Consumer_Reports_-_April_2020

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MY CAR WASH OFTEN

POSTS A SIGN SAYING

IT DOESN’T WASH TESLAS.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT?

Tesla has warned owners not to

use a car wash that cleans with

brushes, hot water, or detergents.

As a result, some car washes have

declined to wash Tesla Model 3s.

And Tesla owners have reported in online

forums that it can be difficult to leave their

vehicle in Neutral without a driver present,

because Teslas have safeguards to prevent

rollaways of unattended vehicles. This can be

a problem at automated car washes that don’t

allow drivers to stay in their car.

We checked the manuals for other EVs

and found only a few car-wash warnings.

Hyundai warns Kona Electric owners to make

sure the charging port door is closed to avoid

water damage. Nissan warns that in the Leaf

EV, the ePedal feature—a regenerative braking

system that recharges the battery—should

be deactivated. And Chevy Bolt owners get

special instructions on how to put the vehicle

in Neutral so that it can move driverless

through an automated car wash.

The International Carwash Association

(ICA) says Tesla’s warnings don’t account

for environmentally friendly soaps and dirt-

repelling foam washcloths used in many car

washes today. Eric Wulf, the ICA’s CEO, says

a dirty car can raise concerns about safety

because advanced safety systems need

sensors and cameras clear of dirt and debris

to work properly.

near your parking spot,

you might need to hire an

electrician to install one.

3. Buy a dedicated EV home

charging station (also 240-

volt) and hire an electrician

to install it. These Level 2

chargers, often wall-mounted,

allow for easy charging access

and are made by companies

such as ChargePoint and

Siemens. You can buy them

at many retailers, including

Home Depot and Amazon.

They range from about $300

to $700. It might be more

challenging to charge an EV

if you live in an apartment

or condo complex. Some EV

owners run an extension cord

from the parking lot to an

outlet on the outside of the

building or in their home, but

that won’t work for everyone.

Some apartment complexes

have added parking garage

charging stations, says Chris

Harto, an energy policy

analyst at Consumer Reports

in Washington, D.C.

accept this limitation or buy

a replacement battery.

Nissan, for example, charges

more than $12,000, but

recently the company has

offered a refurbished battery

pack in Japan for less than

$3,000. CR says cheaper

refurbished battery packs are

a sensible choice if your EV

is 10 years old or more.

Be aware that frequent

use of DC fast chargers

can degrade range faster.

Draining the battery to zero

or frequently charging to

100 percent also can hurt range

over time. Geotab recommends

that EV owners maintain a

charge of 20 to 80 percent. (EV

panel displays give real-time

range estimates.)

A:

APRIL 2020 CR.ORG