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Tesla owners' winter driving insights proves EVs' are great cars for sub-zero conditions
Thanks to outdated assumptions and what appears to be an ongoing misinformation campaign against electric cars, some mainstream car buyers may assume that vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 would be grossly ineffective in sub-zero temperatures. Yet despite this persistent stereotype, actual experiences from electric car owners have recently proven these notions wrong once again.
Tesla owner and president-founder of the Saskatchewan Electric Vehicle Association Matthew Pointer recently shared some of his winter driving experiences with CBC News. A resident of Saskatchewan, Canada, Pointer is no stranger to cold weather driving. His home, after all, experiences sub-zero temperatures on a regular basis, at times requiring him to drive in -45 C (-49 F) weather. If the stereotype holds true, then Pointer’s Tesla should be near-useless in certain parts of the year. But this has not been the case.
On the contrary, Pointer stated that his Tesla actually works better than his previous internal combustion cars in the cold. While he stated that his electric vehicle does experience some range loss during winters, the car works perfectly in extreme weather. Just this Thursday, for example, Pointer noted that he passed by several dozen ICE owners struggling to start their vehicles on his way to work. His Tesla, in comparison, handled the cold without any issues, even with its reduced range.

“I passed several dozen people that couldn’t even get their car started in front of their house this morning, as I kind of ripped by them in my electric vehicle that apparently doesn’t work in those sort of temperatures. I wake up with a ‘full tank’ every morning because I plug in at night, and I wake up, and my car’s fully charged in the morning. I’ve got more than enough range to do all the regular stuff that I need to do on a daily basis,” Pointer said.
Explaining further, the Tesla owner stated that it’s just a matter of design between EVs and internal combustion cars. Electric cars have far fewer components compared to gasoline or diesel-powered automobiles. Thus, there are far fewer things that can get compromised by the cold. Couple this with Tesla’s excellent battery management system, and the company’s vehicles become incredibly effective for winter.
“The great thing about an electric vehicle is that it has significantly less moving parts, and you’re essentially driving one massive battery that’s very good at maintaining its heat and keeping itself going. There’s no moving parts that need to go through this magical movement and means of combustion and getting things preheated all at a minus-45-degree temperature. Essentially for us to start our cars, we just touch a button, the screen pops up, and we just drive to work from there,” he explained.

In a statement to the publication, Tyler Krause, a fellow resident of Saskatchewan and a Tesla Model 3 owner, described how easy it is to live with an electric car during the coldest months of the year. “Yesterday it was -37 C (-34.6 F), and it wasn’t a problem. I went to heat it up. It took like 10 minutes and I was off. I drove by probably three or four people that were getting boosted on the side of the road and I had no issues,” he said, adding that none of the local Tesla Owners Club members have reported any issues during winter.
Perhaps one thing that usually gets forgotten by electric vehicle critics is the fact that all cars, even those powered with the internal combustion engine, lose range during the coldest months of the year. With this in mind, it all comes down to convenience, and based on the accounts of actual Tesla owners from one of the colder places in North America; EVs have ICE beat by a wide margin. The proof lies in actual experiences from Tesla owners, as well as the company’s sales figures from cold countries such as Norway and the Netherlands, where the Model 3 has been making its presence known.
News
Tesla’s Shanghai sites now producing massive solar output, confirms exec
Gigafactory Shanghai’s rooftop solar installation now generates an impressive amount of clean energy, and other sites are following suit.
Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao recently shared new details on the company’s solar initiatives in some of its facilities across Shanghai.
In a post on Weibo, the Tesla executive stated that Gigafactory Shanghai’s rooftop solar installation now generates an impressive amount of clean energy, and other sites are following suit.
Tesla China’s rooftop solar initiatives
As per Tao’s post, Giga Shanghai’s rooftop solar system produces about 11 million kWh of electricity per year. This helps reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 4,600 tons annually.
The Shanghai Megafactory, which produces Megapack batteries, is also being fitted with solar panels. Once operational, it is expected to generate an additional 6 million kWh per year and further lower carbon emissions by roughly 2,500 tons.
“At present, the roof of the Shanghai Super Factory is covered with photovoltaic panels, which can generate 11 million kWh of electricity annually and reduce carbon emissions by 4,600 tons. The Shanghai Energy Storage Super Factory next door is also installing photovoltaic panels, which is expected to generate an additional 6 million kWh a year and reduce carbon emissions by 2,500 tons,” Tao wrote in her post.
Tesla expands solar and storage efforts
Beyond its manufacturing hubs, Tesla is extending its renewable energy strategy to service centers and retail operations in China. Tao stated that the roof of Tesla’s Shanghai Kangqiao Direct Body and Paint Center already produces around 400,000 kWh of green electricity each year, reducing emissions by yet another 170 tons.
She highlighted that Tesla’s goal is to ensure clean electricity powers the full lifecycle of its products, from manufacturing and storage to on-road charging. “The manufacture, storage, and use of clean electricity runs through the entire chain of Tesla products, and is also the contribution of every Tesla owner to a sustainable tomorrow for the earth,” Tao stated.
News
Donald Trump confirms ‘good’ relationship with Elon Musk after public feud
Trump stated that he and Elon Musk have spoken “on and off, a little bit” since meeting at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in September.
United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that his relationship with Elon Musk has improved following months of tension.
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump stated that he and Elon Musk have spoken “on and off, a little bit” since meeting at slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in September. Trump also noted that he now considers their relationship “good.”
Trump stated that his feud with Musk has cooled after ‘stupid moment’
Trump addressed the pair’s earlier feud, which unfolded publicly earlier this year after Musk publicly opposed Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and later stepped away from his administration’s advisory role tied to the DOGE initiative. The U.S. president addressed the dispute, describing it as a brief lapse in judgment, as noted in an Insider report.
“He had a bad spell, he had a bad period. He had a bad moment,” Trump said. “It was a stupid moment in his life, very stupid. I’m sure he’d tell you that. But I like Elon, and I suspect I always will.”
Trump’s remarks suggest a thaw in what had been one of the United States’ most visible political rifts, which saw Musk accusing Trump of being on Epstein’s list and Trump threatening to take away Tesla and SpaceX’s subsidies. In his recent comments, however, Trump noted that “I like Elon, I’ve always liked him.”
Musk has mostly stayed quiet on Trump, but he still criticizes administration officials
Musk has publicly toned down his criticism of Trump in recent months, pausing discussion of a third political party he once floated after Trump’s megabill passed. While his stance toward the former president appears to have softened, with the two men publicly making peace during Kirk’s memorial, Musk has continued to spar with members of Trump’s administration.
Just last week, he engaged in a dispute with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over NASA leadership after Duffy opened one of SpaceX’s contracts for review. Musk expressed his frustration against Duffy on X, stating that “Sean Dummy is trying to kill NASA” and pledging that SpaceX would be taking humans back to the Moon with Starship before any other company.
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IF Metall chair to Elon Musk: “Give us a chance” as Tesla Sweden strike hits 2 years
The official emphasized that Swedish unions function under a cooperative framework that benefits both employers and workers.
IF Metall’s strike against Tesla Sweden has entered its third year, with union chair Marie Nilsson urging Elon Musk to reconsider his perception of organized labor.
Speaking ahead of the strike’s second anniversary, Nilsson stated that Tesla should understand that Swedish unions operate differently from their American counterparts, and they deserve the opportunity to prove it.
IF Metall leader urges Tesla to understand Sweden’s system
In an interview with Dagens Arbete (DA), Nilsson stated that Tesla’s skepticism toward labor unions likely stems from the company’s experience in the United States, where labor organizations have historically taken a more combative approach. She emphasized that Swedish unions function under a cooperative framework that benefits both employers and workers.
“I can certainly understand that Elon Musk and Tesla are skeptical of the trade union movement. They have experience with American unions that operate in a completely different environment and that have to be militant in a different way.
“I would say: Don’t compare Swedish unions with American ones. Let’s give us a chance. Signing a collective agreement in Sweden also does not mean that you are committed to collective agreements in the rest of the world, but it is the practical system we have here to regulate the conditions,” Nilsson stated.
Nilsson rejected the idea that Tesla Sweden is being unfairly targeted
The IF Metall leader also reflected on the conflict’s duration, calling it unprecedented in Swedish labor history. While she admitted the union should have organized Tesla workers earlier, she maintained that the movement remains determined. “No one can possibly imagine what it is like not to go to work for two years,” Nilsson said, praising members who have continued to maintain their protest against the EV maker.
Nilsson also rejected any notion that the union is targeting Tesla unfairly. “Tesla is not a poor little company that we are trying to crush in any way,” she said. “But this is a global player, and we cannot accept that they should have different conditions in Sweden than other entrepreneurs have.”
She confirmed that IF Metall is now prepared to take greater risks, especially after the Swedish Mediation Institute stepped back from talks. “It is impossible for us to do anything else. This is a large and important player, and therefore we need to take this conflict. It is impossible for us to do anything else,” Nilsson said.
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