Too much of anything is generally bad. So while the Tesla Model S uses electricity to spin its motors and power a sophisticated infotainment system, the sedan doesn’t respond well to a lighting strike.
According to Teslarati, owner Sarah Day was at a Supercharger in Georgia giving her Model S some juice when a bolt of lighting struck near her car. Rather than getting sent back to 1955, the sedan suddenly had a litany of problems: errors popped up on the screen, the vehicle completely stopped charging and soon after the 12-volt battery went out. Worst of all, the charging cable wouldn’t disconnect even when the automaker sent a tow truck to pick up the stricken EV. This all happened on a Sunday, so the local Tesla store wasn’t open, either.
Now, Day’s Model S is in the hands of Tesla for service. She told Teslarati that one technician indicated that the vehicle might have detected a voltage spike and shut itself down as a precaution. In addition to the dashcam video from the front (above), Day recently posted the clip from the rear during the strike (below) to provide another angle on this electrifying occurrence.