Elon Musk calls out New York Times after Model S strands test driver

Most new-car test drives rarely evoke drama, even those involving the Spanish police. But a recent trip by a New York Times writer up the East Coast in a Tesla Model S not only produced teeth-grinding suspense but a nervous reaction on Wall Street and an accusation from co-founder Elon Musk that the story was "fake." "Range anxiety," it turns out, can apply to both electric cars and the companies that build them.

For his drive, Times writer John Broder took the Tesla Model S sedan and its 265-mile range from Washington, D.C., to Norwich, Conn., to test the new "supercharger" free charging stations Tesla had installed along Interstate 95. Trouble began, as it often does, in New Jersey, when the Model S' range estimates began dropping faster than Broder could rack up miles.

To make his stop in Milford, Conn., Broder had to drive without heat and at 54 mph, about 26 mph less than the average observed speed on northeastern turnpikes. He made it, barely, and recharged for an hour to get 186 miles back in the batteries. After driving an additional 80 miles, Broder parked — without plugging the Model S in — and spent the night, ready to use the 90 miles showing on the car's range guide the next morning.

When that cold morning arrived, the Tesla had a surprise: Overnight, its batteries had lost enough charge to cut the car's range to 26 miles. After an attempt to recharge at a nearby quick charging outlet, the Model S died on the road and had to be lifted by flatbed — since its electric parking brakes would not release without current — to the Milford station.

The winter weather played a large role in the Tesla's poor performance; all electric vehicles hold less energy in temperature extremes. Tesla also gave Broder conflicting, and at time incorrect, advice about how to get the most energy from the car. And the location of Tesla's free charging stations in Newark, Del., and Milford require the car to get almost exactly its full range to cover the distance.