The following best practices can help ensure
that you have the best ownership experience
possible in harsh cold weather conditions.
Before Driving
Warm the cabin and Battery ahead of
departure for maximum range and
performance. There are several ways to
precondition your vehicle:
•
Mobile app preconditioning
: On the
mobile app, navigate to
Climate
>
Turn
On Climate
and set to
HI
or customize the
temperature at which you want to heat
the cabin, which also helps thaw ice on
the charge port latch and warms the
•
Mobile app defrost
: On the mobile app,
navigate to
Climate
>
Defrost
to melt
snow, ice, and frost on the windshields,
driver and passenger windows, mirrors,
and charge port. The Battery also warms
as needed.
NOTE:
Tesla recommends activating the
climate settings at least 30-45 minutes
before departure (see
). Preconditioning times depend
on outside temperature and other factors.
•
Scheduled Departure
: Use to preset a
time at which you want your vehicle to be
ready to drive (see
and Scheduled Departure on page 176
).
When snow and ice accumulate on your
vehicle, moving parts, such as the door
handles, windows, mirrors, and wipers can
freeze in place.
Door Handles
Windows
• On the mobile app, navigate to
Climate
>
Defrost
as mentioned previously.
• Use the mobile app to schedule a service
appointment where Tesla can provide
hydrophobic coating to your windows for
a nominal fee.
Mirrors
If ice buildup is expected when parking, turn
off
Auto-Fold Mirrors
by navigating to
Controls
>
Vehicle
>
Mirror Auto-Fold
>
ON
.
Ice can prevent exterior side mirrors from
folding or unfolding.
NOTE:
The side mirrors automatically heat as
needed during preconditioning or if the rear
defroster is activated.
Wipers
If snow or ice buildup is expected when
parking, navigate to
Controls
>
Service
>
Wiper Service Mode
>
ON
. This raises your
wipers so they are against the windshield and
they can defrost while the windshield defrosts
(see
Winter Tires and Tire Chains
• Use winter tires to increase traction in
snowy or icy conditions. You can
purchase winter tires on
(see
).
• Tire chains provide additional traction
when driving in snowy or icy conditions.
Check your local regulations to see if tire
chains are recommended or required
during winter months. See
for more information.
While Driving
Cold weather can increase energy
consumption because more power is required
for driving, cabin and Battery heating. Follow
these suggestions to reduce energy
consumption:
• Using the seat heaters to keep warm is
more efficient than using climate controls.
Lowering the cabin temperature and
using seat heaters will reduce energy
• Slow down your driving and avoid
frequent and rapid acceleration.
Cold Weather Best Practices
87
Driving
