The Tesla Model S recently dominated an extreme cold-weather testing study performed by Norweigan outlet Motor, accumulating 530 kilometers (329.327 miles) in some of the harshest Winter conditions available.
Of the twenty-nine electric vehicles tested during the assessment, the Model S was the only vehicle to achieve at least 450 kilometers of real-world driving range in frigid temperatures and snowy terrain.
Model S sets new record in the world’s biggest EV range test in Norway ❄️ → https://t.co/EJn7mt7Hdy
— Tesla Europe (@tesla_europe) February 1, 2023
The study utilized a variety of EVs from several different manufacturers. Tesla Model S “Standard,” Model X Plaid, and Model Y Rear-Wheel-Drive vehicles participated in the study, with Mercedes EQE 300, BMW i7, Volkswagen’s ID.5 and ID.BUZZ also taking part.
The publication broke down how it tests vehicles to maintain a fair and equal opportunity for desirable results. The test is performed every six months, winter and summer, following the same route:
“A loop through Oslo, up Rv4 to Gjøvik, from there E6 up to Hjerkinn, then east and around Rondane over Venabygdsfjellet, down to Ringebu and up E6 again.”
Credit: Motor
The cars are driven at the speed limit until their charge is depleted, and no driver support systems, such as cruise control, are permitted during the test.
Impressive in its own right, the Model S achieved a massive 530 kilometers of range on a single charge. Despite only being charged 98 percent “due to a technical problem,” the Model S Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive didn’t have a very close competitor. In fact, the vehicle that came closest was the Tesla Model X Plaid, which achieved 444 kilometers (275.889 miles). Right behind it were the BMW i4 and NINE ET7, which both achieved 434 kilometers before depleting their travel distance.
The Model S also had one of the lowest deviations from its WLTP range ratings, coming in at 16.40 percent. Of the top ten performing vehicles, the Model S had the lowest, with the Model X coming in second with 18.23 percent.
| Model | WLTP range | Achieved range | Percentage deviation, range |
| Tesla Model S Standard | 634 | 530 | -16.40% |
| Mercedes EQE 300 | 614 | 409 | -33.39% |
| BMW i7 xDrive60 | 595 | 424 | -28.74% |
| NINE ET7 | 580 | 434 | -25.17% |
| BMW i4 eDrive40 | 565 | 434 | -23.19% |
| Tesla Model X Plaid | 543 | 444 | -18.23% |
| Nissan Ariya 2WD | 533 | 400 | -24.95% |
| Volkswagen ID.5 Pro | 526 | 378 | -28.14% |
| Bid Han | 521 | 406 | -22.07% |
| Hongqi E-HS9 prototype 120 kWt | 515 | 389 | -24.47% |
Tesla has battled range loss in colder climates with a variety of techniques, including the most notable, which is the heat pump.
After including the heat pump on the Model Y, Tesla eventually implemented it on its three other vehicles, with the Model S and Model X receiving the addition with its Refreshed cars in 2021.
Elon Musk once said the heat pump was “some of the best engineering I’ve seen in a while.” It was developed by Joseph Mardall and other members of the Tesla engineering team. Mardall left Tesla in early 2021 to join Zipline, a robotics and autonomy-focused logistics company.
Another fun fact: the Model S beat the record set by the 2021 Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor Long Range, which made it 521 kilometers (323.734 miles).
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
News
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.
This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
News
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X goes down as users report major outage Friday morning
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Elon Musk’s X experienced an outage Friday morning, leaving large numbers of users unable to access the social media platform.
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Downdetector reports
Users attempting to open X were met with messages such as “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” often followed by an endless spinning icon that prevented access, according to a report from Variety. Downdetector data showed that reports of problems surged rapidly throughout the morning.
As of 10:52 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 users had reported issues with X. The data indicated that 56% of complaints were tied to the mobile app, while 33% were related to the website and roughly 10% cited server connection problems. The disruption appeared to begin around 10:10 a.m. ET, briefly eased around 10:35 a.m., and then returned minutes later.
Previous disruptions
Friday’s outage was not an isolated incident. X has experienced multiple high-profile service interruptions over the past two years. In November, tens of thousands of users reported widespread errors, including “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages. Cloudflare-related error messages were also reported.
In March 2025, the platform endured several brief outages spanning roughly 45 minutes, with more than 21,000 reports in the U.S. and 10,800 in the U.K., according to Downdetector. Earlier disruptions included an outage in August 2024 and impairments to key platform features in July 2023.
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
