Image of gas generator charging Tesla was not shot in the US
On November 7, 2021, the Twitter account Thinking Patriot tweeted a photo of a Tesla car that was apparently charged with a gas generator. It also showed up on Facebook.
This claim could be reminiscent of an earlier fact check on a picture that allegedly showed a “diesel car charging station” for electric cars.
The picture
The photo in question shows a Tesla, an all-electric car, and likely a gas generator on the edge of a tree-lined street:
A gas generator is used to charge the dead battery in an electric car
What exactly did you think was going to happen?
Welcome to 2021 # GreenNewDeal pic.twitter.com/PuIYX8VVdb
– Thinking Patriot (@LWPhototherapy) November 7, 2021
The user who claimed to be California based tweeted “Welcome to 2021” and added a hashtag for the Green New Deal, a proposed plan that is primarily about fighting climate change.
We also found a Reddit user who believed the picture was taken in a “hillbilly red condition” refusing to fund EV charging stations.
Green new offer
The tweet in question could have been an attempt to make fun of the very real climate crisis, which is an apolitical, science-based topic that has been debated by opponents of reality for decades as if it were a matter of personal opinion.
On October 30, 2021, The Associated Press (AP) reported on the grim nature of the current situation:
Fires raged. Rivers flooded. Melted ice. Baked drought. Storms brewed. The temperatures rose. And people died.
Climate change in 2021 has changed life on planet Earth due to extreme weather.
World leaders gather in Scotland to accelerate the fight against climate change. So far, it’s not working as the world keeps getting hotter and the weather more extreme, say scientists and government officials. You don’t have to point far back in time or far away for examples.
The Green New Deal is mainly supported by a number of democratic politicians. As AP 2019 reported, some “GOP lawmakers condemned the plan as a radical proposal that would drive the economy off a cliff and lead to a huge tax hike.”
The origins of the photo
In reality, the photo was not taken in the United States. We found some Imgur and Reddit users who believed it was filmed in either Nigeria or Syria. The license plate appeared to be in line with the style used in the United Arab Emirates, possibly Dubai, as Reddit users pointed out. However, it is clear that the picture was not taken in North America.
Commenting on the picture, one Reddit user wrote, “Sometimes I use an ELECTRIC battery charger to start my truck. What are you getting at? “
Another person replied, “I agree with you. If the car’s battery is dead and it’s 100% electric, you need to recharge the battery somehow. This is probably the only way. People run out of gas while driving. This is no different. The Facepalm runs out of battery and no gas generator is used to charge an electric car [Tesla]. “
The same Thinking Patriot Twitter user also posted an unlabeled cover photo of a single Tesla Supercharger station that was underwater. However, according to one report, this one station was in the UK and appeared to be a planning flaw as it was built on a flood plain. In addition, more than 25,000 additional Tesla Supercharger stations are available worldwide.
A second picture
Although this photo was not taken in the US, we did find a similar one. It also featured a Tesla car and what looked like a gas generator.
Simply use the roadside emergency fuel can. from Wellthatsucks
According to Google Maps, Tesla Supercharger stations will be near this location in Vancouver, Washington as of November 2021. However, it is unclear if these stations were there when the picture was taken.
We didn’t find the second image used in any political memes.
Can a gas generator charge a Tesla?
As for the separate question of whether a gas generator could increase the battery life of a Tesla vehicle, a YouTube account put the idea to the test. The Fast Lane Car channel posted a video showing that the process could be quite complicated.
After completing the experiment, the person was able to add about eight miles to the car by adding a single gallon of gas to a generator. It took about three hours. Those extra miles could be enough to make it to a nearby Tesla Supercharger station for the very small number of drivers who could ever be stranded with a dead battery.
In summary, a picture was shared of a Tesla car being charged with a gas generator as if it had something to do with American politics. While we did find a very different photo taken in the United States, the picture in question wasn’t even taken in North America. Furthermore, a single photo of an example of something does not generally represent the reality of an entire subject.
sources
Acoba, Paulo. “Shocking photo shows British Tesla Supercharger Bays underwater, built on the flood plain.” Alt Car News, February 12, 2020, https://tiremeetsroad.com/2020/02/12/shocking-photo-shows-uk-tesla-supercharger -bays-underwater-built-on-flood-plain /.
“Analysis | What’s in the Democrats’ Green New Deal? ”Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/02/11/whats-actually-green-new-deal-democrats/.
Can you charge a Tesla with a portable generator? We give it AT attempts! | Adventure X Ep.6. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J5QA8C3S5k.
Clift, Eleanor. “These Republicans are tiptoeing toward a Green New Deal.” The Daily Beast, July 10, 2021. www.thedailybeast.com, https://www.thedailybeast.com/these-republicans-are-tiptoeing-toward- a-green-new-deal.
“Climate change changed the world this year with extreme weather.” AP News, October 30, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-health-environment-and-nature-d1cd773bfb6000e0d77a58ea743c135f.
“Democrats are looking for a Green New Deal to combat climate change.” AP News, April 22, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-solar-power- climate-change-385ab89f01024aa99e64c5cdb97f0d16.
“Does Biden support the Green New Deal?” Snopes.com, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/does-biden-support-green-new-deal/.
Google Maps. http://maps.google.com.
Imgur. “A Tesla that is charged by a generator in Nigeria. Fact: Nigeria has no charging stations. ”Imgur, https://imgur.com/rIWrHRB.
“Is this a ‘diesel car charging station’ for electric cars?” Snopes.com, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/diesel-car-charging-station/.
“Compressor.” Tesla, https://www.tesla.com/supercharger.
“The Green New Deal” Official website of Bernie Sanders, https://berniesanders.com/issues/green-new-deal/.