A New York woman who recently bought a Tesla shared her surprise at discovering a key winter benefit: the ability to preheat the car inside a closed garage without emission risks. In a viral TikTok video, she highlighted how this eliminates the need to open the door for ventilation, a common precaution with gas vehicles. The feature underscores one of the everyday advantages of electric vehicles in cold weather.
Sierra Jae, a TikTok creator from New York state known as @saysierrajae, posted a video showcasing a practical perk of her new Tesla during the winter months. In the clip, viewed more than 800 times, she demonstrated preheating the cabin via the car's touchscreen while keeping the garage door closed. "One of the best parts about owning a Tesla in the winter? You don’t have to open your garage just to warm up your car," she captioned. "You can stay safe and leave the garage door closed."
This convenience stems from the absence of tailpipe emissions in battery-electric vehicles like Teslas. Unlike gasoline cars, which produce carbon monoxide and other harmful gases during idling, EVs generate no exhaust. Public health guidelines for gas vehicles recommend opening garage doors or moving the car outside before starting to avoid poisoning risks, even with partial ventilation. EVs eliminate this concern, allowing safe indoor preheating.
Modern Teslas enable this through the smartphone app or scheduled departures, drawing power from the grid if plugged in to preserve battery range. The car also preconditions the battery in cold temperatures to improve efficiency, charging speed, and regenerative braking. Additional winter aids include warming the charging port, wiper defrosters, and optional snow chains for tires.
Viewers echoed Jae's enthusiasm. One commented, "My 1st winter with mine and I can’t even believe how life-changing this is… and NOT ever standing outside at the gas pump again." Another added, "u just get it, queen."
While cold weather still reduces EV battery efficiency and slows charging, features like indoor preheating simplify routines for owners. InsideEVs reached out to Jae for comment but received no response.