--- title: "Tesla Tests EVs in Freezing Cold at “Secure Facility” in Alaska" description: "According to CNET, Tesla is testing cold weather electric vehicles at a \"secure facility\" about two hours from Fairbanks, Alaska." date: "2019-01-06" modified: "2019-01-06" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-tests-evs-freezing-cold" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "electric vehicles" - "model s" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Tests EVs in Freezing Cold at “Secure Facility” in Alaska ![According to CNET, Tesla is testing cold weather electric vehicles at a "secure facility" about two hours from Fairbanks, Alaska.]() *\Image: Tesla/Jon Christian\* ## Secure Facility Electric cars are becoming more practical every year — but not so much in cold climates, where low temperatures [wreak havoc on battery storage capacity](). According to *CNET*, electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla is [working to change that]() at a "secure facility" about two hours from Fairbanks, Alaska, where company engineers are working to develop EVs that can handle safely and operate efficiently in the icy cold. ## Freezing Cold Before *CNET* editor Tim Stevens, no journalist had been allowed at the facility. He found a no-nonsense facility that the military has also used to test advanced vehicles, and reported that he had a blast tearing up the snowy course in a Model S. "I got to drive it all and was left with the overwhelming impression that Tesla's test engineers are a pretty lucky crew, with access to the ultimate low-grip playground all day, every day, the only penalty being its frigid and remote location," Stevens wrote. ## Battery Cage While Stevens discussed the challenges of developing batteries that perform well at low temperatures, his reporting mainly focused on Tesla's efforts to develop vehicles that handle well on snow and ice. But he did suggest that the company's engineers are working on strategies to make more efficient use of power in freezing conditions. "And while handling and safety of course are a major part of the equation, Tesla tunes the HVAC behavior of its cars here as well, honing their ability to perform efficiently in extreme conditions," he wrote. **READ MORE:** [An exclusive look at Tesla's extreme cold testing facility]() \[*CNET*\] ***More on Tesla:** [A Tesla Owner Is Fighting Back Against Aggressive Truck Drivers]()* ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()