I spent £2,800 renting a Tesla Model Y – but I was locked out of EV for five days…my urgent warning to other drivers

A MAN who spent £2,800 renting a Tesla Model Y has been locked out for five days.

Lee Stuart, 49, was unable to gain access to the high-tech vehicle because the key card used to unlock it failed to register.

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The father shared his frustration when he couldn’t drive the electric motor and had to make 40 phone calls to solve the problem.

However, he was reportedly told by Tesla and the rental company that there was nothing they could do to help since the car was rented The times.

After having no luck, he organized roadside assistance to take the vehicle back to Heathrow Airport, where he rented it.

However, it is not recommended to tow the fancy car as there is no neutral gear and moving it in forward or reverse could damage the battery.

Instead, it had to be loaded onto a flatbed truck, as Tesla’s manual says tires shouldn’t spin off the ground at any point during transport.

When Lee went with the tow truck, he was given a spare Tesla Y.

And although that seemed to be the end of his car troubles, his daughter’s car seat was still locked into the original engine.

After being unable to drive for almost a week, rental company Sixt was able to fix the broken trailer and Lee retrieved his belongings.

Sixt UK chief executive Tim Vetters said Stuart was given a full refund and an apology.

He said: “There is a tried and tested procedure for remotely unlocking a vehicle that can usually be done in a matter of minutes.

“In this case, because there was a key malfunction, the vehicle could not be driven, so the procedure was to recover the vehicle and send a replacement, which was agreed.”

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders revealed that the Tesla Model Y was the best-selling vehicle in the UK in March 2023.

This is because more than two-thirds of local authorities have failed to install residential charging infrastructure.