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Electric cars are like gasoline cars-until they are not. In this FAQ series, we will explore that an EV difference of 1% is enough to require some explanation.
Proponents of electric cars will tell you that electric cars are just like ordinary cars. In most cases, they are right. You step on the pedal on the right, the car starts, you turn the steering wheel, and the car turns. The only real difference is what kind of fuel is in it. However, if we are completely honest, that's only the majority of cases. Most of the time, the only difference is the type of fuel used by the car, but other differences may need to be explained in order for mainstream buyers to buy electric cars.
In order to provide this explanation, we have launched a new section called "Frequently Asked Questions about Electric Vehicles", hoping to answer strange questions that have a 1% probability. Today’s question: Can a Tesla drive in snow?
Let's solve this problem in advance: Yes, you can drive a Tesla in the snow. Heck, you can drive almost any electric car in the snow, just like you can drive any internal combustion engine (ICE) powered car in the snow-but the experience can be quite different for two reasons. The first is that the electric car provides all the torque at 0 rpm. Maximum power is now sure to bring great fun and energetic driving, but not necessarily what you want on smooth, icy roads. The second is extreme weather, whether hot or cold, will have a negative impact on the efficiency of your vehicle-this means that there is a complete electronic "tank" in your battery, and the mileage will be shorter.
And, of course, extreme weather does have a significant impact on the fuel economy of ICE-powered cars, but if you have to stop earlier than usual on your trip to your grandmother this Thanksgiving to change gasoline or diesel, it’s usually not a big deal. What if you have to stop an exit early in the EV? This may mean the difference between a ten-minute charging stop and a stop which may take several hours.
So, what measures can you take to ensure that your EV holiday road trip becomes an unforgettable experience for you? continue reading.
1. Winter tires-if you live in an area experiencing freezing rain, sleet or snow, then investing in winter tires makes sense. If you live in a place with a lot of snow, for months in a row, snow tires are essential.
If you have never driven a car with winter tires on ice, trust us, and when we say this is a completely different experience, trust us. Traction, braking, steering-all aspects of vehicle power and handling have been improved. The difference between "summer" tires and "winter" tires is even more significant than the difference between two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. If If you don’t believe this, check out the video in Tire Review, which compares an all-wheel drive BMW SUV with standard tires and the same BMW SUV with two-wheel drive and winter tires.
As you can see in the video, all-wheel drive does not deny the laws of physics. If you don’t respect the weather, you can still get caught in snow or slip on an icy exit ramp-wearing the right boots on the car is just as important as putting the right boots on your feet.
Therefore, if you want to drive a Tesla in ice and snow, check the Tesla online store or the winter tire selection in reputable Tesla accessories and performance stores such as T Sportline. For other electric vehicles, please consult your dealer for recommended tires, or talk to TireRack experts.
2. Windshield wipers and wiper fluid-a new set of wipers can significantly improve visibility, especially in heavy sleet and freezing rain storms. If you haven't replaced wiper blades recently, they may be out of optimal condition-and, to be fair, the degradation of wipers is relatively slow, so their severity may not be obvious.
To ensure you have excellent visibility in the worst winter weather conditions, please consider using special wipers-such as Bosch Snow Drivers or Michelin Fahrenheit wipers. The biggest advantage of the new wipers is that they are very easy to install (as shown in the video below), suppose you first designed the wipers for use with the car (you can also see in the video below).
Please keep in mind that even new wipers may freeze on the windshield, so before turning them on by the "toggle switch", if you park frequently, you need to make sure that they are not frozen in place outside and place the wipers. The maintenance mode will also help.
Finally, you need to replenish the car’s wiper fluid with something suitable for winter use-this is a peculiar saying, "it won’t freeze." However, you can go a step further and use deicer instead of traditional wiper fluid. Companies like Prestone have de-icing fluids that claim to "be formulated to melt frost quickly down to -34°F" and work without damaging the car wash system. Combine it with some "thermal intelligence" thinking (more on that later), and you will have a clear view of the road ahead throughout the winter.
3. Floor mats-this seems to be an optional addition to your winter preparation list, but a quick glance at the Tesla wiring diagram (below) should be enough to tell you-even if you don't know what you are looking at- There are many expensive electronic kits under your seat. It is conceivable that your car’s expensive electronic equipment will not work properly in any salty, icy, or muddy snow you may drag in. This is why a fitted, waterproof floor mat is essential.
Image courtesy of the U.S. Patent Office.
If you have a Tesla, the Tesla online store has some floor mats designed to keep your carpet (and the wires underneath) dry in the winter. For other electric cars, please contact your local dealer for OEM options (Volvo Protection Kit pads are very good) or try to view a set of WeatherTech pads, which the company claims are made with the help of 3D laser scanning and are super suitable for almost any car .
4. Emergency kit-You should have some basic emergency supplies in your car, no matter if it is powered by ICE or electric, in summer or winter. However, in winter, it is more important to prepare for emergencies. The National Safety Commission has compiled this comprehensive list of items you should keep in your car:
Properly inflated spare tire, wheel wrench and tripod jack
Toolkit and/or multi-purpose utility
Reflective triangles and brightly colored fabrics make your vehicle more conspicuous
First aid kit, including gauze, tape, bandage, antibiotic ointment, aspirin, blanket, non-latex gloves, scissors, hydrocortisone, thermometer, tweezers and instant cold compress
High-energy foods that are not perishable, such as unsalted nuts, dried fruits, and hard candies
Reflective vest in case you need to walk for help
Mobile phone car charger
Other items for cold weather include snow brushes, shovel, windshield washer fluid, warm clothes, cat litter (for extra traction) and blankets
Of course, the NSC list may seem a bit too far-but it covers all the basics. As long as your cell phone has a good signal, you can use a first aid kit, flashlight, water, and some kind of extra warmth (such as a jacket or warm blanket) to prevent you from being stuck on the side of the road for a long time.
Image courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.
In other words, the combination of snow brushes and ice scrapers may be a must-have in the Midwest and Canada. As for which one to buy, there is hardly any newspaper that is more credible than the New York Times. It chose the Hopkins SubZero 80037 as the best snow brush/ice scraper combination you can buy in 2021.
I mean, I certainly don’t think NYT will do such product reviews, but since the entire Harambe transaction, everything has been a bit unstable, and we are here.
5. Car washing is your friend-remember that we talked about all the expensive wires and electronic equipment under the carpet in the floor mat part? There are many more expensive things under your car, from the suspension control arm to the brake cable to the axle shoe to the battery itself. It is best not to get salt, ice and mud on it.
Some dealer groups will provide lifetime free car wash services as a benefit of buying cars from them, so accept their proposal and let them wash the car at least once every other week, and there is salt on the road. If you are driving a Tesla in the snow, you obviously did not go through a dealer, but a monthly membership in a local car wash should bring you the same benefits.
Now that your car is ready for winter, it’s time to change your view and use of the car and get ready for winter driving. No, I don't mean "easy to step on the accelerator, brake early, and steer smoothly". However, this is of course very important. What I mean is that the working method of electric vehicles is slightly different from that of ICE-powered vehicles. Understanding these differences will give you a better experience, rather than simply "driving" as you might be accustomed to on gasoline vehicles. it".
1. Know how to pre-condition your Tesla — pre-conditioning batteries is essential for driving your Tesla in the snow. The same is true for any other electric car, a bit like warming up a gas engine so that the oil can reach the top of the cylinder head before you put it under load. If your car has this feature, you can usually activate and control it using the car’s infotainment system or a connected smartphone app.
More importantly-if you can power your car while it is still plugged into the charger, you can precondition the battery, heat your seat and steering wheel, and make the cab beautiful and comfortable , And will not have a negative impact on your battery life-the electric hot car you are using is actually taken out of the socket, not the car's battery pack!
2. Get the right app-although we are talking about apps, the right app can definitely make or break your electric car ownership experience. Companies such as Tesla and Volvo have great apps that can help you locate and even pre-process your car to maximize the range, but even Tesla’s station finder app, if the owner doesn’t make the most of it, It will also make them feel frustrated.
For travel planning, I like Chargeway because Matt Teske is my podcast partner, of course-but also because its travel planning is more than just a station finder. You tell it the exact vehicle you are driving and where you are going, and then it calculates the best parking place so that you can minimize charging time. It also allows you to enter the current temperature and average driving speed, allowing you to more accurately understand the upcoming journey.
If you are in Europe, A Better Route Planner is your best choice. It provides similar weather and speed functions, as well as similar "best choice" calculations using local traffic data. Compared to some more refined apps, the user interface is a bit clumsy, but if you are in Sweden, it won't be beaten.
3. Learn to heat up-internal combustion engines will generate a lot of excess heat, so it is relatively easy to re-direct some of the heat into the cabin to keep warm in winter. Electric car? There are not so many, so if you want to drive your Polestar or Tesla in the snow, you need "thermal intelligence".
"Using a car heater is a very inefficient use of electricity," Tom Barnard of the Electrification Company wrote in an article on thermal intelligence. "If you think about it, you won't use a lot of battery-powered heaters in your home because it requires a lot of AA to heat anything...Try to heat yourself instead of the empty space around you... (which means) turn off The main heater of the car, if there is a heated seat and steering wheel, turn them up. Similarly, if you have a heated windshield, please use it instead of a blower to defrost."
This is a good suggestion, when it preconditions the car when it is plugged into the charger, you will be able to recover a lot of the range "lost" due to the cold.
4. Plug in the power source-when you drive the electric car to your destination, try to find a place to plug in the power source and charge it. Even if this is a slow "level 1" charging from a regular outlet, in this case, something is better than nothing, and it can bring benefits when it needs to be pre-processed for a long-distance home car.
If you have followed all these steps, it will definitely be a safe and happy driving.
I have been involved in motorsports and adjustments since 1997, and have been part of an important media network since 2008. You can find me here, work on my Volvo fan site, ride a motorcycle in Chicago, or chase my kids in Oak Park.
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