Steering wheel pops off Tesla in Woodbridge, NJ

⁉ Mann says his steering wheel just fell off his Tesla while driving
🔴 Tesla reacts less friendly
🔵 NJ pushes for more Evs

A man driving his family home in his Tesla from a trip to Woodbridge Mall says they can all be lucky to be alive after the car’s steering wheel just fell off.

Prerak Patel recounts the horrifying ordeal in a series of tweets.

Patel says his family was delighted to receive his new Tesla Y on January 24th. Just a few days later, when they got home from the mall, the wheel just fell off.

He called the incident “terrible” and wondered what would have happened if there had been cars behind him when it happened.

“I was lucky there wasn’t a car behind it and I was able to pull the bulkhead,” Patel wrote.

After stopping the car, he called Woodbridge Police.

He thanked officers for their response and for keeping his family safe while they waited for the Tesla to be towed away.

The ordeal didn’t end there, however.

Patel says the dealer apologized for the incident, but Tesla doesn’t take responsibility for the steering wheel drop. They even tried to charge him for the repairs, he says.

Now Patel says he and his family have “lost confidence” in the vehicle and just don’t feel safe driving it anymore. He’s trying to decide what to do next.
New Jersey is one of the strongest growth markets for Tesla and other electric vehicles.

Governor Phil Murphy has set a goal of registering 330,000 electric vehicles in New Jersey by 2025 as part of his Energy Master Plan.

In August 2022, Murphy announced the start of the third year of the state’s Charge Up New Jersey electric vehicle (EV) incentive program and also introduced the state’s new residential EV charger program.

“The Charge Up program is the largest cash-on-the-hood incentive program in the country right now,” Murphy said at the time. Residents can get up to $4,000 from the state to purchase an electric vehicle. The governor’s office claims “over 13,000 electric vehicles have been purchased or leased with this incentive.”

New Jersey has also invested heavily in charging stations. “New Jersey DEP has awarded nearly $10 million for 1,970 EV charging stations with 3,229 plugs along our corridors and in our communities,” said Shawn M. LaTourette, Commissioner of Environmental Protection.

Eric Scott is Senior Political Director and Moderator for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at [email protected]

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