Tesla Smoking While Supercharging? What’s Really Happening

As winter arrives and temperatures plummet, a common concern among Tesla owners resurfaces.

If you’ve found yourself here after frantically searching for answers about “smoke” emanating from your Tesla while Supercharging, take a moment to relax—it’s perfectly normal.

Tesla Smoking While Charging

During Supercharging in freezing conditions, even with preconditioning, you may notice steam rising from your Tesla. But fear not, your car is not actually smoking.

Your Tesla’s heat pump is diligently working to warm both the cabin and battery, ensuring your comfort and optimal charging temperatures. As time passes, condensation and ice accumulate in the heat exchanger coils.

Why Does This Occur?

Upon arriving at a Supercharger, your vehicle’s heat pump is still generating heat. However, in the absence of cold air from driving to keep the heat exchanger coils cool, the ice and condensation quickly evaporate, creating a smoke-like appearance.

This phenomenon typically occurs near the front of the vehicle, where a traditional car would have an engine. New Tesla owners may be taken aback by this sight, but rest assured, it’s simply water vapor and is completely normal in cold weather.

In fact, this occurrence can be observed in any electric vehicle with a heat pump in cold climates. So, if you’ve witnessed steam emanating from your vehicle and felt alarmed, know that you’re not alone.

Now that you understand what’s happening, feel confident to continue Supercharging.