Lightning damage

[Olle]

Now that we are in back in lightning season I was curious to hear if anyone had their house struck by lightning while charing their Tesla? If so, would warranty or insurance pay to repair the car? I'm too scared to find out so I usually unplug when lightning is about to strike close by.

 

[Electric700]

Earlier this year I was charging my car using a 120 V line with a Belkin surge protector, and lightning blew the surge protector out but the car was fine. Surge protectors are definitely worth it!

I recommend you get a whole-house surge protector like this one (where I was charging earlier didn't have one of these): Leviton 120/240-Volt Residential Whole House Surge Protector-R02-51110-SRG - The Home Depot

Insurance may pay for the repairs if your car is damaged by lightning, and Tesla may be able to help as well. Your warranty might partially or fully cover the work too.

 

[ahkahn]

I wonder if there is some type of protection already built into the car? I'd think they have a surge protector on it? Perhaps in the EVSE or in the HPWC?

 

[jerry33]

Most of the time I do if the lightning seems at all close.

 

[jerry33]

I wonder if there is some type of protection already built into the car? I'd think they have a surge protector on it? Perhaps in the EVSE or in the HPWC?

There's no surge protector that will stop lightning strike damage if the strike is close. I had a lightning strike near the data centre a couple of years ago. It went right through the PDUs and their surge protectors and destroyed some of the UPSes that were fed by it. These were all big units (big means about the volume of a Model S). The PDUs did reduce the force enough so that only the PDUs and some of the UPSes were slagged but the computers were actually okay.

 

[ahkahn]

There's no surge protector that will stop lightning strike damage if the strike is close. I had a lightning strike near the data centre a couple of years ago. It went right through the PDUs and their surge protectors and destroyed some of the UPSes that were fed by it. These were all big units (big means about the volume of a Model S). The PDUs did reduce the force enough so that only the PDUs and some of the UPSes were slagged but the computers were actually okay.

Wow, that's crazy. I wonder if anyone has ever had their Tesla damaged by lightning....

EDIT: Maybe it Supercharges it?!?! Lol....

 

[GWord]

Wow, that's crazy. I wonder if anyone has ever had their Tesla damaged by lightning....

EDIT: Maybe it Supercharges it?!?! Lol....

And then you travel back in time.

 

[ahkahn]

They'd be blown away by a Tesla in 1985.

 

[ibdb]

Not their house, but there was this thread a while back:

So, my car was hit by lightning at the Grove City, OH supercharger...

 

[dgpcolorado]

I do unplug sometimes but we have entirely underground utilities here, so I'd have to be really unlucky to get a lightning surge though the underground lines (although it can happen). My house is concrete and steel and I figure that the steel roof likely sheds charge as a lightning rod would do.

Lots of lightning this time of the year though — right now, as it happens — it's monsoon season!

 

[mmccord]

They'd be blown away by a Tesla in 1985.

Most people i talk to in 2017 are still blown away by it.

 

[supratachophobia]

Wow, that's crazy. I wonder if anyone has ever had their Tesla damaged by lightning....

EDIT: Maybe it Supercharges it?!?! Lol....

It's happened, and it does not supercharge.