Owners of brand new 2021 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are reporting serious problems with the heating system, which is only giving up in the coming winter.
Sources tell us that this is a fairly common problem.
Tesla and the cold
Tesla is often accused of being a ‘California company’ that does not design cars for cold climates.
The truth is that Tesla vehicles perform very well in the cold when it comes to driving performance.
Electric drives provide a lot of torque and allow powerful four-wheel drive through two-motor drives, which can be extremely useful in winter. However, Tesla has experienced some issues when it comes to daily use in extreme cold.
During the first winter of Model 3, we reported that the vehicle had some serious faults, such as the windows, the handle and the loading door that froze.
Tesla has addressed these issues, but a new one has now surfaced.
Tesla’s heating system edition in new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles
Several Tesla owners are currently reporting that the heating simply stopped in their vehicles in cold weather.
Nathalie Desrosiers had her brand new Model 3 just a week before the climate system stopped pushing the air, which in December, to say the least, is less than ideal in Québec.
She told Electrek that Tesla took her car into use, lent her another car and did not explain the issue, but the company said she probably would not have her car back until January 11th.
This is because the issue is fairly widespread and that Tesla’s service centers in Quebec are working on many vehicles with the same problem, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Furthermore, Tesla forums and Facebook groups in northern regions, such as Quebec, where Tesla vehicles are popular, are currently flooded with new Tesla Model 3 owners having the same problem with their heating system.
Could it be Tesla’s new heat pump?
The source of the problem is currently unclear, but it seems to only affect Model Y vehicles and brand new Model 3 vehicles, both of which are equipped with Tesla’s new heat pump system.
In March 2020, Tesla introduced Model Y, and it was the first vehicle with a new “Octovalve” and heat pump system, which is more efficient than resistant heating.
With the first delivery taking place in California, the electric sports utility vehicle will now go through the first real winter, and the new 2021 Model 3, which now also contains the same heat pump system as the Model Y, will begin to be delivered.
We will keep you informed if we can get more information about the situation.
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