What’s the best way to tackle deep snow in a Tesla Model Y?
Tesla Model Y owner DaxM heads out into some deep snow to give us an idea of how the electric crossover performs. He also tests both Slip Start and Off-Road Assist to figure out the best way to handle the white stuff.
We’ve already watched and shared several videos about how Tesla’s vehicles, as well as other EVs, perform in snow and cold weather. However, this is arguably one of the better Tesla winter driving videos we’ve come across this season.
The Tesla Model Y appears to fare well in deep snow, which comes as no surprise since it comes standard with two motors and all-wheel drive. That said, it’s important to have winter tires on the car. Some people incorrectly assume that all-wheel drive means excellent snow performance, but that’s not necessarily the case if the car is wearing the wrong rubber.
Dax has proper snow tires on his Model Y, and he takes it out after one of the first significant snowstorms in his area. He begins by driving the car down a snowy, unplowed neighborhood street to get a basic idea of how it performs.
While the Model Y handles the conditions quite well, he admits that there have been times the crossover has struggled, even with snow tires on. Dax says he never got stuck, but there were situations in which he couldn’t get the car to easily move right away, so he used Slip Start.
Dax goes on to explain and demonstrate Slip Start. He says it doesn’t completely disengage the Model Y’s traction control, but it allows the wheels to spin so you can rock the car out of a “sticky” situation. He also discusses and demonstrates Off-Road Assist.
The Off-Road Assist setting adjusts the crossover’s traction control to maximize off-road performance. Like Slip Start, it allows the wheels to spin, but it also makes the overall torque delivery more subtle and works to balance front and rear motor torque. This way, the Model Y may not get stuck as easily, and if one side of the car has better traction than the other, it can accommodate.
DaxM provides the following topics and timestamps to help you navigate the video.
0:00 Intro3:20 Driving6:52 Slip Start
10:00 Off Road Assist
Do you own an EV? If so, which car or SUV? Let us know how it handles the snow. In addition, if you have any tips or tricks for EV owners dealing with winter weather, share them with us in the comment section below.
Keyword: See Tesla Model Y Handle Deep Snow: Off-Road Assist & Slip Start