‘A Bunch of Dead Robots:’ Frigid Chicago Temps Turn EV Charging Stations into ‘Car Graveyards’

Breitbart.com ^ | Jan. 16, 2024 | Lucas Nolan

[libstripper]

A surge of stranded electric vehicles, predominantly Tesla cars, has overtaken the Oak Brook Supercharger station in Chicago, as a severe cold snap renders many EVs powerless and immobile.

Fox 32 reports that the recent wave of freezing temperatures in Chicago has taken a significant toll on EVs, causing an unusual scene at the Oak Brook Tesla Supercharging station. This station, along with many others around the Chicago area, has been crowded with dead Teslas, as owners face difficulties in charging their vehicles​​.

[Tell It Right]

I wish I had a dollar for every time I met other EV owners at charging stations on trips and I was thanked for doing my part to save the world and such. I always reply that I'm not religious enough to believe that mess, that having an EV as our main car is practical for my wife and me. (Drive it 26K miles per year so that the gas savings makes it worth it, warm climate, charge mostly at home, our other car is an ICE pickup to handle pickup chores and in case we go on a trip that an EV is bad for, etc.).

Most of the other EV owners talk like I'm an idiot for not being part of their warmageddon cult. But lately I'm hearing from others that they got an EV for practical reasons like me (though I've yet to hear that talk from a Tesla owner LOL).

[Myrddin]

Most EV owners in my neighborhood have a BMW or Lexus next to the EV in their garages. These EV owners tend to be rather affluent and so they have options.

My sister and brother in law had a Chevy pickup and an Acura. The Acura had the best MPG and was employed for trips from San Diego to Truckee. The Acura was traded in for a Tesla. My sister enjoys driving the Tesla, but it isn't suitable for the Truckee trip. The high gas prices in San Diego were the primary motivation. I paid $6.78/gallon for gas in San Diego when visiting for my 50th high reunion. Yesterday, most gasoline prices in my part of Idaho are in the $2.60/gallon range. The drive from Pocatello to Idaho Falls featured temperatures in range of +1F to +7F. Overnight we had -13F in Pocatello. Returning to the point, the fuel price as a motivation was tunnel vision around San Diego fuel prices. The bigger problem is the means to visit Truckee to see the grandkids has been FUBAR'ed.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Same here in the perfect-climate San Francisco Bay Area. This climate was invented for EVs. If only everybody could live there, EVs would be a raging success.

[cgbg]

Maybe the big yellow bricks—formerly known as electric school buses in cold climates—can be reused as homeless shelters.

[Macoozie]

“An old saying goes, Mercedes owners want to show how much they have, BMW owners want to show how much they know.”

Back in the day in my area, many rich folks did not buy German cars. Nazi stuff and all that. And they were not really all that great anyway.

They bought Cadillacs, and the smart ones bought Lincolns.
Few went the MoPar route with Imperials. They were for folks from the “Other Side of the Tracks”. You know, the ones who’s kids wore ProKeds instead of Chuck T’s.

[Myrddin]

I had to work in San Diego for a few years. I rented a room that was 7.5 miles from the office. I weighed buying a Zero electric bike for the commute. That would have worked, but there were places that I wanted to travel around San Diego that would require freeway travel distances of up to 50 miles. I opted for a Kawasaki Versys. $8000 for the Versys vs $10k+ for the Zero. The Versys delivers 53 MPG and can top out at 128 MPH, so it has plenty of reserve for safe freeway travel.

I have the Versys back in Idaho now. It handles 80 MPG freeway speeds just fine. The Zero can't even play in that world.

[bray]

This could put Starbucks out of business.

[Disambiguator]

They call them “zero emission” vehicles, but in reality they are “remote emissions” vehicles, as the pollution generated by manufacturing and charging them takes place somewhere else.

[Texas resident]

Well, these cars are zero emissions now...

[catnipman]

to paraphrase Pulp Fiction: They should have fricking better known better ...

[MIchaelTArchangel]

To quote Chinese philosopher Foo Kim: No fooling?

[Uncle Miltie]

How heavy are battery powered cars again?

[Yo-Yo]

[Blood of Tyrants]

The ride share and delivery drivers who bought an EV thinking to save money on gas are rethinking their choice now.

[Big Red Badger]

There’s a Ford Lightning F150 2023 model
here as I’m getting my F250 serviced.
Do I take a Test ride?

[Dr. Sivana]

Back in the day in my area, many rich folks did not buy German cars. Nazi stuff and all that. And they were not really all that great anyway.

Also, the largest Mercedes Benz cars available in the U.S. in that era were no larger than a mid-sized Olds or Mercury, but cost more. The BMWs (if you could even get them then) were smaller than Valiants and Falcons.

[Yo-Yo]

Do I take a Test ride?

Sure, but pack a lunch in case you get stranded.

[kawhill]

lol. I can’t wait until John Deere introduces a battery powered combine. Only problem is there aren’t any charging stations out in the north forty.

[catnipman]

“Do I take a Test ride?”

that’s a trick question, right?

[POWG]

ELECTRIC CARS ARE DOOMED!!

Everybody sell your Tesla stock so I can buy it cheap.