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Model S in the snow/cold

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First of all, apologies for my ignorance as I'm Southern California raised so have no winter coping skills. When we drive up to the local mountains in ICE cars, we'd just carry some snow chains in case we got to the point where they made us put on chains. The family is planning a ski trip to Brian Head Utah next February and I'm wondering: in my 100D will I need to carry chains also? Would I put them on the front or rear wheels? Is there a brand/type of chain that works best with our cars? Also, I think driving from SoCal to Utah is going to be an experience in itself, even in good weather!
 
I only see chains listed for the Model 3: Tesla | Shop Search

thats because unlike the 3 the model S is AWD and doesn’t need them. as long as you don’t have turbine/arachnids and Michelin summer rubber, and have some m+s rated tires with decent tread you should be fine. I am ignorant and not knowing about what regulations they have in Utah though; some jurisdictions require vehicles carry chains.
 
thats because unlike the 3 the model S is AWD and doesn’t need them. as long as you don’t have turbine/arachnids and Michelin summer rubber, and have some m+s rated tires with decent tread you should be fine. I am ignorant and not knowing about what regulations they have in Utah though; some jurisdictions require vehicles carry chains.
Chains can still be needed in certain situations even with awd, so if you live in an area that gets snow it doesnt hurt to have them. Ask anyone that lives in the pacific northwest about driving in snow which is not the same type of snow you get in the midwest and not to mention we have hills no matter which way you drive. If I'm not mistaken there are times when going over highway 2 or i90 that chains are required on ALL vehicles. Not all model S were AWD and not all model 3s are 2wd.
 
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Chains can still be needed in certain situations even with awd, so if you live in an area that gets snow it doesnt hurt to have them. Ask anyone that lives in the pacific northwest about driving in snow which is not the same type of snow you get in the midwest and not to mention we have hills no matter which way you drive. If I'm not mistaken there are times when going over highway 2 or i90 that chains are required on ALL vehicles. Not all model S were AWD and not all model 3s are 2wd.

Well, I live in the central of BC, that would be the northwest, with the emphasis on north. The law in this area is all vehicles need m + s or tires with the snowflake on highways from October to March annually. It gets to - 25 celsius for many days here, and we typically have snow on the ground for months at a time. And yes, we also go through the temperatures through the tricky periods of hovering around 0 which can be more treacherous.

I have skiied for over 40 years, and have driven up many different mountains hundreds of times, in all conditions with many different types of frozen precipitation. The Coquihalla highway at times is as gnarly as any mountain road, I still travel that several times a winter. In my driving history I have worn out about 8 sets of winter tires; mostly Nokain Hakkapellitas, some Bridgestone Blizzaks, some others on all my vehicles until I got a Tesla. Now I have all weather Nokain's WRG4's and they are 85% as good as dedicated snow tires yet last twice as long. If it is the Michelin MXM4's on his car they are not great, but not bad either.

I have never used chains or ever needed them. And most of those vehicles were 2 wheel drive. The Tesla is that much more capable then those in the snow. It's a beast in the snow.

Not all model S were AWD and not all model 3s are 2wd.

His model S is AWD, and they sell the chains for the 2 wheel drive model 3's.

I'll say it again, you don't need chains, unless it is regulated, and that is just because there are some idiots who drive these frozen highways with worn all seasons or summer tires. I can tell you that of all the vehicles in the parking lot at Sun Peaks mountain ski resort, the only cars with chains are the tourists.

Having said that, re-reading the OP's post, if he has no "winter coping skills", sure it doesn't hurt to have them in the car, be careful putting them on or this could happen:

Rear lower control arms being cut through due to the chains!
 
I live in Colorado and drive back dirt county roads that are poorly plowed during storms. I frequently climb hills with snow being scooped up by the front fascia and thrown over the windscreen on the Model S. I do run dedicated snow tires during the winter, but I have never felt the need for chains. A dual motor model S is easily as good as any Subaru I have owned and better than my 4X4 pickup in clawing through the snow. I would never put chains on the Model S; not needed and I would fear something being torn up. There is not a lot of clearance between the tires and the wheel wells/fenders. If you need chains to pass where you are driving, you need to be in a high clearance 4X4 vehicle. The Model S will claw through anything and is only limited by ground clearance.
 
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Don't do chains, socks, or studs, and you're taking a big risk driving the OEM M+S (or worse, the 21" OEMs) up to Brian Head in Feb. The road up to BH is on UDOTs list of Chain/Snowtire Controlled Roads from October-April, and Feb is usually a pretty solid snowfall month:
Utah Department of Transportation,

This may sound like overly cautious advice, but you should just buy a set of Michelin Xi3 Snows for this trip and any future ski trips. Cheap insurance/assurance. Over three winters, I can tell you they offer incredible grip in ice and snow for a tire that has almost no negative effect on dry-weather range (though they make an odd humming sound on wet pavement. They will be worth every penny to protect your family and your 100D investment, and priceless for your peace of mind. My MS snow driving experience echoes agtdDelirium above, here's why you should ditch the OEM tires and put on dedicated snows, even for this sole trip:

I've got a lifetime of snow-driving experience in VT, CO, UT, CAN, WY and the Sierra Nevada, and 4 years of snow driving in my Model S, (plus two months towing a camper through the winter Rockies with our Model X...different story!). My first winter in the MS75D I drive confidently into an Appalachian snowstorm on the 2-month-old OEM Goodyears, heading up to Snowshoe Resort, a trip we've done multiple times prior. Moving cautiously through the storm at the gentle speed of 35 mph, a herd of deer ambled and jumped out in front of me and I had nothing but luck to get me around and between them...zero traction from the Goodyear M+S that came on the car, couldn't stop, could barely change direction. The OEM tires might as well have been summer tires...the M+Snow designation is not earned. After that trip, I did exhaustive research on every snow tire that could fit the MS and settled on the Michelin Xi3. TMC users will say the Nokian WRs and Blizzaks are also excellent, but I have little recent experience with those brands.

The Xi3 is a Phenomenal all-around tire, great in deep snow, ice, and in wet or dry conditions, although I'd wager its not the very best in any one of those individual conditions. I've easily driven through a Lake-Erie-effect (60"+ in 48 hrs) snow that was deeper than the hood of my MS, where the risk was being unable to see out the windshield...not losing grip or traction (DM me if you want the video proof). The tire gives pretty phenomenal grip on ice, although ratings indicate their are other tires that exceed the Xi3 on pure ice. And I've reluctantly driven them from NC to Florida and back, when I couldn't access my summer wheels from storage on short notice (Falcon Heavy rocket launch), and noticed almost no range loss over the OEM M+S tires. So these tires would serve you well through the BH Utah trip and all through a SoCal winter if you chose to keep them on for another trip to Big Bear/Tahoe/Mammoth. You won't regret it.

Have a great ski trip!
 
Don't do chains, socks, or studs, and you're taking a big risk driving the OEM M+S (or worse, the 21" OEMs) up to Brian Head in Feb. The road up to BH is on UDOTs list of Chain/Snowtire Controlled Roads from October-April, and Feb is usually a pretty solid snowfall month:
Utah Department of Transportation,

This may sound like overly cautious advice, but you should just buy a set of Michelin Xi3 Snows for this trip and any future ski trips. Cheap insurance/assurance. Over three winters, I can tell you they offer incredible grip in ice and snow for a tire that has almost no negative effect on dry-weather range (though they make an odd humming sound on wet pavement. They will be worth every penny to protect your family and your 100D investment, and priceless for your peace of mind. My MS snow driving experience echoes agtdDelirium above, here's why you should ditch the OEM tires and put on dedicated snows, even for this sole trip:

I've got a lifetime of snow-driving experience in VT, CO, UT, CAN, WY and the Sierra Nevada, and 4 years of snow driving in my Model S, (plus two months towing a camper through the winter Rockies with our Model X...different story!). My first winter in the MS75D I drive confidently into an Appalachian snowstorm on the 2-month-old OEM Goodyears, heading up to Snowshoe Resort, a trip we've done multiple times prior. Moving cautiously through the storm at the gentle speed of 35 mph, a herd of deer ambled and jumped out in front of me and I had nothing but luck to get me around and between them...zero traction from the Goodyear M+S that came on the car, couldn't stop, could barely change direction. The OEM tires might as well have been summer tires...the M+Snow designation is not earned. After that trip, I did exhaustive research on every snow tire that could fit the MS and settled on the Michelin Xi3. TMC users will say the Nokian WRs and Blizzaks are also excellent, but I have little recent experience with those brands.

The Xi3 is a Phenomenal all-around tire, great in deep snow, ice, and in wet or dry conditions, although I'd wager its not the very best in any one of those individual conditions. I've easily driven through a Lake-Erie-effect (60"+ in 48 hrs) snow that was deeper than the hood of my MS, where the risk was being unable to see out the windshield...not losing grip or traction (DM me if you want the video proof). The tire gives pretty phenomenal grip on ice, although ratings indicate their are other tires that exceed the Xi3 on pure ice. And I've reluctantly driven them from NC to Florida and back, when I couldn't access my summer wheels from storage on short notice (Falcon Heavy rocket launch), and noticed almost no range loss over the OEM M+S tires. So these tires would serve you well through the BH Utah trip and all through a SoCal winter if you chose to keep them on for another trip to Big Bear/Tahoe/Mammoth. You won't regret it.

Have a great ski trip!

Okay you can't say all that stuff and now not post a YouTube video for us all to see! :D
 
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Okay you can't say all that stuff and now not post a YouTube video for us all to see! :D
;)

Thats what I get for blabbidy-blabbing, shoulda just said "buy snow tires you won't regret it." Ok fine here ya go, this was Day 1 of the epic Erie Christmas storm of 2017:


Didn't get vids of towing through the snow, with a Tesla trailer sleigh...here's a pic: IMG_0657.jpgDay 2 Epic Snowstorm.png
 

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;)

Thats what I get for blabbidy-blabbing, shoulda just said "buy snow tires you won't regret it." Ok fine here ya go, this was Day 1 of the epic Erie Christmas storm of 2017:


Didn't get vids of towing through the snow, with a Tesla trailer sleigh...here's a pic:View attachment 477133View attachment 477140

Wow. THANKS for sharing. It's like watching a Model S ballet across the snow effortlessly.

My New Year's goal is to be as free as you are to enjoy my Model S without being obsessed with micro scratches :D
 
Wow. THANKS for sharing. It's like watching a Model S ballet across the snow effortlessly.

My New Year's goal is to be as free as you are to enjoy my Model S without being obsessed with micro scratches :D
Yeah the MS/MX are excellent snow cars, the one weakness (aside from low clearance) being how aggressively the stability control nannies shut down power in a slide. The ballet would be much more interesting if the driver could maintain throttle inputs throughout...I've been drooling over the P3D (and hopefully PYD) for the ability to use Track Mode as a legitimate Snow Mode. With that throttle freedom the Teslas will finally meet/exceed Subaru/Audi capabilities in snow, IMO.

And I gave up on the micro scratches after some nice fella in coal country decided to run his key down the length of my passenger door, just 4 months into ownership. Angry at all the coal-fired electricity I was consuming, no doubt. :(
 
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