Thank you Tesla! The Model S performed flawlessly on my icy road trip to save my stranded wife stuck in the worse weather induced city wide traffic jam the city of Atlanta has ever seen! It was surreal watching all the other vehicles stuck in traffic or sliding off the road as I cautiously yet confidently passed them by. I am truly amazed at the engineering that gave me this confidence. From the ideal weight distribution to the long and wide stance to computer hardware and software controlling the drivetrain! Thank you for all that you do that helped be rescue my wife after she had struggled with icy roads and gridlock for 9 hours on a 12 mile commute. I am so grateful to not be one of the 900+ accidents in metro Atlanta yesterday.
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Model S performs flawlessly for me at a time of need - Atlanta snowmageddon 2014
- Thread starter mmcinerny
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- Driving Dynamics Model S
Tesla Model S and traffic situations (like as they happened in Atlanta)
I read news that 3 inch snow storm caused serious traffic issues in Atlanta and many folks spend the whole night on the free ways. I am just wondering if an electric car and specifically our beloved Model S is caught in this what happens. If let us say there is 30 kWh charge left in the car, and heating needs to be turned on, how long battery will last. Are there best practices in situations like this?
PS: I am not in Atlanta area. In South Florida, where I live, it does not snow.
I read news that 3 inch snow storm caused serious traffic issues in Atlanta and many folks spend the whole night on the free ways. I am just wondering if an electric car and specifically our beloved Model S is caught in this what happens. If let us say there is 30 kWh charge left in the car, and heating needs to be turned on, how long battery will last. Are there best practices in situations like this?
PS: I am not in Atlanta area. In South Florida, where I live, it does not snow.
I'd put the AC on range mode, manual control and dial it down as low as it goes to maintain a minimum amount of heat...better yet, turn it off completely and just use the seat heater on the lowest setting. Kill the lights (if safe to do so). If things get really dire as far as charge I guess you could get out of the car, then climb back in through a back door, hopefully with the fob out of range that would let the car go into sleep mode.
As an aside, I keep a blanket, a pair of very warm snow boots, a fur lined hat and other gear in the car with me for situations like this...I realize those in the SE are less prepared due to the extreme rarity of these situations.
physicsfita
Member
It's always a good idea to keep a couple of candles in the car in winter -- it's amazing how much they can help keep you warm.
deonb
Active Member
To answer your question specifically, the heater draws typically 6kW, max 8kW. So in theory your heater will last about 5 hours with 30kW charge left.
So you'll need to follow intentional steps to make the heat last overnight.
If this was a heatwave on the other hand, you'll be able to blast the A/C for days on 30kW.
My Model S also performed well. I did slide on one bridge while driving too fast for the conditions. When I slowed down to a more reasonable and responsible speed, the car performed as well or better than anyone else's car. The real lesson to me was to still slow down. On ice any car can become unsafe. I just don't have much experience traveling iced over roads.
mknox
Well-Known Member
I feel for all those impacted by the Atlanta weather, but seriously, was the City not prepared? That amount of snow would be considered a good day in Toronto.
Todd Burch
14-Year Member
Because of the cost vs. frequency of weather events, southern US cities do not typically have the road-clearing infrastructure (plow trucks, salt trucks, etc.) that a city in Canada or more northern states would have.
We got 6 inches of snow yesterday here in Virginia and it's shutting the schools down for several days because the roads can't be cleared. I'm from Chicago originally, so 6 inches is nothing--but without the road clearing equipment, it brings the city to a near-standstill!
Listening to our politicians "explain" their poor performance has been an embarrassment. The truth is that every few years we have a winter weather emergency as if it's the first time it's ever snowed. They never learn to just tell everyone to stay at home the night before and fear if they are wrong they will be ridiculed for the precaution. So, nothing is ever learned.
A couple of decades ago, Victoria BC sold its fleet of snowplow (singular intended). But then the blizzard of '96 happened and we now have removeable plows for the city trucks. Not really sure if the fleet story is true, the newspaper might have just been poking fun at Toronto and Ottawa. We like to do that, any chance we get. Hmmm... The flower count must be coming up soon...
But back to topic, that's great how well the S performed in the snow and that you were able to rescue your wife. It's an amazing machine with so much designed in we don't even notice, and kind of take for granted. Thanks for posting mmcinerny
lolachampcar
Well-Known Member
Uphill both ways, right?West Palm Beach 1997.... I walked to school while it was snowing
jeff_adams
Member
Someone must have gotten stuck in a Model S. I read a story about a women who took 22 hours to get home from work. She had to buy gas twice!
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