‘It’s giving smoke’: Tesla driver spots something alarming while he charges. Then he learns what’s actually going on
A Tesla driver recently called out the company for an apparent malfunction that left him thinking that his car might blow up.
Tai (@taigatli), the car owner, said that he noticed a smoke-type substance emitting from his car while it charged. Tai said that the problem got so bad that “every time” he walked by it, he thought it was about to explode.
“Elon, baby, I need you to fix this,” Tai said.
In his TikTok’s accompanying caption, he wrote, “Wtf wrong with Tesla!!”
As of Monday, Tai’s video calling out the supposed issue with his Tesla had amassed more than 226,800 views.
Was the content creator’s Tesla about to burst?
Thankfully, no. It’s only charging. As Tai showed in the latter half of his clip, water vapor may come from your Tesla while it’s charging.
“May be visible in cold weather, continue charging,” a message on the car read.
The news that his Tesla wasn’t on the verge of bursting didn’t exactly satisfy Tai, however. His message to Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO and founder was: “We need to fix it. I don’t like it.”
Why does the Tesla emit water vapor?
Water vapor may come from your Tesla while it’s charging in cold weather. This is completely normal and should not be a cause for concern.
According to Tesla, the vapor is a result of condensation from the ambient moisture in the air mixing with the cold surface around the charging port. But the steam is harmless.
“As long as the steam is white and not black or dark, everything is fine. It's just water vapor, which poses no danger,” the Tesla website reads. “You can also tell by the smell whether you need to be concerned or not. Water vapor is odorless. So if the smoke coming from your Tesla while charging is black and smells burnt, that's when you should be concerned.”
Pro tips for charging your Tesla in cold weather
Tesla recommends preconditioning the battery should you have to charge your car when it’s cold. To do this, use the “Trip Planner” feature on your vehicle’s app to get to a charging station and allow your car’s battery to warm up before you arrive. This helps reduce the amount of time spent charging.
Tesla also suggested keeping your car plugged in while not in use to maintain battery warmth. It said, too, that Tesla owners might consider scheduling their car for preconditioning to ensure it’s ready to drive when they need it.
Viewers say Tesla owner is focused on the wrong thing
In the comments section of Tai’s video, many viewers pointed out another flaw with his Tesla: that it was poorly parked.
Though not a focal point of Tai’s TikTok, many commenters joked that Tai’s parking job was the most urgent problem that needed fixing.
“Bro you have 7 cameras and still park like that??? The smoke is the least of your problems,” one user wrote.
“Relax fam and fix that parking instead,” another quipped.
“First you need to fix your parking,” a third user added.
Others pointed out that the alleged problem Tai wanted to be fixed isn’t fixable.
“Elon can’t change the laws of physics,” one viewer said.
“Bro wants Tesla to fix condensation,” another commented.
“It’s just water vapor do you need a simple science explanation,” a third user added.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Tia via TikTok comment and to Tesla through email.
@taigatli Wtf wrong with Tesla!! #fyp #tesla ♬ original sound - tai
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