A user on TikTok is calling out Tesla after claiming that it took her over an hour for her to recharge the car “just to get home.”
In a video with over 210,000 views, TikTok user Brandi (@thehemmertlakehouse) says, “In case you’re wondering what it’s like to have a Tesla, it’s 10:27 p.m. and we still have an hour and five minutes of charging just to get home, and our house is a good 50 miles away. Go team!”
In the text overlaying the video, she adds, “My recommendation…..when you[r] husband says let’s trade in our Yukon for a Tesla. Keep the Yukon. I would pay the extra gas not to have to sit here.”
However, in the comments section, users were suspicious of Brandi’s claim.
“That’s not mathing, either you are towing something heavy, or that supercharger is not working. 50 miles is about 17Kw. 1 hour means it’s charging at 17Kwh, that’s an urban charger that can go 75Kwh,” claimed a user.
“No way it should take that long,” echoed another. “15-20min tops at chargers.”
For context, Tesla’s website offers a list of charging options and how many miles one can expect to go following different charging times. At a Tesla Supercharger, the site claims that one can get “Up to 200 miles in 15 minutes of charge.” For both Destination Charging and Wall Connectors, a driver can expect “Up to 44 miles of range per hour of charge.”
The slowest option is the Mobile Connector, which plugs into a standard 3-prong American outlet. These will only fill the car “Up to 3 miles of range per hour of charge.”
@thehemmertlakehouse I should have said no. #teslasucks #notfortheweak #ijusttwanttogohome ♬ original sound – Brandi Jo Garner Hem
In a follow-up video, Brandi revealed that, as she lives “in the middle of nowhere,” her closest Supercharger is around 50 miles away. She continues by noting that she has a home charger, but that she still charges her car slightly more than the stated mileage as she doesn’t want to risk running out of charge on the way home.
“I’m not gonna bank on exactly 50 miles to get home and hope that 50 miles is exactly right. So I charged it a little more,” she explains.
“Didn’t mean to cause so many issues, but I’ll always be honest here and just for where we live, Tesla is just not it,” she concludes.
Given this context, it is likely that Brandi was not charging at a Supercharger and was instead using a Destination Charging area or the Mobile Connector.
“We were fooled into thinking our home charger would be enough,” Brandi explained in a comment. “We made a mistake. Live and learn.”
@thehemmertlakehouse Replying to @windjimes ♬ original sound – Brandi Jo Garner Hem
In the comments section, while many shared their love for their Tesla vehicles, others noted some of the potential issues of owning a Tesla when one does not live near Superchargers.
“Definitely a location issue. I wouldn’t go Tesla if that was an issue too,” said a commenter.
“We rented a Tesla for a weekend trip and it was so stressful worrying about having enough charge and knowing if a charger would be available. I don’t blame you,” added another.
The Daily Dot reached out to Brandi via Instagram direct message.
