Cold weather testing?

[Az_Rael]

I feel like this whole "Californians don't know salt / snow / cold" is a myth. I grew up in Kentucky/Ohio/Michigan/MA, but this past year in NorCal I faced some of the most extreme winter conditions I've ever seen

Yeah, if you arent from somewhere with mountains its hard to fathom how much altitude changes the weather and how extreme mountain weather can be. I grew up in Utah, but my husband grew up in Texas. When we first moved to CA, he watched the weather and had no idea what they were talking about with "snow levels". We once drove from 50 degree weather in Palmdale to 4 feet of snow at Sequoia NP in 3.5 hours. He was amazed at how extreme that difference was.

 

[e46jb]

Yeah, if you arent from somewhere with mountains its hard to fathom how much altitude changes the weather and how extreme mountain weather can be. I grew up in Utah, but my husband grew up in Texas. When we first moved to CA, he watched the weather and had no idea what they were talking about with "snow levels". We once drove from 50 degree weather in Palmdale to 4 feet of snow at Sequoia NP in 3.5 hours. He was amazed at how extreme that difference was.

Trying seeing a shift in temperature from +10C to -20C in less than 24 hours. Very difficult to plan ahead when you know there is a shift in weather coming.

On the other hand, have also experienced the opposite, -10C one day, +5C the following day. Thank you chinook winds!!!

 

[AWDtsla]

Yeah, if you arent from somewhere with mountains its hard to fathom how much altitude changes the weather and how extreme mountain weather can be. I grew up in Utah, but my husband grew up in Texas. When we first moved to CA, he watched the weather and had no idea what they were talking about with "snow levels". We once drove from 50 degree weather in Palmdale to 4 feet of snow at Sequoia NP in 3.5 hours. He was amazed at how extreme that difference was.

At the same time, it is really not the same thing. I've seen users comment on here on how they drove up to the mountain for a few hours and back down and everything was fine. OK well this is not the same thing as trying your daily routine for weeks at a time in the same conditions, including daily cold-soaks.

 

[Az_Rael]

At the same time, it is really not the same thing. I've seen users comment on here on how they drove up to the mountain for a few hours and back down and everything was fine. OK well this is not the same thing as trying your daily routine for weeks at a time in the same conditions, including daily cold-soaks.

Totally agree, that's why I said CA isn't the best place to test long term sleet/slush/ice/salt roads. Where I lived in Utah we got snow in Novemeber/December and it stayed until the spring melt.

Trying seeing a shift in temperature from +10C to -20C in less than 24 hours. Very difficult to plan ahead when you know there is a shift in weather coming.

On the other hand, have also experienced the opposite, -10C one day, +5C the following day. Thank you chinook winds!!!

I can totally hang with you on crazy singe day temperature differentials. I live in the desert. We regularly get 35F at night to 75F mid-day or 65F at night to 110F during the day. Of course, those are daily temperature swings, so its not hard to plan for.

 

[Ubbe]

Tesla needs to tap in to its client base, Denmark is the #1 cold weather test environment and there is a very large number of Tesla's in this region of the world

Denmark, the Scandinavian riviera? You must be meaning Norway. But that aside, I believe that we have some of the most used winter proving grounds here in Sweden, Arjeplog.

 

[Doug_G]

I feel like this whole "Californians don't know salt / snow / cold" is a myth.

This reminds me of my hilarious winter driving disaster, documented here: Winter Ice Adventure

The reason why it reminds me? Part 7. When I completely blocked the only entrance to the service center with the crappy Enterprise Ford Fiesta loaner, Eli first sent out a ranger to dig me out. This was a California dude on loan from Fremont. His digging attempts were utterly ineffectual. He had no idea how to operate a snow shovel! I had to give him some pointers before he started making any progress.

 

[CT200h]

Spied! Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette Caught Winter Testing With ZR1 - Motor Trend

Next mid engine Vette Bing winter tested now

My point is we should be seeing this from Tesla , though they do seem good at hiding test cars.

No manufacture is smart enough to skip cold weather testing .

 

[AWDtsla]

Spied! Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette Caught Winter Testing With ZR1 - Motor Trend

Next mid engine Vette Bing winter tested now

My point is we should be seeing this from Tesla , though they do seem good at hiding test cars.

No manufacture is smart enough to skip cold weather testing .

Tesla has too many fanboi's, hard for me to believe that the car made it onto the road for cold weather testing and didn't end up posted on the internet. Tesla's with testing hardware have been spotted many times. In CA.

 

[JeffK]

Tesla has too many fanboi's, hard for me to believe that the car made it onto the road for cold weather testing and didn't end up posted on the internet. Tesla's with testing hardware have been spotted many times. In CA.

...and why can't they test it in a Model S/X mule?

 

[AWDtsla]

...and why can't they test it in a Model S/X mule?

I would know, because they would have fixed it (cold weather niggles) in software already.

 

[aronth5]

All due respect, but I laugh at a Californian's idea what cold is.

Although nothing like Alaska or most parts of Canada I was surprised to find this.
Winters in Truckee, California are very cold and snowy. Its location near the Sierra Nevada crest at 5,899 ft provides conditions for significant winter storms. It has average minimum temperature of 16.3°F with a record minimum temperature of -23°F.

 

[boiler81]

View attachment 211929 2019 supra begins production in 2018 currently in cold weather tests now As reported by autoblog

Spied! Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette Caught Winter Testing With ZR1 - Motor Trend

Next mid engine Vette Bing winter tested now

My point is we should be seeing this from Tesla , though they do seem good at hiding test cars.

No manufacture is smart enough to skip cold weather testing .

So Toyota is cold weather testing the 2019 Supra, and GM is cold weather testing the 2019 Mid Engine (C8) Corvette, yet we've not seen any Beta Prototype Model 3's in the wild...not an encouraging sign for year end deliveries to start.

 

[JeffK]

So Toyota is cold weather testing the 2019 Supra, and GM is cold weather testing the 2019 Mid Engine (C8) Corvette, yet we've not seen any Beta Prototype Model 3's in the wild...not an encouraging sign for year end deliveries to start.

Again, you don't know if they are testing in Model S/X mules. If they were, then you wouldn't see Model 3 prototypes in the wild for cold weather testing.

 

[SageBrush]

Tesla needs to tap in to its client base, Denmark is the #1 cold weather test environment and there is a very large number of Tesla's in this region of the world

Perhaps you mean Norway ?

IIRC Tesla does do a lot winter testing there.

 

[Model 3]

Just because full self drive won't work in all situations doesn't mean it won't be approved. If the software can successfully recognize that it can't do the job properly and turns control back over to the driver or pulls over and shut's itself down then I'd say that that's acceptable.

I may be wrong about this, but I think what you are describing is the difference between level 4 and level 5 autonomy cars? Tesla has promised level 5 with AP2.

Watching Bjorn take the Kia Soul EV on a road trip

Sure you are not mixing up with the road trip in an Hyundai Ioniq?

 

[AWDtsla]

Sure you are not mixing up with the road trip in an Hyundai Ioniq?

Yes. Although I didn't see that one but I suspect I will be pleasantly surprised by it.

 

[Model 3]

Yes. Although I didn't see that one but I suspect I will be pleasantly surprised by it.

Yes, I found this after I posted above. A brand new Bjørn Video Watching it now... But yes (as he also mentions in this video) I think the Ioniq is the better choice of this two "sister" cars. So I would recommend to see that one to. If Ioniq had only a bit bigger battery it would have given Model 3 some serious competition for my money....

 

[dsvick]

I may be wrong about this, but I think what you are describing is the difference between level 4 and level 5 autonomy cars? Tesla has promised level 5 with AP2.

Possibly, but if level 5 is considered being able to drive in any conditions a human can then there are still times when even people can't drive, or I guess you could say, probably shouldn't be driving. On the other hand, even if they call it level 5 there still has to be a solution for when the car simply can't do it, like if one of the cameras is damaged or obscured.

 

[Model 3]

Possibly, but if level 5 is considered being able to drive in any conditions a human can then there are still times when even people can't drive, or I guess you could say, probably shouldn't be driving. On the other hand, even if they call it level 5 there still has to be a solution for when the car simply can't do it, like if one of the cameras is damaged or obscured.

... and that is one of the reasons people say that AP2 is not enough for level 5, as they think level 5 will demand a backup solution for "if one of the cameras is damaged or obscured" or anything like that.

 

[dsvick]

... and that is one of the reasons people say that AP2 is not enough for level 5, as they think level 5 will demand a backup solution for "if one of the cameras is damaged or obscured" or anything like that.

True, but at that point you end up with a never ending string of "what if the backup get damaged?". In reality you may be able to get away with one set of backups and cover 99.99% of all eventualities, but they'll never reach 100% because there will always be that one person out that says "yea, but what if..." and pull some obscure, once in a lifetime event out of their, errr... hat.