Model S performs flawlessly for me at a time of need - Atlanta snowmageddon 2014

[ElSupreme]

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 was in gridlock, and only moved ~100m in 45 minutes. Decided to park my car and hike out the 6+ miles to my house. The battery was at 100 miles to empty (after 5 hours of max defrost , and 45 miles of driving). Picked it up the next day ~22 hours later after preheating the cabin for about 45 minutes and it had 90 miles left.

Total commute 7.5 hours. Drove ~14, walked 6.2. Walking faster than driving!!!


The car was dealing with the ice quite well. Just not the hundreds of other stationary vehicles around me.

And I abandoned my car in a parking lot, not the side of a road. So as to be courteous to others.

 

[deonb]

Let's say you fold down the rear seats and go to sleep. (This might apply to camping, too, with the car plugged in.) How do you keep the car heater on? It would normally turn off after 30 minutes IIRC.

Instead of putting the car in park, put the car in neutral, and engage the handbrake from the center console.

 

[lolachampcar]

I remember being out on my dirt bike in the middle of a mild snow in downtown Atlanta when I was in school. My only other company were some cops and a few four wheel drive trucks. That place really shuts down with any kind of snow or ice.

 

[TheAustin]

Instead of putting the car in park, put the car in neutral, and engage the handbrake from the center console.

That is excellent to know! THANKS VERY MUCH

 

[William13]

In fact the car battery with 30kWh would not run out in 5 hours. (6-8kW heater in the car.) The resistance coils will cycle on and off while keeping the cabin warm unless it it is very windy, below 0*F, the windows are open, or the heat is set to HOT. I would agree that the fastest the battery could be run down would be 5 hours.

Bjorn has slept in his Model S many times and uses his cell phone intermittently through the night to warm up the car. I will admit Deonb's solution is easier though I haven't tested it. (Neutral with parking brake.)

 

[EarlyAdopter]

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?

The cabin air heater uses 1000 - 6000W. Your seat heater uses 50 - 100W. So in situations where you need to draw out battery life, crank your seat heater to max, and cabin air temp down low on "Range Mode" to keep it capped at 1000W. With that combo, you'd be good for nearly 30 hours with 30 kWh left.

 

[AndreyATC]

To keep the car warm it may not need a lot once it's brought to desired temperature
Regular household ceramic electric heater runs @ 1.5kw and it would be too much for such small interior
I know we cant compare the two, but it doesn't seem like Tesla should be using awful a lot of energy when heating
I also have heard it's using heat pump, which is more efficient than resistance heater