Tips for Driving Your Tesla in the Snow and Ice

During the winter, slippery snow and ice can make driving any vehicle—even a Tesla—difficult. Luckily, electric vehicles (EVs) such as Teslas have plenty of helpful features that you can use to drive safely during cold weather. To stay safe on the road this year, check out these tips for driving your Tesla in the snow and ice.

Use Winter Tires

One of the best tips for driving your Tesla in the snow and ice is to upgrade your tires. Winter tires provide additional grip and traction, which come in handy when you drive on slick roads. You can also use these tires, along with a few aftermarket Tesla accessories, to customize and change the appearance of your vehicle.

Preheat Before You Drive

Before you drive in cold weather, preheating your Tesla will be helpful. If you preheat your Tesla while it’s plugged in, you’ll save a significant amount of energy on the road. To do this, all you need to do is go on the Tesla app and tap “Climate” and then “Turn On.” You can also use the defrost option; all you need to do is tap “Climate” and then select the defrost icon.

Look for the Blue Snowflake Icon

If you forget to preheat your vehicle before you drive, you may notice a snowflake icon on your touch screen. This blue snowflake icon means your battery is too cold to access all of its energy. When your Tesla’s battery is too cold, it limits the regenerative braking and battery power. To fix this, all you need to do is warm up your vehicle. When the battery becomes warm, the snowflake icon will disappear, and you’ll be all set to drive.

Accelerate Carefully

Quickly going from 0 to 65 miles per hour in the winter can be dangerous, even with a Tesla. Additionally, it takes up a lot of your vehicle’s energy, so accelerating carefully is best. If you want your vehicle to limit its acceleration power, turn on the Chill Mode. To turn on this mode, go to “Controls” and then click on “Driving.” After that, tap “Acceleration” and then “Chill Mode.”