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Tesla Owner Saw Smoke Come From His Tesla Model Y While Charging: What It Actually Was

A Tesla Model Y owner says he saw smoke coming from his Tesla Model Y while charging at a Tesla Supercharger. Here's what it actually was.
Tesla Owner Saw Smoke Come From His Tesla Model Y While Charging: What It Actually Was

Tesla Owner Charging at a Tesla Supercharger

While charging at a Tesla Supercharger, David Ciccone (his name on X) unexpectedly started to see his Tesla Model Y emitting smoke. He exited the vehicle and unplugged it from the Supercharger.

After that, he dialed 911, and the police and fire departments were dispatched. In addition to this, the roadside assistance informed him of a $319 charge to flatbed the car to Tesla, as it was not drivable.

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His Model Y is only 9 months old and at this point in time, he described the process like so:

I'm not satisfied with the entire process fo far

Seeing what was believed to be smoke was probably a bit harrowing for David and if this was hist first time seeing it, I don't blame him for being a bit alarmed.

As time went on, David realized that it wasn't smoke coming from his Tesla Model Y, but something else...

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What Actually Happened

David reported that the local Tesla service center provided exceptional service and dedicated two days to diagnosing his battery pack.

Tesla service determined the battery pack was undamaged, that it did experience excessive heat at 159 degrees Fahrenheit (70.5 C), leading the heat pump to work intensively, resulting in significant steam production.

Sentry mode had no recordings as there was no trigger incident.

David also appreciated the several online news agencies covering this story and emphasized the importance of educating the public on heat pumps in the Model 3 and Model Y.

He also suggests that Tesla update their battery pre-conditioning software to not be a generic statement, but to have a visual gauge, similar to a speedometer from red to green, which would allow owners to monitor how close they are to reaching the optimal charging temperatures on their way to a Tesla Supercharger.

The result was that this was steam and not smoke. One thing to do if you see your Tesla emitting any kind of smoke-like gas is to smell and see if it smells like smoke. If there is no smell, chances are, it is steam.

The Tesla owner's manual has this to say:

"For example, odorless steam can come from the front of your vehicle while charging at a Supercharger in cold temperature. This is normal and not a cause for concern."

Dirty Tesla, from X had this to say:

Bro it's like 50 in Michigan. Also, I've never seen steam coming from my Tesla.

However, Bearded Tesla responded quickly to him saying this:

I have many times. Moisture and cooler temps do this.

Tesla should put a message on the screen on cold weather mornings at the start of charging with some kind of informative alert or warning. Seeing steam for the first time in a Tesla would be alarming if you didn't know it was probably steam. I know I would raise an eyebrow and be alarmed if I saw steam for the first time from my Tesla Model 3 RWD.

I expect to see a software update that addresses this issue in the coming months - this is an important one to resolve so other owners don't panic if they see steam.

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What do you think about this situation - was the owner right to call 911? What can Tesla do better in the future to help Tesla owners who see any kind of steam come from their Tesla vehicle?

Share this article with friends and family and on social media - or leave a comment below. You can view my most recent articles here for further reading. I am also on X/Twitter where I post more than just articles daily, as well as LinkedIn! Thank you so much for your support!

Hi! I'm Jeremy Noel Johnson, and I am a Tesla investor and supporter and own a 2022 Model 3 RWD EV and I don't have range anxiety :). I enjoy bringing you breaking Tesla news as well as anything about Tesla or other EV companies I can find, like Aptera. Other interests of mine are AI, Tesla Energy and the Tesla Bot! You can follow me on X.COM or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow my Tesla and EV news coverage.

Image Credit, David Ciccone, Screenshot

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