Tesla is not only a luxury car brand, but it’s also one of the best-performing car brands on the market. Many interested buyers from cold areas are eager to find out if it’s good in snow.
Yes, Tesla are good in the snow, but the way you drive your car will need to be adjusted a bit. To make them even better, you will have to adopt some practices so you don’t have challenges while driving in snow, cold environments, or during winter. For instance, you will have to preheat your battery and get some winter accessories.
Which Tesla model is best for snow?
Tesla Model X
Tesla Model X is the best Tesla for snowy conditions. Thanks to its AWD system and great ground clearance. This car has a ground clearance of around 8 inches, which is fair. However, you will have to change your Tesla Model X’s tires.
You will have to replace its stock Continental CrossContact LX Sport tires with winter tires. This is because these sports tires lack grip, which is very crucial when it comes to traction. The Tesla Model X has a starting price of around $80,000, but you will need to add on the extra cost of buying winter tires.
Winter driving tips for Tesla owners
Even though Tesla is not the perfect winter car because of its battery, you can still maximize these cars and have a smooth ride in winter weather. Thanks to the various features specifically designed for cold temperatures.
Here are some of the crucial winter tips for Tesla drivers:
Cold weather tips
It’s typical for Tesla drivers to notice increased energy consumption during the cold months. After all, Tesla is an electric vehicle. But if you want to maximize range and efficiency in cold weather, embrace some steps to keep your battery warm and preserve energy.
Here are some cold weather tips to help you preserve energy:
- Schedule your departure – Simply set your next departure time using the ‘scheduled departure’ feature on your touchscreen. Choose a specific time of day that you will want to drive on a daily basis.
This feature is vital as you can save a lot of energy on the road by setting your departure while plugged in. After choosing your departure time, the car prepares itself by deciding the ideal time to begin charging and preconditioning.
- Check out the snowflake icon – As you already know, when the battery gets too cold, it’s hard for the car to access all of its stored energy. So, if you see a blue snowflake icon on your touchscreen, it shows that the battery is too cold.
However, when the battery is warmed, this blue icon will disappear. Charging, driving, and preconditioning your car are some of the ways to warm your battery more quickly.
- Conserve energy on the road – One of the challenges of driving EVs in the cold is that a lot of energy is lost. You can reduce energy loss by driving conservatively and restricting energy use in the cabin. This will help with range and efficiency, which is crucial in cold months.
You can reduce energy loss by driving at moderate speeds, reducing frequent and rapid acceleration and deceleration, and reducing the cabin temperature setting.
Snow and ice tips
If you live in a snowy region, these tips will help you to drive smoothly and safely.
- Reposition wipers and mirrors – If you’re expecting your region to snow or have ice buildup, put your wipers in service position and deactivate mirror auto-fold to assist prevent icing.
- Clear vital surfaces – Prior to driving your Tesla, ensure that crucial surfaces aren’t frozen or covered in snow. These include mirrors, handles, windows, the charge port, autopilot sensors, and cameras.
- Defrost snow and ice – When the temperatures are extremely low, apply the defrost feature in your Tesla app to melt snow and ice away from crucial surfaces.
Charging tips
Many Tesla owners who live in cold climates have had complaints about their cars not holding a charge or taking longer to charge. To avoid such problems, make sure to fast charge your battery when it’s still warm, use the navigation in your car before preheating the car, and stay plugged-in.
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Winter tires and accessories
As stated earlier, most Tesla vehicles are designed to work flawlessly in the snow. However, to increase their efficiency, you need to acquire certain winter accessories for a smooth and safe ride. Some of the winter accessories required are winter tires, tire chains, and windshield washer fluid.
FAQs: Your Tesla and snow
Is Tesla AWD good in snow?
Yes, it is. Tesla Model 3 AWD is fun to drive in snow. This is because it features 19-inch tires, which may cause some tension for some drivers, but they do great in snow. The driver will be able to easily maneuver with these tires on snow without a lot of challenges.
Why do I need winter tires for my Tesla?
Most Tesla car models are designed to perform perfectly in winter or snowy conditions. However, most of them lack the required winter accessories, such as winter tires to provide excellent traction. Even though normal tires are good, winter tires are safe and allow you to have almost full control of the car.
How can I reduce charging time in cold climates?
If you’re worried that your Tesla is taking a lot of time to charge, you should use the navigation to ensure it takes less time to charge. Always prepare your car for supercharging by navigating your destination. Entering a destination helps your Tesla to automatically start preheating your battery before you get to the supercharger.
As a result, it helps to reduce charging time at the supercharger station. With regard to the ambient temperature and whether preconditioning was used before departure, pre-heating your battery can take at least 45 minutes. So, you won’t have to spend a lot of time at the supercharger pre-heating the battery before charging.
Final thoughts
All-in-all, Tesla are good cars for snow conditions. This is because they have excellent acceleration, steering, braking, stability, and traction. The only challenge that Tesla drivers are likely to face in the snow is loss of power and difficulty charging their car batteries.
However, with the tips that we’ve provided above, this shouldn’t be a problem as you can follow them to maximize your Tesla in cold or snowy conditions.
