We had to return to the mainland to experience the Model S 70D in the snow. No winter tires have been installed at this point because I have a 4WD SUV at my disposal for the ski trips and I just can't see buying winter tires for 3-4 weeks of driving.
Nonetheless, with snow covering the roads last night, it was time to load Iceman into the 70D and take a few spins around the neighborhood. First impressions? Wow, this thing does great in snow! I grew up in snow country and am very comfortable with winter driving. I would try gunning the electric motors coming around a turn but felt no tendency for the rear end to run around on me. At one point I stomped the accelerator to see how well the traction control would work, and it modulated power to each wheel at just the right amount to prevent spinning. You could feel some mild spinning before the traction control adjusted power to the wheel and got things back to proper traction. Braking was also good in snow with a max braking effort yielding a cycling of braking energy to keep the wheels from sliding for more than a fraction of a second. I felt no tendency to slide while in max regen, but this was snow and not ice and perhaps regen might be an issue on ice. More play (I mean serious work) is needed for me to get the full picture.
I planned to drive once around the block and ended up going around four times. This is just too much fun!
Meanwhile, the Kailua dog does not seem to have any issues with the cold. He just wants the walks to go on and on and on.
I'm inclined to believe that if I put winter tires on the 70D and rented the vehicle out to visiting Hawaii Tesla owners, their friends and relatives would never see them! Imagine if Nanimac got her hands on a mainland 70D: she'd be off to Sun Valley, Alta, Aspen, and Telluride while the folks back in California wondered whatever happened to her.
