Oregon Winter Driving in a Tesla

Before getting into the heart of this article on Oregon winter driving in Teslas, I need to take a moment to go over my driving experiences specifically in winter driving, so that you might understand that this is not a puff piece, but rather an article based on real-world experience.

I was born and raised in warmer climates, but moved to Oregon in the early 1990s. Once in Oregon, I quickly learned how to drive in the snow– in a pickup truck with all-season tires, no less. I frequently drove from Ashland down to Southern California during the winter breaks from college in a few pickup trucks I owned. I would head over the Siskiyou Pass near Mt. Shasta on I-5. Every time there is snow or ice on that stretch, the accidents back up traffic for miles. I’m happy to report I was never involved in an accident during any of those trips.

Fast forward to the time I lived in Klamath Falls and would head over to Medford or Ashland to visit friends and buy my vegetarian groceries (K-Falls didn’t have nearly the same selection). I would drive a Subarus with “Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive” or “SAWD” (their branded version of AWD) on various tires. Sometimes all-season tires, and later studded tires. I will confess that I did not drive very sensibly at the time. Subaru tend to make drivers a little cocky because they are so incredible with their traction control. But I’m still happy to report that in thousands of miles driven specifically on ice and snow, no accidents for me.

After I moved to Bend for a while, I took a winter driving course put on by the local sheriff’s office on what’s called a hydraulic skid car. I cannot recommend the course highly enough. It gave me skills– counter-intuitive skills– for driving on slick surfaces that I still think about to this day. It was a great course, and a must if you’re going to live in Central or Eastern Oregon, in my opinion.

Fast forward to the years where I commuted weekly between Bend and Portland in three different Mercedes all equipped with 4Matic (their branded version of AWD). Many of those trips were made in the winter, and I would alternate between heading through Warm Springs and past Mt. Hoot, and heading through Salem and the Santiam Pass. I’m happy to report that in thousands of miles driven across the Cascades, I only had one accident and it had nothing to do with snow or ice. During one trip, I came around a corner and clipped a rock that had rolled into the road, and it blew my tire. But it’s worth mentioning that I probably saw dozens of flipped cars and the aftermath of accidents during all of that commuting.

All of the above is just to clarify that I’m familiar with winter conditions in Oregon, and I’ve driven tens of thousands of miles specifically on ice and snow. I don’t by any means claim to be an expert, but I want to distinguish myself from the people of Portland who encounter a faction of an ice of snow and then abandon their cars on the freeway.

A Tesla Model 3 Performance in Oregon snow

Are Teslas Good For Winter Driving in Oregon?

In short, yes. The dual motor / AWD versions of Teslas are very good for winter driving. I think they are very comparable to the Mercedes equipped with 4Matic, but still not as good as Subarus with their standard AWD.

If you ever need reassurance as to whether or not your Tesla is going to be able to handle a winter, consider that Teslas have been best-selling cars in Sweden and Norway for years. They also sell remarkably well in Canada.

Part of the reason Teslas do well in winter driving is that they have software-driven traction control, and they are heavy. These two factors allow the cars to put power where it’s needed, and enough traction by weight and rubber to put that power to use.

Are Dual-Motor, AWD Teslas Good In Snow?

Tesla vehicles generally perform well in snow, although some models may be better suited for snowy conditions than others. The all-wheel drive (AWD) models, such as the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y, are equipped with dual motors that provide better traction and stability on slippery surfaces like snow and ice.

Additionally, Tesla vehicles come with advanced safety features like traction control, stability control, and anti-lock brakes, which help to maintain control in snow and other challenging driving conditions.

That being said, as with any car, it’s important to drive safely and cautiously in snowy weather, and to make sure that your tires are properly inflated and have adequate tread depth to provide the best possible traction.

Are Single-Motor, Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) Teslas Good In Snow?

A rear-wheel drive Tesla can be more challenging to drive in snowy conditions than an all-wheel drive model, as it may have less traction on slippery surfaces. However, Tesla vehicles are equipped with advanced safety features like traction control and stability control, which can help to maintain control in snowy or icy conditions.

If you are driving a rear-wheel drive Tesla in snow, it’s important to drive with caution and to take some extra precautions. This may include:

Slow down and leave extra space between your car and the car in front of you. This will give you more time to react if you need to brake or change direction.
Accelerate and brake gently to avoid sudden movements that can cause your tires to lose traction.
Use winter tires designed for snow and ice. Winter tires have a softer rubber compound and deeper tread patterns that can provide better traction in slippery conditions.
Consider adding weight to the trunk of your car. This can help to improve traction on the rear wheels.

Overall, while rear-wheel drive Teslas can be more challenging to drive in snow, they can still perform well if driven with care and equipped with appropriate tires.

How Can I Best Drive My Tesla In Oregon Winters?

Here’s an easy checklist for how to drive your Tesla safely on snow and ice (in order of priority):

Set your car to “Chill Mode.” No pun intended. Chill Mode is designed to take some of the “bat outta hell” acceleration from your car, and it’s just enough to take all the edge off the fairly large amount of torque and horsepower Teslas have off the starting line.
If there is a lot of ice on the road, you may want to enable “Slip Start.” This turns off or at least reduces the traction control that causes braking immediately upon tire slippage. There are certain occasions where you might want some slippage in order to have a chance to get moving.
Make sure regenerative braking is set at it’s most aggressive setting. This will help you make sure that there are always some forward or rearward forces on the vehicle, and will allow you to maintain control. Now, a word of caution though: You need to know how to engage in what’s called “one-pedal driving” with your Tesla. If you typically jam on the accelerator and then yank your foot off, this isn’t going to be a good technique for winter driving. But if you ease on the accelerator and slowly move your foot back to feel the deceleration, you’ll find that you have excellent feedback on whether or not the car is slipping.
Get yourself a dedicated set of winter tires on wheels (see below).
If your car starts to drift or slide, contrary to what you think you need to do, steer into the turn. For example, if the rear of your vehicle is sliding to the right, then turn the steering wheel to the right, and vice versa. Do it gently, and avoid jerking the steering wheel.
Remember that you’ll have more control accelerating than coasting or braking. Braking will give you the least amount of control– especially if you need to stop in a short distance or a hurry. Give yourself plenty of room to slow down or stop.
Finally– and most importantly– slow down. This cannot be emphasized enough. If you hit actual ice on the pavement (black ice or white)– no matter what tires you have or how much practice you have with winter driving– your car may lose complete traction. When that happens, the only two variables you have control over (or had control over before you lost control) is the velocity at which your vehicles was traveling, and how far your vehicle was from another vehicle, barricade, or other object. There is no substitute for slowing down.

Even For Teslas, Tire Selection Matters Most

I have an untested theory that a 2WD car with winter tires can often perform better than an AWD car with all-season tires. There is some anecdotal evidence that this holds true– especially for people driving front-wheel drive cars. But four dedicated winter tires on wheels (aka “rims”) you don’t care about gives yourself not only the best traction, but also the best “ready for anything” mentality during Oregon winter driving.

What Winter Tires Are Best For Teslas?

First off, if you’ve got the Michelin Pilot Sport EV Performance Sport Tires (aka “summer tires”) on wheels and on your Tesla, get them off before the weather turns cold. Word is that you’ll void your warranty and permanently damage the tires by driving around on them when the weather is below freezing. These are phenomenal tires in the summer, but are not even passable winter tires.

Chains vs. Studded Tires vs. Winter Tires for Teslas

Every vehicle and driver’s needs are going to be different, but for me, I decided against studded tires or chains. Here’s what I’ve learned driving in Oregon:

If there is thick powdered snow on the road, chains are the only thing that are going to help you one bit. But they are a royal pain to put on or take off, they destroy the roads, ruin your ride and suspension, and if they slip off in use they will do thousands of dollars of damage to your vehicle. In my observation, chains are rarely needed for most Oregon roads as they are plowed (all the major highways, anyway).
If there is actual ice on the road, chains won’t do anything. The only thing that will help are studded tires.
If there is snow pack on the road, chains or studded tires aren’t needed. Winter tires will be fine.

For my Tesla Model 3 Performance, I ended up getting a set of Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 winter tires. The fact that my winter tires are studless means I can put them on and take them off whenever I want. By contrast, studded tires can only be used during a certain window of dates. As you know– or can imagine– every tire shop becomes overwhelmed right around those on/off dates. In my experience, studded tires also weren’t nearly as amazing as they’d been talked up to be.

But to be clear, there is nothing magic about the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 winter tires. They are just good tires, and they were available to me at a reasonable cost when I needed them. Other really good Tesla winter tires are:

A couple of additional recommendations concerning winter tires:

Get an extra set of Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) sensors. They don’t have to be Tesla-branded, as the signal your Tesla needs to pick up is universal. For example, here’s a set on Amazon that at last check was only forty bucks.

Put your winter tires on a set of dedicated wheels with the extra TPMS sensors. You don’t need fancy wheels. In fact, get some heavy wheels that you don’t care about. Because if they get dinged with gravel, lava rock, or you hit some rocks or potholes in the road, you won’t care. I found that for the cost of swapping actual rubber back and forth across the same wheels compared to swapping mounted tires on wheels, that the cost and additional time weren’t worth it. Meaning, I could get in and out of the tire shop faster and spend less money by having my winter tires on a spare or dedicated set of wheels.

Paint Protection Film (PPF) for Oregon Winters

I will be writing a dedicated article in the future about PPF generally, but if you intend to drive a lot across Oregon mountain passes where they use lava rock as a traction aid, get PPF. The lava rock will sandblast the front of your beautiful Tesla like nothing else. Indeed, there is about nothing more abrasive to paint as lava rock being tossed at your at highway speeds.

At the very least, apply or have someone apply a clearcoat bra on your Tesla. 3M makes some great products. Alternatively you can apply Plasti Dip or Autoflex. But honestly, you’d be insane to drive across Santiam Pass or up to Mt. Hoot without some protectant on your front end.

Teslas Are The Ideal Vehicles For Oregon

If you’re not already familiar with how cold temperatures affect lithium batteries, read our article here. Owning and driving a Tesla in the winter means you need to give extra consideration for how your State of Charge (SoC) and range will be negatively affected.

But even taking into account how range can be cut by cold temperatures, with the relatively low cost of electricity in our state, the moderate year-round temperatures, and the size of our state, Teslas and other EVs are a natural fit. While it’s true there’s a bit of an “electric desert” out in Eastern and Southeastern Oregon where it can be difficult to find a Tesla Destination Charger or Tesla Supercharger, the rest of the state has a complete charging network which makes it easy to get around. Even in the dead of winter, there are very, very few places you’ll be unable to reach with a Tesla.

Now get our there and drive your Tesla EV with confidence even in snowy or icy Oregon winters!

A Brief Word on Affiliate Links

I started this website in large part due to the lack of transparency and integrity of the head of another popular Tesla group in Oregon. The head of that group is a shill who will recommend products and service because he’s paid to do so, and he does not share with members the fact that he’s being paid for recommending specific products and services. I don’t do that, and I won’t do that. Ever.

If this article contains any affiliate links, I may receive a small commission if you purchase items using those affiliate links, but it won’t cost you anything. This is a not-for-profit venture of mine, and therefore any money received from affiliate sales will go right back into articles like this one.

Lastly, no product on this website will be featured or recommended in return for payment to be featured or recommended. Ever.