Michigan drivers face vehicle troubles, car wrecks as subzero temperatures grip state

As more bitter cold air blasts the Midwest, many schools canceled classes for another day, frustrating parents, and Detroiters proud of their automotive heritage are now facing another cold-weather related problem: car trouble.

"Extremely cold temperatures can wreak havoc on vehicle functionality," AAA said in an advisory, warning about temperatures in the single digits and teens for the next few days, and an even colder wind chill, adding that "calls for dead batteries and other service-related needs across Michigan are expected to jump."

The National Weather Service forecast on Wednesday calls for temperatures in the teens, with a subzero wind chill advisory for metro Detroit until noon. It is expected to warm a few degrees on Thursday with 2-4 inches of snow and on Friday with 2 more inches.

Meteorologists expect temperatures remain below freezing — 32 degrees ― until Monday, and even then, the high is forecast to be 33.

Meanwhile, at the electric vehicle charging station at 8 Mile and Woodward, cars lined up for and five deep Wednesday, waiting to find an open spot as frustrated drivers complained that it was taking extra long to power up.

"It has never been this slow," Mike Williams, 22, of Southfield, said as he waited for his Tesla Model X to recharge, adding that the vehicle is not a cold weather car. "It's terrible!"

Rodney Morley, a 45-year-old Uber driver, added that the night before at a charging station in Roseville, it was even worse, with 50 cars vying for spots. A few, he said, lost power all together and had to be pushed to a charger.

Service calls for all cars, electric and gas powered, are up about 240%, compared to the same time last year, AAA in Michigan said. Most calls for dead batteries, flat tires and tows, auto club spokeswoman Adrienne Woodland said.

"We've been very busy and we are prioritizing stranded motorists and those in emergency situations," she added. "However, we are advising people to stay home if it's not critical to travel."

At Troy’s Towing in Detroit the number of calls in the past few days has tripled during the day shift, with wait times of up to two hours, dispatcher Gina Frontenac said, adding there are "a lot more accidents" as folks slip on ice and hit potholes.

Automakers, which have been trying to move to an electrified future, are up against one of the biggest criticisms of electric vehicles: the batteries. The extreme cold is making it difficult to recharge them, proving to skeptics that the technology has a way to go.

With cold weather forecasted all week, it’s unclear how long schools will cancel classes, raising child-care issues. The weather concern isn’t just that the freezing temperatures snow will make driving conditions treacherous, but that the cold increases the risks of frostbite.

And at least one Oakland County man, police said, died from hypothermia.

More: Michigan braces for prolonged deep freeze as dangerous temperatures grip state

But in some school districts, parents also are concerned students are missing final exams and the delay could affect their grades.

Ferndale Schools, which was closed Wednesday, but appears to be opening Thursday, explained in its announcement that the closure Wednesday is "due to the forecasted subzero temperatures and wind chill conditions in the region."

The district also said that middle and high school exam schedules have been rescheduled for the rest of the week and next Monday.

As for the challenges motorists face, AAA urged that drivers keep at least a half-tank of gas to help prevent gas lines from freezing, to make sure the engine coolant has antifreeze, and to try, if possible, to park in a garage or put a tarp over the hood.

EV owners have additional worries.

Initially, it was power reliability, as tens of thousands of Michiganders waited for utilities to reconnect downed electric lines. But now, as the power has been mostly restored but the extreme cold lingers, news outlets nationwide are reporting long lines at charging stations.

The news reports, mostly from Chicago, focus on the woes of EVs, highlighting the car owners’ frustration with dead batteries as the cold drains power and slows the time it takes — hours — to even partially recharge them.

Tesla, a well-known maker of electric vehicles, noted among other things on its webpage that in cold weather, "vehicles use more energy to heat the battery and cabin, and it’s normal to see energy consumption increase." It also pointed out that the cold could freeze up doors, autopilot sensors and delay charging.

That's bad news for electric cars and hard to counter with advertising.

Even before the cold snap that has put the nation into a deep freeze, there were signs that automakers and car rental companies, like Hertz, are rethinking their ambitious, electric car plans.

Hertz, for instance, which went all in on EVs, recently announced it would sell 20,000 cars, a third of its electric vehicle fleet and op, instead for gas-powered automobiles. The reason it mentioned: Higher expenses related to collisions and repairs.

In October, General Motors and Honda announced plans to halt their plan to jointly develop affordable electric vehicles together, calling it "difficult as a business," although both companies also said they were committed to their electrified vehicle sales goals.

Advocates of the electric vehicle technology, however, expect that the batteries — and access to charging ― will improve as more people buy EVs, and reducing carbon emissions is key to trying to curb climate change, which, arguably is connected to the extreme weather, including the cold that is sapping power from batteries.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan's dangerously cold temperatures bring trouble for car owners