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Winter roads and no winter tires yet ... crazy

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Hey gang,

I woke up to about 2cm of snow covering my driveway and all the roads in Port Perry this morning. Took the car out to the gym and BOY was that a surprise for me. I get my winter tires installed this Wednesday in Toronto so I'm hoping to feel a huge difference.

As soon as I backed out of my driveway and put the car into drive, I noticed immediately that I could hardly accelerate at all, and the dash traction control warning light flickered constantly as the car tried to bite into the road.

On the way back home I turned onto my (still snow covered) street and slowing down PURELY via regenerative braking resulted in the car's back and wanting to slide out slightly.

There isn't much snow, but it's super slippery so I guess that's all that matters.

What have the rest of you experienced in winter conditions so far? Got those snow tires on yet?
 
Doug - the Michelin Primacy tires that come with the car (19") are what I have. Are those summer tires or all season? If they are summer that would explain the horrible snow performance from today. In any case I will either not drive the Tesla today and tomorrow hoping to see the snow melt for my trip to Toronto on Wednesday, or I'll take my SUV into the city and just pickup the winter tires and install them myself (my neighbour does this all the time and has the torque wrench, etc).
 
Doug - the Michelin Primacy tires that come with the car (19") are what I have. Are those summer tires or all season? If they are summer that would explain the horrible snow performance from today. In any case I will either not drive the Tesla today and tomorrow hoping to see the snow melt for my trip to Toronto on Wednesday, or I'll take my SUV into the city and just pickup the winter tires and install them myself (my neighbour does this all the time and has the torque wrench, etc).

The Primacy are all season and I found them not THAT bad when I got my car last November during the 3-4 days before I could get my winter tires. The 21 Michelin in the other hand are like stone at there temperature and are absolutely crazy in the snow I had them on my former car.
 
Hey gang,

I woke up to about 2cm of snow covering my driveway and all the roads in Port Perry this morning. Took the car out to the gym and BOY was that a surprise for me. I get my winter tires installed this Wednesday in Toronto so I'm hoping to feel a huge difference.

As soon as I backed out of my driveway and put the car into drive, I noticed immediately that I could hardly accelerate at all, and the dash traction control warning light flickered constantly as the car tried to bite into the road.

On the way back home I turned onto my (still snow covered) street and slowing down PURELY via regenerative braking resulted in the car's back and wanting to slide out slightly.

There isn't much snow, but it's super slippery so I guess that's all that matters.

What have the rest of you experienced in winter conditions so far? Got those snow tires on yet?

I installed my snow tires 2 weeks ago. Had no problem driving this morning into Mississauga.
I have the Tesla Pirrelli snow tires.. they haven't had the best reviews in this forum.
 
All Seasons really aren't adequate for winter conditions with the Model S. You can get away with them on some cars, but not the Model S. You need real tires.

The Pirrelli tires provided by Tesla are adequate if you don't have hardcore winter. If you do have severe winter weather they're really not adequate - trust me, I went through two pretty bad Ottawa winters on them. All seasons would be even worse.

(My Pirrellis are at 4/32nds so although they're on the car right now, I have an order in for XIce3. Yes I was cheap and dumb and wore them out first before replacing them...)
 
Do you guys put the Brake Regeneration at Low during winter time (with winter tires of course) for safety reason? This is my first winter with my Tesla and I'm curious...

Thanks in advance for your inputs!

I've heard that other users do this, but I do a lot of winter driving (this is my third winter) and have never had an issue with regen in standard. I have had problems with downshifting in an Audi Quattro years ago, but have never had a problem in my MS, I believe that the stability control let's up on the regen automagicly, but have not done any controlled experiments to prove that.
 
I'll just leave this here....

demotivation.jpeg


I actually believe that the "all season tires club" would be equally appropriate.
 
This will be my third winter in a Model S, car arriving two years ago this coming month.
I have never put on winter tires. No problem for me - rarely a skid etc. Massachusetts and New Hampshire and lots of snow and hills and mountains.
Two caveats: I have driven in snow all my life, so I am used to it, and I keep good tires - driving over 25K miles/year, I have replaced my tires each November, so they are new again now. I used the stock tires, which I think were Goodyears, then replaced them with Michelins (19 inch). Costs me about $1000/year, but there is nothing nicer - all year round - than new tires.
Like new shoes.

- - - Updated - - -

And I have not reduced regen ever. Not necessary, seems to me.
 
Do you guys put the Brake Regeneration at Low during winter time (with winter tires of course) for safety reason? This is my first winter with my Tesla and I'm curious...

Thanks in advance for your inputs!

i was just thinking the same yesterday after my drive to the gym. On the way home just regen deceleration was causing my Model S to slide around in 2cm of (very slippery) snow. I believe it was a worst case scenario because the temp was right at zero so it was slippery wet snow - almost ice under the tires after they compact it.
 
On a test drive last winter, Nokian Hakka without studs, minus 20 degrees celsius.....there was no worry at all. Of course ones have to modulate inputs accordingly, but no worse than any rwd beemer. Reg. breaking was preset to Low.

How ever, my choice on anything but bare roads, the system put to rest all together.
 
Thanks all for your input!

Guess it depends on the road situation: when very slippery like yesterday = Low Regen and when good condition = Standard Regen...

I did one winter season and never switched to low regen. Even on ice, the traction control is fantastic and it won't make you loose control. It will reduce the regen power automatically.

I prefer right foot control on deceleration, always. Even yesterday with all season tires (I got my winter tires installed today).
 
To be fair, the Roadster handles winter conditions a lot better than the Model S. Especially the regen - you don't get the back swimming around if you lift suddenly, unlike the Model S.

I once took my Roadster out with summer tires on fresh snow - just down the street and back - to see how it handled it. I was astounded how good it was. Better than Model S on the Pirellis!