zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
This Is What It's Like To Take A Tesla On A Winter Road Trip
This Is What It's Like To Take A Tesla On A Winter Road Trip-March 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:27

Image for article titled This Is What It's Like To Take A Tesla On A Winter Road Trip

There are plenty of criticisms that float around regarding electric cars, but two of the big ones are: can it road trip, and can it handle cold temperatures? In a recent video, Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained set out on a journey in his Tesla Model 3 to answer those pressing questions.

Fenske decided to hop in the car with his cat Bucket and take on the challenges of the winter weather in a 2500 mile journey, where temperatures were as cold as zero degrees Fahrenheit, or -18 Celsius. Basically, it’s a icy, snowy extravaganza, about as extreme as you can get without getting closer to the Arctic circle.

You can check out the full video below:

This video is the natural follow-up to a previous Engineering Explained video, where Fenske took his Tesla on a 2000 mile road trip in the summer to see how it would fare. There are, of course, unique challenges to heat when it comes to EVs, but today it’s all about that icy chill.

I won’t spoil the whole video for you, but I will lay out a few of the biggest things Fenske talks about, like:

Tesla’s charging optimization strategy, where it attempts to get you to your destination with the fewest number of stopsSuboptimal battery performance due to cold—and how that changes the journeyHow to optimize cabin temperature to ensure your powertrain will actually workHow to tackle broken superchargersProjected battery efficiency vs. cold weather battery efficiency

Cost of EV road trips compared to an ICE road trip

Basically, this covers just about all of the questions you could possibly have about taking an EV out for a long winter drive. It’s a great watch worthy of 23 of your minutes—especially since these are issues more and more people are going to be encountering as the world grows slowly more electrified.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Simulated Woodgrain Is Bad Except On This Town & Country
Simulated Woodgrain Is Bad Except On This Town & Country
Chrysler, the automaker, sold its first minivan in 1984 as a Dodge Caravan. Chrysler, the brand, sold its first minivan six years later as the Town & Country. Prior to this minivan, the Town & Country name was mostly used on wagons, all the way back to the first...
Mar 5, 2026
The Next Minis Aren't In The Works Thanks To Brexit
The Next Minis Aren't In The Works Thanks To Brexit
Modern Minis are big, heavy, ugly, and expensive, so I was surprised to learn that 346,639 Minis were sold (to whom?) last year, almost as many cars as Tesla sold, . Anyway, the lineup is due for a refresh, but that apparently has been delayed thanks to Brexit. From...
Mar 5, 2026
Across The Atlantic, The Honda e First Drives Are In
Across The Atlantic, The Honda e First Drives Are In
Honda’s first serious effort at an electric car has had us excited since the concept dropped . When the production version was revealed and Honda announced that the car , it was a real blow. But the car is now in the hands of journalists across the Atlantic and...
Mar 5, 2026
The Best Looking Car Shape Is The Wedge
The Best Looking Car Shape Is The Wedge
I don’t pretend to know much about fashion, but it seems that most new things are just a rehashing of old things. Car companies do this too, with retro styling and throwback names. The cycle seems to take around 20 to 30 years. What mom and dad are doing...
Mar 5, 2026
The McLaren Elva Is Like The Worst Hot Wheels Toy Except Actually It Rules
The McLaren Elva Is Like The Worst Hot Wheels Toy Except Actually It Rules
I touched the seven-figure no-windshield McLaren Elva last night and it was like where the bad guy tastes food so good he gets transported back to his childhood. This car is like a Hot Wheels toy. One of the dumb ones that looks like a fish or something. Except,...
Mar 5, 2026
What Do You Know About Overseas Factory Delivery?
What Do You Know About Overseas Factory Delivery?
Growing up just outside of Boston, I used to see a lot of Volvos with a suspicious piece of red metal behind the license plate. They were Swedish export plates, left in place by drivers who wanted to signal to those in the know that they were real Volvo...
Mar 5, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved