A Tesla Cybertruck Owner Says, “I Thought My Truck Was Going To Explode When I Saw Smoke Coming From The Front During Supercharging, but It Turned Out To Be Steam”

Andy An Nguyen, a Cybertruck owner from California, was frightened when he saw smoke emanating from his truck during a supercharging session.

Andy says his first thought was that there was a problem and his truck was about to blow up.

This is definitely concerning, and the frightened Cybertruck owner shared his experience on the Cybertruck Owners Only group on Facebook.

He writes…

“I was caught off guard and thought my Cybertruck was about to explode.”

Smoke coming from a parked electric vehicle connected to a supercharger can understandably be alarming.

However, as Andy later found out, what he was seeing was not actually smoke, but steam coming off the vehicle.

During DC fast charging, even when a Cybertruck or any electric vehicle is parked and turned off, significant current and heat still flow through the vehicle.

As a result, especially in colder environments, the charging process can produce more heat than the actual driving, causing components to heat up and potentially boil off the water around them.

Andy, after learning this fact, writes:

“I did not know this until now.”

Below his post, Andy provides a detailed explanation about this phenomenon that he found during his research.

The explanation states:

“The 'smoke' observed from a Cybertruck during rain while supercharging is actually water vapor (steam), not smoke, caused by the vehicle's heat pump. When charging, the battery heats up, and the cooling system melts and evaporates moisture or ice on the condenser coils from previous drives, creating a visible steam cloud. This is particularly noticeable in cold, wet conditions and is completely harmless.

**What is happening:**

- **Heat pump operation:** Modern EVs like the Cybertruck use a heat pump for efficient thermal management.

- **Charging requires heating:** The high-voltage battery needs warming for optimal charging.

- **Melting ice:** During charging, the system heats, causing moisture and cold temperatures to form ice on the coils.

- **Steam production:** The heat melts the ice and evaporates condensation, producing visible steam that can resemble smoke.

- **Visibility factors:** This steam is most noticeable in cold or rainy weather due to the contrast with cold air.

**What to know:**

• **It is harmless:** This is a normal, safe phenomenon that does not indicate fire or battery issues.

• **It looks like smoke:** The white, odorless vapor may be mistaken for smoke, but it is water vapor.

• **Occurrence in many EVs:** This phenomenon is common across many electric vehicles with heat pumps, especially in cold climates.

• **Tesla confirms:** Tesla and other sources state that this is normal and not a cause for concern.

This explanation appears to have relieved Andy’s concerns. And, looking at the comments from other Cybertruck owners, they admit that they, too, have panicked when they saw “smoke” coming from their Teslas during charging.

A fellow Cybertruck owner, Kelly Krueger, writes:

“Yep, I totally have been there! I was charging in Iowa years ago and went into full panic mode while Supercharging my Tesla Model Y, thinking flames were going to burst out. I bolted to unhook the car and almost dialed 911, but then my logical side kicked in when I realized there was no smell!”

Another owner, Mike McCann, states:

“Glad you posted this, it’s about to get cold here, and it would have freaked me out.”

If there is any doubt that this was simply steam coming off the vehicle, a Cybertruck owner shared a screenshot from the official Cybertruck Owners’ Manual.

Tesla further explains this phenomenon:

“NOTE: The thermal system may produce steam while Cybertruck charges. For example, odorless steam might come from the front of your vehicle while charging at a Supercharger in cold temperatures. This is normal and not a reason to worry.

Similarly, it is normal to hear sounds during charging. Especially at high currents, the refrigerant compressor and fan run as needed to keep the Battery cool.”

Overall, the key difference when distinguishing between steam and smoke appears to be whether there is an associated smell.

However, please let me know what you think in the comments. Share your ideas by clicking the red “Add new comment” button below. Also, be sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

For more information, check out: A Tesla Cybertruck Owner Says His Truck Broke Down In The Middle Of a Parade – He Adds, “I Was Blocking The Road, It Was Embarrassing. I Got Yelled At & Laughed At A Lot”

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.