The hot summer days will soon be coming to an end and so, comes the time to prepare for the colder months ahead. The good news is that your Tesla was built and tested in extreme environments. There are, however, some helpful hints and tricks you may employ to ensure that everything goes as planned.
Get your Tesla ready for the cold weather:
Leaving your Tesla plugged in
When your Tesla is not in use, it is advised that you leave it plugged in. This is especially beneficial in the winter since it allows the battery to keep the heat it requires to function correctly and allows you to use features like regenerative braking without difficulty. When you start driving in chilly weather, you'll most likely encounter the no regenerative braking warning.
Inspect the car before starting your drive
Before you start your journey, it's a good idea to examine the vehicle visually. Ensure that essential surfaces are not frozen or snow-covered. When feasible, inspect the entire vehicle, but pay special attention to the door handles, mirrors, charge port, Autopilot cameras, and front fender.
Use Scheduled Departure
If the car is plugged in, you can also save electricity by warming it up before each journey. To provide an expected departure time, use Scheduled Departure. This guarantees that the automobile will be ready for you when you ready to leave.
Snowflake Warning
When the Tesla battery is cold, a snowflake icon shows next to the indicated range. Unfortunately, you won't be able to utilise some of the energy stored in the battery until it warms up in this case. Battery power and regenerative braking will also be limited. After the battery heats up, the icon vanishes. You may warm up your battery faster by charging it, driving it, or pre-conditioning it.
Conserve Energy while Driving
You'll need to drive prudently and restrict energy use in the cabin to reduce energy loss. This is an excellent technique to increase range and efficiency all year long. It's especially crucial in the winter, when the drastic loss in range can be startling.
- Activate range mode in the Model S and X.
- Drive sensibly.
- Restrict rapid acceleration.
- Lower the cabin temperature but use seat warmers.
Reposition the Wipers
In the winter, daily weather updates are your best friend. It will not only tell you how to dress, but it will also tell you what you should do with your car. If you expect snow or ice to accumulate, put the wipers in the service position to prevent icing.
Disable mirror auto-fold
Similarly, snow and ice buildup can damage the car's side view mirrors' folding mechanism. During cold weather, it's a good idea to turn off the auto-fold feature in the mirror settings.
Defrosting snow and ice
Tesla goes to great lengths to assure a smooth driving experience, even in subzero temperatures. The Tesla app's Defrost feature allows you to melt any ice or snow on surfaces such as the windshield, charge port, and mirrors.
Change the windshield washer fluid
In the winter, you'll obviously require washer fluid that's suitable for frigid temperatures. An occasional top-up will also aid in the restoration of the ingredients that keep the windshield free of ice.
Get winter tires and tire chains
Winter tires are a must-have if you drive on snowy or icy roads frequently. Winter tires are an excellent technique to improve the car's stopping, safety, and handling performance. The owner's manual contains helpful installation information. In addition, if you're diving in icy conditions, you could require tire chains to get more traction.
To save time moving between weather conditions, you can define a winter driver profile on your app so you don’t have to change settings with every season change.
