Winter Driving Experiences

[Jeeps17]

Zas, what you experienced today is what I experienced at least 4-5 times since I took delivery. Here in Quebec, we've been without snow for sometimes and car has been amazing. However, yesterday and today were snowy and the car was just below average. I took my BMW xDrive this afternoon just to remember why I said I would never buy a non-AWD car in the future. I don't want to be negative, but Model S is not good in these conditions (like many other cars. ex. BMW 535i).

PatP,

You found the S so-so even with the Hakka R's?

 

[PatP]

PatP,

You found the S so-so even with the Hakka R's?

It's way better, but car is very heavy and RWD - so there's no magic possible. It's not so bad, but it's not so good!

Today I realized that more than 1/3 of the vehicles I saw on the roads were AWD. A poor BMW 328i was accelerating slowly from the red light while being passed by a Ford Escape, a Mitsubishi Lancer and my BMW X1.

We just need a very little motor in the front of our Model S to become a snowstorm tank... sigh. and being able to drive at higher speed with the suspension in "high" mode... I would pay 10K$ to get AWD on the S.

 

[Zas]

I took my BMW xDrive this afternoon just to remember why I said I would never buy a non-AWD car in the future. I don't want to be negative, but Model S is not good in these conditions (like many other cars. ex. BMW 535i).

i also took my wife's Q7 out, and I know exactly what you mean..it was nice to conquer the elements, that would normally conquer the car in such weather....but as Toronto rarely gets this kind of extreme weather, the joy of the Model S far exceeds the frustration of not driving it a day or two...so although it's definitely no comparison to a 4WD car, it is much more advanced than ANY other car when the weather is "normal" that still makes this my car of choice...but then again, I don't live in Montreal.

but next winter I may invest in your Hakkas, just to try them out

 

[William13]

I expect Patp will eventually be able to pay that $10,000 for the FWD but in two or three more years.

 

[cinergi]

So we're theoretically getting 2.5 feet of snow Friday/Saturday. Time to break out my camera and test the Model S to the max! :smile:

Not sure what I'm going to be able to get. Driving has been BANNED until further notice. I'll try, though ...

 

[Jeeps17]

We just need a very little motor in the front of our Model S to become a snowstorm tank... sigh. and being able to drive at higher speed with the suspension in "high" mode... I would pay 10K$ to get AWD on the S.

+100 PatP, I made the very same pledge about AWD in Montreal years ago, and am now breaking it with the S. Being able to "correct" it in a few years would be awesome.

 

[Hut]

Zas,

How was the power consumption today?

 

[Zas]

Zas,

How was the power consumption today?

pretty bad, as I had the heat / defroster on all the while I was stuck for several hours.. and spinning the wheels incessantly doesn't help..I started with a full charge of 375 km (rated) in the morning, I only travelled about 30 kms today, but the car was running for about 4 hours ( driving / getting stuck ) and when all was said and done when I got home I had 200 kms left...

 

[pbrulott]

It sounds like a remake of the couple of snow storms we had in late December. There is a trend here for sure. I was following a BMW 328i yesterday and almost bumped into it with my AWD as the bmer stuggled to accelerate. I made the comment to my wife that this is how the S will behave in the snow and we'll have to be careful in those situations.

I'd be interested in getting some feedback form our friends from the US East coast (Boston, New york). Know about the driving ban, that's pretty radical.

 

[Al Sherman]

I expect Patp will eventually be able to pay that $10,000 for the FWD but in two or three more years.

I'll sign up for this right now. Hope it happens.

 

[Enadler]

With some of the disclosures regarding range in winter conditions I am getting a little concerned regarding some assumptions I made about the winter range with the 85kw battery.

I am expecting delivery of my MS in the next 2 weeks (fingers crossed). I purchased the larger battery as I regularly travel 180 miles between my Westchester NY home and my ski home in Southern VT. I felt that this should be well within the winter range of the car, even assuming freezing temps and significant elevation gain.

Is this assumption a poor one or can I expect to be able to make this trip easily?

 

[JakeP]

This depends greatly on the distance, the speed you drive, the temperature outside, the road conditions, the temperature of the battery pack when you leave, whether you did a Max Range charge, and the elevation changes along your route. I also thought a trip of 186 miles would be a simple task...be sure to range charge, stay plugged in at destination, preheat the pack and cabin, drive at a sensible speed, and if it looks like you won't make it, slow down 5 mph, or 5 mph more again.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, and beg Tesla to put in a Supercharger near Albany, making the range concern a complete non-issue, for anybody who is reasonably planning a cold-weather trip in an EV.

 

[Doug_G]

With some of the disclosures regarding range in winter conditions I am getting a little concerned regarding some assumptions I made about the winter range with the 85kw battery.

I am expecting delivery of my MS in the next 2 weeks (fingers crossed). I purchased the larger battery as I regularly travel 180 miles between my Westchester NY home and my ski home in Southern VT. I felt that this should be well within the winter range of the car, even assuming freezing temps and significant elevation gain.

Is this assumption a poor one or can I expect to be able to make this trip easily?

I've done a bunch of 300 km (188 mile) trip legs in various (and mostly crappy) winter conditions. (And will be starting another one in about half an hour.) You do have to be careful but it is quite doable.

(Mind you I see only moderate elevation changes.)

I'd maybe hesitate if there was deep snow, or extreme temperatures below -20C (-4F), unless there was someplace you could go for a top-up. You might not need it but you really don't want to fall short!

 

[Enadler]

Thanks for the comments. I guess I will just have to wait in see what real life brings. I think I should be fine as 1/2 of the ride is non-highway so slower speeds ~ 45mph also the temps generally don't fall much below 15F or 20F. I wil have a 15-40 at my destination so I am not concerned about charging once I am there but I need to make it there as there are no charging options on my preferred route.

I guess I will know for sure in a few weeks.

 

[PatP]

With some of the disclosures regarding range in winter conditions I am getting a little concerned regarding some assumptions I made about the winter range with the 85kw battery.

I am expecting delivery of my MS in the next 2 weeks (fingers crossed). I purchased the larger battery as I regularly travel 180 miles between my Westchester NY home and my ski home in Southern VT. I felt that this should be well within the winter range of the car, even assuming freezing temps and significant elevation gain.

Is this assumption a poor one or can I expect to be able to make this trip easily?

That will be really close in cold weather. No buffer at all. Please let us know the results but be careful with elevation. There's a site that helps calculate this factor. First time you do it, go slower on the highway so you'll be safer. Make sure you use the energy app and average projected range.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[PatP]

Not related to Model S but this video is interesting! (punch is at the end). I can only wish that we'll be able to eventually publish such a video with Model X or AWD Model S...

Snow Drift? Not a hindrance for the Audi A6/C4 S6 - YouTube

 

[Zas]

Not related to Model S but this video is interesting! (punch is at the end). I can only wish that we'll be able to eventually publish such a video with Model X or AWD Model S...

Snow Drift? Not a hindrance for the Audi A6/C4 S6 - YouTube

impressive ! And here is an even more impressive video - audi quattro snow plow - YouTube

 

[Doug_G]

I posted a story about my recent winter road trip over in the Canada section. Winter Ice Adventure

Here's the afterword that I included, with some observations about Model S performance:

By now it's well known that the Model S (and the Roadster) drops a fair bit of range (perhaps 20%) between +3C and -3C. What I hadn't realized before is that there's another drop, perhaps 10%, a bit below -20C. I believe this is the point where the pack heater is operating constantly.

I suspect the Roadster might have a range advantage in extreme cold, as it has a less exposed battery pack. On the other hand, the Roadster has intrinsically less range to start with. Plus it is far less comfortable to drive in the cold! When hypermiling the Roadster in the cold, I needed long johns, extra sweaters, gloves, and I still felt chilled out after a few hours of that.

In comparison the Range Mode heat keeps the Model S comfortable with minimal power draw. I needed no extra clothing in the Model S, was quite comfortable the whole time, and yet still had a little more range than the Roadster in the same conditions. So the Model S wins hands down. Yes, driving in the winter requires a little more planning and flexibility than in the summer time. But it's a pretty pleasant experience overall.

 

[mknox]

2. Wipers : The wipers need to be changed...horrible experience in this weather..the lack of heating on the windshield due to the airflow issues as mentioned in previous threads leads to ice build up on the wipers and leads to streaking and a lot of frustration when you are already stressed driving in these conditions.

Do you think a simple swap to winter blades would help? As a rule, I swap out my wipers for winter blades at the same time I put on the winter tires and the rubber floor mats. I've had problems in the past with "summer" wipers in the winter like you describe, but winter blades really do seem to help.

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It's way better, but car is very heavy and RWD - so there's no magic possible. It's not so bad, but it's not so good!

I had my AWD car out (with "all seasons" on) and had no issues at all. In fact, when I got out in the unplowed parking lot, the snow was rolled out in front of the car like a snow plow! When I left the store, I tried driving straight out and just pushed the snow bank aside as I plowed right through... I have had several AWD cars in the recent past, and guess I will have to adjust my winter driving expectations when the S arrives (hopeful soon).

 

[tezco]

I had my AWD car out (with "all seasons" on) and had no issues at all. In fact, when I got out in the unplowed parking lot, the snow was rolled out in front of the car like a snow plow! When I left the store, I tried driving straight out and just pushed the snow bank aside as I plowed right through... I have had several AWD cars in the recent past, and guess I will have to adjust my winter driving expectations when the S arrives (hopeful soon).

I've driven up my driveway many a time in my Audi A8 with the snow rolling over the top of the hood and haven't once gotten stuck. Don't think I'll be able to do that in the S (if we ever get any snow again, that is).