S RWD Winter Driving?

[Lyon]

Last year I threw a set of Nokian WRG3 tires on it and used it as my ski vehicle. Those are NOT hardcore snow tires but are severe service rated all-weather tires. I had no issues driving over snow covered mountain passes at highway speeds. I'd have no qualms about using it as my ski vehicle again this year but I'm replacing it (2012 P85) with a P100D just as soon as they can get it to me.

 

[Skione65]

Two Canadian winters on my S85 with the stock Pirellis, and it will plow right through a foot of loose snow. I've had no issues...except on a patch of wet Ice that looked like wet pavement. I hit that a bit fast and the car started to fishtail and got worst as I released the accelerator (regen low). Had to feather the accelerator to regain full control and the traction control worked overtime to bring the car back straight. Good winter tires and Re-Gen to Low are my recommendations for winter driving in a RWD Model S. Also remember Newtons laws of physics. Its a heavy car, so take that in consideration even though it feels firmly planted.

Edit: The RWD with TC off will make wicked donuts!

@agloutney,

Never considered the regen in that scenario.....great advice....

Ski

 

[Gears]

So nobody has had to purchase the Tesla snow cables? They usually make you carry chains here and sometimes make you put them on (Mammoth Lakes, ca)

 

[scottm]

Here the mountain pass roads will advise "chains OR winter tires" mandatory. They don't specify chains.

Having set of chains in the trunk is good insurance against you every having to use them!
Buying them is a sure way of never needing them, so I highly recommend them.

Now, not owning a set I think I just placed a jinx on myself.

 

[dgpcolorado]

So nobody has had to purchase the Tesla snow cables? They usually make you carry chains here and sometimes make you put them on (Mammoth Lakes, ca)

I've got cable chains (from Amazon) for my RWD S. Haven't used them since I got the car on March 5 because the snow after that wasn't difficult to deal with (it tends to melt more quickly in the spring). But my problem is getting up my long, curved, steep driveway when it is slick. Once I get to the roads, which are plowed and sanded, the car should do fine. I'll know more after this coming winter. Snow tires make no sense here because 90% of the time the roads are clear and dry. Hence, the cable chains, just in case. If road conditions are dangerous I just stay home (and have that luxury, being retired).

 

[Saghost]

I've got cable chains (from Amazon) for my RWD S. Haven't used them since I got the car on March 5 because the snow after that wasn't difficult to deal with (it tends to melt more quickly in the spring). But my problem is getting up my long, curved, steep driveway when it is slick. Once I get to the roads, which are plowed and sanded, the car should do fine. I'll know more after this coming winter. Snow tires make no sense here because 90% of the time the roads are clear and dry. Hence, the cable chains, just in case. If road conditions are dangerous I just stay home (and have that luxury, being retired).

Snow tires are better on dry frozen roads, too (though the difference may not be important most of the time since the all seasons are good enough for normal driving maneuvers) - the cold hardens the rubber on your tires, and the cold focussed design of the snow tires remains flexible.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Snow tires are better on dry frozen roads, too (though the difference may not be important most of the time since the all seasons are good enough for normal driving maneuvers) - the cold hardens the rubber on your tires, and the cold focussed design of the snow tires remains flexible.

Yes, good point.

My case isn't typical of the frozen north, living in sunny Colorado at 38º latitude, despite considerable snow at times given the high altitude and mountains. I don't push handling on very cold roads because there might be ice around the next shady curve. But I tend to be an easy-does-it driver anyway. I am going to have to get used to the strong regen issue; shifting to neutral might help (similar to stepping on the clutch in a manual transmission car when it starts to skid). But feathering the go pedal to "neutral" is pretty much second nature for me now. Don't want to use low regen because I have to descend steep hills every time I leave home and I need it for speed control without riding the brakes the whole way. In potentially slick conditions I take the steep curves at 10 mph or less, just as with an ICE car.

 

[DFibRL8R]

In Northern Virginia we get all sorts of weather in winter, some deep snows (easy for most tires unless ground clearance is an issue) but also a fair amount of ice. I spent my first 2 winters on 19" all seasons. First OE Goodyears then Michelin MXV whatevers. Goodyears were ok, Michelins were awful with serious lack of traction on ice covered roads to the point I was unable to make forward progress up a modest incline coated in ice. Last winter I switched to Winter tires (Michelin X-Ice) and noticed a significant improvement in snow ice performance.

 

[neroden]

How crazy is your RWD S in the Winter?

It's fine. Completely stable. If you've got slushy ice you may have to turn off traction control -- it's too conservative and will prevent you from moving. Apart from that weird scenario, no issues.

*Obviously* you need snow tires.

 

[JeffS]

I am just echoing for the most part. I have an AP RWD 85.
One of my (very minor) complaints is the location and shape of the radar unit on the Gen1 front. It packs with snow and grime very quickly. Granted, I don't drive AP when it is snowing, but I do use the TACC a lot...and that is disabled when the radar is gunked up.

Beyond that, WI guy here. I have a set of Michelin X Ice 3s as well. Car handles better in snow than a Front WD car. Very predictable handling.

I bought nicer wheels with my snows, and then had my summer tires moved to the new wheels, and put the snows on the stock Tesla wheels.

RWD with snows...in my opinion, is better than AWD with all season tires. But not as good as AWD with snows. The tires, and the weight distribution, make all the difference. Far more than you would expect.

If I had it to do all over again, I would get RWD again.

 

[DameDePiques]

What about mountain roads? We use to Drive to the Alps during winter, sometimes on hard-packed snow when we reach the ski station... I have always driven FWD (with snow tires on the front wheels only, not a problem)
How does RWD works on steep snowy roads?

 

[agloutney]

RWD is better for going up snowy hills. I used to have to go up steep snowy hills in reverse when i had a FWD car.

 

[Barry F]

I too spent two winters on the OEM Primacy all seasons on 19" P85 with only one problem. I live in a hilly neighborhood and one snow was the heavy wet kind. On a 6% grade, I had to make a hard right turn. The snow compacted to slush ice and the car wouldn't power the wheels because it knew the wheels would just spin and not go forward. I didn't think to turn off the traction control and I backed up to go around another way just fine. I guess I lost momentum in the turn. So now I have Nokian Zline summer tires (quiet, LRR) and plan to purchase Hakkapeliitta R2s for winter. Hakkapeliitta 8s would probably be overkill and noisy.

 

[tander]

@dj905,

It's good to hear this.....I'm looking at CPOs (currently RWD). Am wondering if I should wait until more of the AWDs drop in....at a reasonable price of course. I'm coming from a lifetime of 'front wheel drive' vehicles and winter snow/ice driving and haven't driven a RWD vehicle in decades.....last one was probably my brothers Firebird (lol) way back in yesteryear and in wet/snowy/icy weather it was a nightmare.....we had to actually put either bodybuilding weight plates or sandbags in the trunk to help us out. I know the S is a different animal.....lower CG due to the battery pack....better performance....but still RWD unless a D model.

Ski

I'm in the same boat. Currently I have an engine in front RWD and with a bunch of weight in the rear and snow tires it does okay with a lot of finesse, but I'm just tired of having to always be on high alert (1st world probs eh) and miss my old Subaru that just felt more balanced and predictable, I know an s60 would be an improvement, but kind of wonder how much. The biggest problem worry about is accelerating up hills, I have a lot of power in the high gears (somewhat like an s) so it's really easy for the rear to slip out at higher speeds when accelerating at even a slight incline, and of course if you are stopped and have to start again on an incline that can be tricky.

Remember too that a RWD car is going to do better than FrontWD, all else being equal, going up a hill because there is more weight on the rear wheels when facing uphill and a car squats to the rear as it accelerates. I guess a FrontWD is better going down a hill, but that is not where you have the problem....

Hmm not sure what you mean by that, maybe you mean because the s has more weight than normal in the rear? If you down have traction your car won't squat and the rear will slide out easily, and they should work equally going down hill shouldn't they?

 

[tander]

RWD is better for going up snowy hills. I used to have to go up steep snowy hills in reverse when i had a FWD car.

It might depend on where your engine or weight is. I have front engine RWD and it's probably about as bad as it gets going up hills because most of the weight is in the front but the power is in the rear, now if you had the engine in the rear on top of the drive wheels then that might be good going up snowy hills?

 

[dgpcolorado]

My RWD S is horrible for snowy or slick hills, like my long steep driveway. I'm not sure even snow tires would handle my driveway but chains help. My next Tesla will be dual drive; RWD just doesn't cut it in the mountains. RWD seems to work fairly well on level ground given the stability control. But getting up steep hills in slick conditions? Forget it.

 

[scottm]

My RWD S is horrible for snowy or slick hills, like my long steep driveway. I'm not sure even snow tires would handle my driveway but chains help. My next Tesla will be dual drive; RWD just doesn't cut it in the mountains. RWD seems to work fairly well on level ground given the stability control. But getting up steep hills in slick conditions? Forget it.

You mean you don't have snow tires already on the S and you're winter driving in Colorado. ... the answer is plain and simple: get the right rubber on the ground.

All Seasons, I agree you're going nowhere on slick hills... but get winter rubber on ... huge difference!

"Snow" tires aren't just for snow. They handle low temperature dry conditions too... anything below 7 degrees Celcius, 45 degrees Fahrenheit. .. they outperform all seasons.

 

[jaguar36]

Drove our RWD 85 with Michlien X-ice's on it around in 6" of fresh snow this weekend. It was just fine going up hills. Only problem I was having in spots was with the snow being higher than the front bumper.

 

[mrjedistud]

Just had 4-6 inches here in NY. I am currently still running on my 21 summer tires. The car was horrible. I immediately ordered the 19 winter set from Tesla, unfortunately it could be a 4 week wait for the set to arrive. I'm surprised the SC does not stock a few sets of these.

 

[Drone Flyer]

I've had 2 winters on a RWD 85 in Minneapolis. I put on Michelin x-ice as well and that combo has been better than a front wheel drive on good all-seasons for me.

A D would be nice, but a RWD S with a good snow tire is completely snow worthy.

I have a steep hill in my neighborhood that I like to test the tires on on snowy days. I've always been able to get up the hill from a dead stop. Sometimes, there is a little drama but never much.

I find it true that a combination of great traction control, even weight distribution and a low center of gravity make the S MUCH more snow worthy that a similar ICE car.

You should never use All season tires in Winter, ever.
Manufacturers stock their cars with them as it is the least expensive route to take.
Even in summer, they tend to plain in wet weather.
Always use summer tires in summer and winter tires in Winter.
Even in places where you might get one snow fall a year, like in Vancouver, you should have them. Insurance companies also offer discounts to owners with snow tires.
All season tires are basically "No season" tires!