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Winter tire recommendations

What is your plan for winter tires?

  • Sticking with all-seasons

    Votes: 11 25.6%
  • Looking into the Pirelli set offered by Tesla

    Votes: 19 44.2%
  • Looking into the Nokian studded set offered by Tesla

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • Looking at another brand

    Votes: 12 27.9%

  • Total voters
    43
  • Poll closed .
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If I get dedicated winters I'm leaning towards stud less Nokians. More likely though, I'll just leave it in the garage and drive the Suburban with studs until it all melts.

Yeah with the hill we live on, mine won't see the light of day with any hint of frost, snow or ice. Most likely settle for the all-seasons. Though I'd really like to have the 21's, just not as practical. Mine will be a daily commuter, rain or shine... here in Oregon, emphasis on rain.
 
Because I won't be getting my car this winter, I'm going to wait to see what is available. For the first winter the OE all-seasons should be fine (if they aren't I will change them out just like I did on the Prius where the OE tires weren't fine for winter--not even in Texas) so it will be at least the winter of 2015 before I should have to decide.
 
I'll probably browse tire track / consumer reports and see what gets a good rating. In the past I've owned Michellin X-Ice, Blizzacks, and my most recent set were general altimax arctic. (Getting my car while it is still cold enough for Winter Tires would be a nice surprise).
 
I'll probably browse tire track / consumer reports and see what gets a good rating. In the past I've owned Michellin X-Ice, Blizzacks, and my most recent set were general altimax arctic. (Getting my car while it is still cold enough for Winter Tires would be a nice surprise).

Ditto. One of the things I want to pay attention to is rolling resistance. I notice that when I put winter tires on my ICE cars, mileage drops by one or two MPG. I think winter tires are going to reduce range, but would just like to know by how much (with all else being equal - i.e. I know temperature, use of HVAC etc. will already reduce range regardless of tires).
 
Well, it looks like I am the 1 in 15 so far to pick the Nokian Hakkapeliitta studded tires. It was reviews like Nokian Hakkapeliitta that convinced me. I have 2 miles of ranch roads that end in a 15%+ grade up to my garage. They are on a NE facing slope from 7,200 ft to 8,000 ft (800 ft elevation gain) and are typically packed powder most of the winter. Late March and early April are the freeze thaw time of year and I can end up with some pretty good soft and wet ice for several weeks. In town, Pagosa, and up to Wolf Creek, those icy conditions can happen any time of the winter. This winter will be a good test of the Model S in snow and ice, mountain driving with the best studded snow tires available.

See Up the Driveway at Hole-in-the-Wall - YouTube for a typical winter drive up in a 4WD Chevy Pickup in packed powder conditions.
 
Ditto. One of the things I want to pay attention to is rolling resistance. I notice that when I put winter tires on my ICE cars, mileage drops by one or two MPG. I think winter tires are going to reduce range, but would just like to know by how much (with all else being equal - i.e. I know temperature, use of HVAC etc. will already reduce range regardless of tires).

Its interesting that one of the items that is referenced in Nokian Hakkapeliitta Review is the Hakkapeliitta's "extremely low rolling resistance."
 
Its interesting that one of the items that is referenced in Nokian Hakkapeliitta Review is the Hakkapeliitta's "extremely low rolling resistance."

Good to know. I'll likely see my Canadian Production version by early spring and so will not need winter tires for one season, but will bookmark this fact.

On a related note, are most folks going for "fancy" aluminum winter wheels or simply steel wheels? Here in Ontario, Canada it is very common to see cars running around on plain old black steel wheels from about November to March, and most don't even bother with hub caps. Is there a steel wheel that will even fit Model S? (I ask because there is no steel wheel that will fit my current car, but I think that is uncommon).
 
Ditto. One of the things I want to pay attention to is rolling resistance. I notice that when I put winter tires on my ICE cars, mileage drops by one or two MPG. I think winter tires are going to reduce range, but would just like to know by how much (with all else being equal - i.e. I know temperature, use of HVAC etc. will already reduce range regardless of tires).

Actually, the cold weather will reduce your range, period. I have run both AD07 summer tires and snow tires at freezing temperatures and the loss of range was about the same.

(The optional soft A048 "sticky" tires are like bricks in the cold and really hurt your range. But they aren't fitting Model S with tires like that.)
 
Unless you really need studded tires like cottonwood, you should get something else. Studs are bad for people and roads. People get silicosis and road wear quickly.

I purchased the Nokian Hakka R studdless variety outside of Tesla.
 
Unless you really need studded tires like cottonwood, you should get something else. Studs are bad for people and roads. People get silicosis and road wear quickly.

I purchased the Nokian Hakka R studdless variety outside of Tesla.

+1. Studless tires like the Hakka R are really every bit as good as studded tires for anything other than ice racing and a few uncommon situations. In addition, studs increase stopping distance and decrease traction in almost every situation.
 
I'm getting 19" rims with the stock all-seasons. Supposing I get a set of winter tires as well, is it better to have a second set of rims as well? Or is it reasonable to remount tires, seasonally, on a single set of rims?

Every time you mount and demount a tire you risk damaging the bead area. Get a second set of wheels.
 
Every time you mount and demount a tire you risk damaging the bead area. Get a second set of wheels.

Agreed. After causing belt-shifting in my winters from remounting them as well as dealing with improperly-balanced tires from the idiots mounting them, I'll be changing my own in general. It's what I did on the Subaru. And that means I dictate exactly when I put them on (instead of being part of the mad rush the day before a storm trying to find someone to put them on). After a few seasons, you'll probably have paid off the cost of the rims (in savings of paying someone to swap your tires).
I bought a rechargeable impact wrench to help make it easier, too.
 
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Well, it looks like I am the 1 in 15 so far to pick the Nokian Hakkapeliitta studded tires. It was reviews like Nokian Hakkapeliitta that convinced me. I have 2 miles of ranch roads that end in a 15%+ grade up to my garage. They are on a NE facing slope from 7,200 ft to 8,000 ft (800 ft elevation gain) and are typically packed powder most of the winter. Late March and early April are the freeze thaw time of year and I can end up with some pretty good soft and wet ice for several weeks. In town, Pagosa, and up to Wolf Creek, those icy conditions can happen any time of the winter. This winter will be a good test of the Model S in snow and ice, mountain driving with the best studded snow tires available.

See Up the Driveway at Hole-in-the-Wall - YouTube for a typical winter drive up in a 4WD Chevy Pickup in packed powder conditions.

Yup, I love the Nokian Hakkapeliittas. They're the best studded snow tires I have used. But I also agree that studs are bad for people and the road so I'll probably get the studless version since I'm no longer going up to the mountains every weekend.