There's a Blizzard today in Boston and boy oh boy it sure is FUN!!!

[santana338]

So I was on sleepover pick up duty this morning. We had 3" of light, dry powder overnight. It was a Sunday so I thought this would be a perfect day to go see what you guys are all talking about. I have R2s on but I have just been driving the easy 5 mile commute since we started getting snow. I'm always leaving for work after the plows have cleared everything out so I haven't had any real challenges.

I got down to the end of the driveway and experienced major traction control anxiety. With the slight slush layer between the asphalt and the packed snow (due to salt I guess) I barely crept out onto the main road with the go pedal down a reasonable amount. I've experienced this before but it is nerve wracking when there is oncoming traffic. You just don't know when the car is going to get enough grip to start moving. I feel like a deer in the headlights when that happens. There isn't enough time to turn off the traction control in those situations.

So anyway, I get to the the sleepover with no problems. There is about an 8% grade up the driveway and since it hasn't been plowed and there isn't much room to turn around at the top, I thought I would try to back up the driveway. Well that didn't work. The traction control kicked in and I didn't get more than one car length up the driveway. I turned off the traction control and all that did was let me spin the tires and slide sideways. I turned around and tried to go up forward with the traction control off. That was just as bad. I just spun the tires and didn't make any headway getting up the driveway.

I moved up here 2 years ago so I won't claim to be a good snow driver, but based on all the glowing comments I have been reading I was surprised I was stumped by an unplowed driveway. Was I doing something wrong?

 

[Pollux]

Huh!

Can't say I've tried backing up a hill so dunno about that.

going forward up hill: how much unplowed snow, how thick, any ice? How old are your R2s, how many miles? Do you have the air suspension and if so did you raise the height of the car?

BTW, I'm leaving traction control on.

Sorry you're having difficulties! Any chance you could send a pic of the driveway?

alan

So I was on sleepover pick up duty this morning. We had 3" of light, dry powder overnight. It was a Sunday so I thought this would be a perfect day to go see what you guys are all talking about. I have R2s on but I have just been driving the easy 5 mile commute since we started getting snow. I'm always leaving for work after the plows have cleared everything out so I haven't had any real challenges.

I got down to the end of the driveway and experienced major traction control anxiety. With the slight slush layer between the asphalt and the packed snow (due to salt I guess) I barely crept out onto the main road with the go pedal down a reasonable amount. I've experienced this before but it is nerve wracking when there is oncoming traffic. You just don't know when the car is going to get enough grip to start moving. I feel like a deer in the headlights when that happens. There isn't enough time to turn off the traction control in those situations.

So anyway, I get to the the sleepover with no problems. There is about an 8% grade up the driveway and since it hasn't been plowed and there isn't much room to turn around at the top, I thought I would try to back up the driveway. Well that didn't work. The traction control kicked in and I didn't get more than one car length up the driveway. I turned off the traction control and all that did was let me spin the tires and slide sideways. I turned around and tried to go up forward with the traction control off. That was just as bad. I just spun the tires and didn't make any headway getting up the driveway.

I moved up here 2 years ago so I won't claim to be a good snow driver, but based on all the glowing comments I have been reading I was surprised I was stumped by an unplowed driveway. Was I doing something wrong?

 

[santana338]

Huh!

Can't say I've tried backing up a hill so dunno about that.

going forward up hill: how much unplowed snow, how thick, any ice? How old are your R2s, how many miles? Do you have the air suspension and if so did you raise the height of the car?

BTW, I'm leaving traction control on.

Sorry you're having difficulties! Any chance you could send a pic of the driveway?

alan

There was about 3" of unplowed snow so I didn't raise the suspension (I have air). No ice. The driveway was off a cul de sac with a HUGE snow pile in the middle so getting a running start was out of the question. I probably could have made it on momentum alone if I didn't have to do a sharp turn right at the start of the driveway.

My R2s were new this year. I put them on in November so they only have a few K miles on them at most.

I didn't think about taking a pic of the driveway. If I get out and about today I will see if I can stop by there and take a quick pic.

 

[santana338]

Here is an image from google street view of the driveway in the summer. It's hard to imagine the snow pile that blocks a straight run at the driveway though.

 

[Pollux]

Great pic, thanks. I had trouble visualizing the grade (I think you wrote 8%). Now that I see the picture, I'm thinking, huh, that shouldn't be a problem in the snow with the R2s. You said unplowed, but you think 3" deep. So... I'm thinking, raise the air suspension and try again. By the way, now that I see the driveway, I can totally understand why you might even try to go up it in reverse; I might even be tempted to do the same.

One other thing: I find it to be absolutely critical to keep the accelerator pressed and NOT give in to the temptation to let up at all, even when the car is slipping a little side-to-side. Let the traction control sort out how much power to actually apply to the wheels.

In short: dunno why you encountered the problems you did. Based on my experiences, your picture and your description of the circumstances, I'd think that it should be quite do-able.

Sorry I can't be of more help; definitely sorry you didn't have a better experience!

Alan

P.S. I *do* find on my R2s that the rear of the car can brake loose a little bit when I'm doing sharp turns, and especially if I'm going a bit faster than the turn warrants, even at low speed. I think this is happening to me when there's a combination of ice/unplowed snow, and with the direction of my momentum very much NOT aligned with where I'm pointing the car. But for straight-up-and-down, like that driveway, my experience is that the tires grip well and that the traction control takes over to help.

Here is an image from google street view of the driveway in the summer. It's hard to imagine the snow pile that blocks a straight run at the driveway though.

View attachment 71803

 

[ThosEM]

Nowhere near that much snow in Maryland, this year, but we did have at least one storm with 15-20 cm or so, and it took the maintenance crews totally by surprise so it was adventurous heading for work in my standard all-season tires (Alabama and Maryland have spoiled me). There was only one place that was remotely threatening in 20 km of untreated two lane road, an uphill stretch that had a Volvo convertible off on the shoulder slipping and sliding and trying to avoid going in the ditch. A front wheel drive Buick and I had to stop and go around the Volvo, but it was no trouble at all, and I didn't even spin a bit. Impressive!

 

[Rheazombi]

The blizzard continues....

Boston back bay as of an hour ago:

 

[Pollux]

Ah, a dusting in Boston... that mild, seashore climate... try coming out west, to the burbs & the sticks!

Alan

 

[jerry33]

I moved up here 2 years ago so I won't claim to be a good snow driver, but based on all the glowing comments I have been reading I was surprised I was stumped by an unplowed driveway. Was I doing something wrong?

Backing up the hill is something you do with front wheel drive cars because the weight is all on the front. The Tesla has just about a 50/50 distribution so backing up isn't going to help (and may hurt).

The trick with traction control cars is to keep going, spinning the wheels just packs the snow and then lubricates it which makes the problem worse. It works best to practice before you need to do it for real. I know sometimes that isn't possible but it's what you should aim for. There are even some snow driving courses available.

 

[santana338]

Backing up the hill is something you do with front wheel drive cars because the weight is all on the front. The Tesla has just about a 50/50 distribution so backing up isn't going to help (and may hurt).

The trick with traction control cars is to keep going, spinning the wheels just packs the snow and then lubricates it which makes the problem worse. It works best to practice before you need to do it for real. I know sometimes that isn't possible but it's what you should aim for. There are even some snow driving courses available.

I tried to back up the driveway because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to turn around at the top. I guess I could have just backed down, but I didn't think it would be an issue going up either way.

I'm going to see if can go attempt it again tomorrow. I'll see if I can get a little momentum going this time.

 

[santana338]

I tried to back up the driveway because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to turn around at the top. I guess I could have just backed down, but I didn't think it would be an issue going up either way.

I'm going to see if can go attempt it again tomorrow. I'll see if I can get a little momentum going this time.

The plow guy got to the driveway before I got there. So of course I had no issues with the driveway today. The homeowners thought it was funny I wanted to come back and try again though...

I'll report back if I am able to organize an attempt with fresh snow on the ground.

 

[Pollux]

Wait 'til you tell them there's at least one OTHER Tesla owner, who has never met them before in his life, who is also interested in trying it out!

The plow guy got to the driveway before I got there. So of course I had no issues with the driveway today. The homeowners thought it was funny I wanted to come back and try again though...

I'll report back if I am able to organize an attempt with fresh snow on the ground.

 

[santana338]

Wait 'til you tell them there's at least one OTHER Tesla owner, who has never met them before in his life, who is also interested in trying it out!

I wasn't going to tease you with this picture, but what the hell!

 

[Pollux]

Looks like a piece of cake! Heck with going up forward or even in reverse -- I'm sure I could go up that hill *sideways*.

I wasn't going to tease you with this picture, but what the hell!

View attachment 71891

 

[Rheazombi]

Driving around Boston last night (Feb 9).... Blackvue 650 dashcam.

and some carshmallows on Marlborough St, Boston Back Bay Feb 5:

The second video is a bit lower rez, we had a different camera setting that day. Also, timestamps are incorrect by ~6 hours.

 

[Denarius]

I probably shouldn't be disappointed that it has been 60° here, but I am. :redface:

 

[ModelX]

Hard to play with AWD when the snow has gone away!

 

[Burt Court]

Hard to conceive of that, I'm in drought ravaged SoCal with temps all this week in hi 80's.
old geezer

 

[Cottonwood]

Hard to play with AWD when the snow has gone away!

You can always do a few launches on dry pavement to entertain friends...

 

[Denarius]

You can always do a few launches on dry pavement to entertain friends...

I do plenty of that.. But I have my snow tires on, and I want to play in the snow!