Tesla Puts EVs To Scorching Test In Dubai Desert — Did They Pass?

Tesla Inc TSLA on Wednesday posted a fresh video of its cars maneuvering the terrains of Dubai in scorching summers.

What Happened: The video posted on Tesla’s YouTube channel features the EV maker’s field quality engineers testing the cars in extreme heat conditions.

The testing was focused on mileage accumulation, hot weather-related tests as well as product launch testing. Similar testing is also conducted in Norway during winter to make sure the vehicle can thrive in both extremely hot and cold conditions, the engineers say in the video.

“UAE is perfect because the climate is consistent it’s always super hot, extreme humidity,” the engineers said.

“The hot climate is really challenging for the vehicle because it has to cool with the battery and the drive units and also it’s really important to keep the passengers cool.”

The testing involves driving black Tesla cars- a Model Y and a U.S. Model X plaid- between 230 and 400kms in 51-degree Celsius heat amid sand and dust storms.

Why It Matters: Tesla offers climate control in both its Model X and Model Y which is set to ‘auto’ by default. Its cabin overheat protection feature prevents the cabin from getting too hot in scorching conditions. It also has a defrost car option to melt snow, ice, and frost on the windshield, windows, and mirrors.

As per an analysis of National Transportation Safety Board (NSTB) data by researchers from AutoinsuranceEZ, BEVs are far safer than hybrids and ICE cars. Hybrid cars are most prone to fire, followed by combustion engine vehicles, the research concluded. There were 3,474.5 hybrid fires per 100,000 vehicles, 1,529.9 gasoline car fires, and only 25.1 electric vehicle fires per 100,000, as per the analysis.

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