Winter Driving on the Coquihalla

[Doja]

I live in Vancouver but work in Kelowna a few days a week. This winter has been intense on the Coquihalla and i'm wondering if the Model X is up to the task.

1. At -12 how will the vehicle perform in respect to range? It's about a 370K trip and I want to do it on a single charge.

2. With up to a foot of snow, slush, ice - can the X handle these conditions?

3. The flying rocks have destroyed my windshield. Each trip I get another chip or crack - How durable is the model X window?

Any advice is appreciated, I'd really like to get into one of these, but need some assurance it's up to the insanity of my weekly commute.

Cheers.

 

[AndreyATC]

Assuming it's 90KWh battery.
With minimal heat and elevation gain, it's doable
As long as roads are fairly clear most of the trip
Fully charge it and make sure battery is heated well before you leave
It performs better

P.S. Make sure you stay below 230wh/km average consumption

 

[Doja]

Thanks for the reply.

Never any guarantees with the Coquihalla. Many times this year it's been gnarly winter conditions with -20, ice, flying rocks, rolled trucks, sliding pickups and lots of snow the entire drive.

To put in perspective one trip my car said said I had 470km to empty and by the time I completed the drive it said I have 20km to empty. The entire trip I was i snow and high elevation with low temperatures.

1. How durable is the windshield?

2. Here's a link to the elevation change on the road. It's pretty significant.
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/dr...tions/hwy_5_coquihalla_pass_grade-profile.pdf

3. How is the traction control with the model x?

 

[AndreyATC]

MX with snow tires is absolutely amazing
Traction control is one of the best ones out there
Your net elevation change is not terrible, only 400m
Another advise is to stay either at speed limit or a bit lower to make sure you have enough cushion

Not sure about windshield, probably on par with others

 

[Gen3]

I know Merritt has a supercharger, or will very soon. On any bad days you should be able to get there for a brief charge if necessary.

 

[Visscher]

The supercharger in Merritt is kinda outta the way for Vancouver to Kelowna. You have to head up toward Kamloops, to the other side of Merritt, maybe +8 min to the trip.

For you Americans reading this, there is a tv show called Highway to Hell that is filmed on the Coke, makes anything I saw around Shasta or anywhere in the US the 10 years I lived there look like spring conditions. I commute through Merritt to Kelowna from north of Kamloops too, but shouldn't have a problem with the model 3 now that they have a charger there. It says it is open on the supercharger map.

Doja, I checked with ICBC and my insurance on a x90d would be almost 20% higher than my 2011 4Runner and yearly windshield replacements cost $200, just like they do now. I don't think there is any physical reasons the x wouldn't work for this now.

 

[Canuck]

It's about a 370K trip and I want to do it on a single charge.

You won't make it from Vancouver to Kelowna on a single charge. Not a chance. The cold combined with the significant elevation gain eats up range fast. It's not only heating the vehicle that takes energy, but cold air creates more resistance than warm air so even without heating it's much worse than summer. Add friction on the road in the form of snow, slush or even rain and it eats up range. Stop at the Hope Supercharger, go to the Blue Moose for a coffee, then continue on your trip.

You don't say the battery size of your X. I assume it's a 90. If you don't stop at Merritt, you should charge to 100% at Hope. If it's a 60 you will need to stop at Merritt. I would still recommend that you stop at Merritt even with a 90. It's not that far out of the way, and you never know in the winter if you come upon an accident or closed road and have to wait and you want to stay warm. In the summer it's different.

Also, don't believe what the car tells you about what you will have left in the battery upon arriving in Kelowna. It is notoriously wrong on the Coq.:

Western Canada Superchargers

Take this with you:

Stuck in a blizzard? Here's an inexpensive emergency heating system

You might find this thread interesting. It's from before there was a supercharger in Hope:

Vancouver to Kelowna - Single Charge?

 

[aesculus]

You won't make it from Vancouver to Kelowna on a single charge. Not a chance. The cold combined with the significant elevation gain eats up range fast. It's not only heating the vehicle that takes energy, but cold air creates more resistance than warm air so even without heating it's much worse than summer. Add friction on the road in the form of snow, slush or even rain and it eats up range. Stop at the Hope Supercharger, go to the Blue Moose for a coffee, then continue on your trip.

I agree with Canuck. Running a planning model for the trip you have to charge to near 100% at Hope to have enough to get to Kelowna and then to the Kelowna SC to fill up to get back to Hope. This is with a 90D Model X taking into account the current weather for today (light snow, little wind and 22F).