Tesla’s Norwegian customers report Model S charging difficulties

Tesla may be facing fresh problems with its Model S charging cables, as some Norwegian owners complain of charging difficulties. Initial reports suggest the affected drivers have experienced an increase in problems as the temperature drops to extreme lows, though a representative claims the issue is related to Norway’s electricity grid.

The California-based automaker quickly dispatched a dozen technicians to determine the cause of the problems and test potential fixes, according to a Dagens Næringsliv report.

“It is the way that the adapter has reacted against the Norwegian network that must be adjusted,” said Esben Pedersen, Tesla’s head of communications in Norway. “This is an ongoing process.”

Tesla engineers have begun distributing a software update with tweaked tolerances that are designed to accommodate the particular characteristics of Norway’s power grid. Service manager Michael White believes the update solved “most of the charging problems,” however Pedersen cautions that “conditions are changing constantly” and the team will continue to work on further solutions.

The company recently issued a voluntary recall for 29,000 charging cables, citing potential fire risk due to a defect that is claimed to only affect 2.7 percent of the chargers. Amid an ongoing NHTSA investigation related to several catastrophic fires, chief executive Elon Musk has argued against the agency’s use of the term “recall” and consequent sensationalization in the media.