were also raised regarding the repair costs. As highlighted by Business Insider, a tweet from Tesla CEO Elon Musk from 2019 stated that replacing battery modules in the car would cost only around $5,000 to $7,000. Nonetheless, this was a few years ago, and there is the possibility of more extensive damage to other components of the battery pack. Regardless, it is a sum that numerous owners would consider unreasonably high.
Being informed that an electric vehicle necessitates a new battery is a common fear among EV owners. Whether due to damage or regular wear and tear, nobody desires to face the substantial replacement cost associated with it. Therefore, owners anticipate that car manufacturers provide vehicles with robust batteries capable of withstanding the demands of everyday driving, even in adverse weather conditions. Although the exact cause of the battery damage remains uncertain in this case, it was evidently a feeble justification for a Tesla representative to attribute blame to the weather.
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