Why does Tesla winter test their vehicles in New Zealand rather than USA?

[Ulmo]

Why does Tesla winter test their cars in New Zealand rather than USA? USA has several mountains with snow on them, and several states where it snows a lot. It seems counterproductive to avoid working with the primary customer base and readying the local facilities and instead spend a lot of money flying to another country to do winter testing. What is the development rationale for such an expensive move?

 

[EVSince2011]

Probably because it's Winter there right now.

 

[fholbert]

Guess they figure if a Tesla operates upside down it should work even better in the northern hemisphere?

 

[MY1stEV]

Tesla doesn't exclusively winter test in New Zealand, they just happen to be testing that vehicle there now. They have a dedicated winter test facility in Alaska.

An inside look at Tesla’s winter testing facility in Alaska

 

[ewoodrick]

Let's see the Cybertruck prototypes are starting to roll off the winter and we need to do testing on them. Where's the hotest places and the coldest places right now?

Let's see, we are in Texas, that one's easy! Cold? I guess we have to go to the southern hemisphere for that because I don't think there is anywhere in the US below freezing right now.

 

[SOULPEDL]

I had the same question.
So do the cooling fluids circulate differently in the Southern Hemisphere?
Ha... I'm guessing this is true to some extent, but not likely measurable.

Or is it?

 

[ewoodrick]

I had the same question.
So do the cooling fluids circulate differently in the Southern Hemisphere?
Ha... I'm guessing this is true to some extent, but not likely measurable.

Or is it?

Yes, they do circulate differently. But it's because they drive on the wrong side of the road, same in UK.