Tesla Model Y Suddenly Loses Power on Highway, Raising Safety and Range Concerns

On the evening of February 7, a 2022 Tesla Model Y suddenly lost all electrical power approximately 2 kilometers away from Shengzhou Service Area, leaving the vehicle without propulsion and unable to activate its hazard lights. The owner, Ms. Chen, described feeling "utterly desperate" at the time. Tesla’s after-sales service initially attributed the issue to an "unstable battery state" and advised drivers to recharge when the remaining range drops to 100 kilometers during highway driving—a recommendation that has sparked widespread controversy. Similar incidents have been previously reported by Model 3 owners, involving vehicles losing control of their displays and subsequently shutting down after speed limitations were imposed on highways. Repair engineers indicated the fault might be linked to the DC-DC converter or the body control module, emphasizing that critical safety features like hazard lights could fail during a power outage if the low-voltage system lacks an independent backup power source, posing significant safety risks. The incident has reignited public debate over the minimum safety thresholds for electric vehicle range and reliability on highways.