Tesla owners asked to charge cars less in California

If you own a Tesla and live in California, chances are you're sweating right now and have had a message pop up in your Tesla requesting you cut down on charging the battery.

As The Verge reports, California is currently suffering through a particularly bad heat wave, which has seen temperatures soar and Death Valley hit 130 degrees, numerous wildfires are raging, and rolling blackouts are impacting daily life. In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been working to decrease state energy use while at the same time bringing more energy resources online. Residents and businesses are being asked to try and use less energy between 3-10pm each day.

Tesla is responding to this call by popping up a message on the touchscreen in its vehicles located in California. The message is titled "Help Relieve Heat Wave Stress on the Grid" and photos of the message have appeared from Tesla owners on Reddit. The message reads as follows:

"The current heat wave is impacting the grid in California. If possible, we ask that you reduce Supercharging and home charging between the hours of 4pm and 9pm to support the statewide efforts to manage demand.

Additionally, proactive utility shutoffs may limit charging options. As always, your touchscreen will display live statuses of Superchargers in your area - simply tap on a desired Superchargher station to confirm its availability."

According to USA Today, firefighters are tackling 29 wildfires which have already blackened more than 120,000 acres of land. The high temperatures are set to continue until at least Friday, but the heat could easily continue into the weekend.