Tow truck operators in Alaska might have a word of advice for those driving electric cars in Alaska’s wintertime: Don’t put your winter gear in the front luggage compartment, also known as a “frunk.” You could freeze to death.
Scott Hockema, owner of Scott’s Towing & Hauling in Soldotna, came across a Tesla full of young adults shivering in the late night cold, wearing only their t-shirts. Their Tesla was inoperable along the shoulder near Kasilof, on the Kenai Peninsula, and, in frigid nighttime temperatures, they could not get the frunk to open. The insurance company told them they’d send a truck in the morning. So they called Scott’s Towing, one of the few tow truck operators who work nights in the area.
Hockema was able to get the passengers warm, and then lifted and hauled the car to a charging station in Soldotna. But there, the group found that the car was so dead that when they plugged in the 4-foot charging cord, the vehicle wouldn’t charge.
That’s when the towing challenge went from slightly out-of-the-ordinary to pro. The vehicle had been towed so many times the towing hook was broken. It was hard to get close with the tow truck. And a tow operator just can’t jack up an electric car from anywhere.
“You have to use a jump box on two small wires in the bumper to open the hood to jump to the 12-volt battery to get the big batteries to start charging. But the electric actuators were not working, so the hood wouldn’t open.” The actuators were frozen.
The Tesla was inoperable until the owner could get a technician from Anchorage to get the hood open and jump the 12-volt battery.
Hockema said that the incident was a reminder that electric cars’ batteries are not only drained by cold weather, but also by the amount of weight in the car — in this case four people and luggage, which can make battery life unpredictable. Having to heat the cabin of the vehicle also drains the battery. He pointed out that electric vehicles don’t come with spare tires, as manufacturers try to keep costs down. And since most everything can be run off of an app on a smart phone, you don’t want your phone battery to die as you wait by the side of the road in the middle of an Alaska winter. This group of Alaskans, who were heading to Anchorage over the pass with a winter advisory calling for 8-12” of snow, were actually lucky they broke down in Kasilof.
With more automobile owners turning to electric cars in Alaska, Hockema noted that tow operators are having to come up with new ways to “McGyver” them out of the ditch and on a flatbed for towing; electric cars cannot be towed without a flatbed.
Hockema said he’s not trying to bash EV owners, but wants them to be aware of what to expect in the harsh Alaska winters.
