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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    1,218

    Dentist problems: Electric Ski Wagon?

    In a fit of millennial enviro-guilt and financial mental gymnastics I may or may not have plunked my quarter down for a used AWD Tesla. The thought being that I would fuck things up less driving it, save a little money in the process not burning dino-juice/dollars. Is anyone else rocking one of these things? Making it work? Home resort has a charger all set up, but there are only 2 spots so charging is by no means a sure thing...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    on the banks of Fish Creek
    Posts
    7,514
    get the standard transmission so that you can push start it if the battery dies.....

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    1,218
    I'm thinking stationary bike + Dynamo. Pedal-powered.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    sfbay
    Posts
    2,179
    Tesla dual motor is truly great in the snow. Put snow tires on and it could very well be the best car ever made for slippery conditions, seriously. Range reduction from stated range because of using the heater in cold weather is something you need to consider. I never liked the idea of clomping dirty wet gear in and out of such an expensive car, but that's just me.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    608
    My buddy picked up a dual motor Model X on a 3 yr lease last month. I have nothing valuable to add, but I will say holy shit that thing is fun to drive.

    And now you can play this annoyingly catchy ear worm when you roll to your local ski hill...

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NyOGIsds2C4

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    der town, WA
    Posts
    137
    Watch this, so you know what breaks on these:

    https://youtu.be/qnUM0OWB0dM

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Bay Area / Tahoe
    Posts
    2,474
    What's the distance to the hill from your house? (What resort, where do you live). You got the Model 3 I assume Husky?

    You may not really need to charge when you're at the hill depending on where you live. For example, Denver front range to all the summit county resorts and back (about 160-220 miles total) is definitely doable on a single charge. Even with cold weather, (~10-20F can reduce range by 20-30% or so for a long trip). More than 200-220 miles round trip and you might be cutting it close. On the way back down from the mountains, regenerative braking will actually save a lot of battery. I have a friend who says there are some stretches on i-70 in colorado where he loses almost no range for 20-30 miles because of it. Of course on the way up going uphill takes more energy so it balances out. Stop and go traffic on a downward slope will drain almost no battery for extended distances, which is an ironic plus of the type of traffic out of the mountains on weekends most places.

    Ways to improve your range are definitely preheat the car's cabin and battery (you can set this so it does it automatically an hour before you leave in the morning while it's still plugged in). If it's pretty cold at the hill you can/should set the car to preheat the battery again so it's ready to go when you leave. If you're really tight on range, you can always leave the cabin temp lower and that will make a noticeable difference. You have warm clothes with you so just leave them on haha.

    The Model 3 is significantly better with the battery heating and range reduction than the older Model S and X's.

    In the next few years a Model Y AWD long range will likely replace my Jeep Cherokee and be used as a commuter/ski wagon/do everything car
    Last edited by Muggydude; 11-07-2019 at 01:15 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Posts
    128
    Friend of mine worked for tesla and did a demo tour in Jackson a few winters back, he said that the Model x doors were awful with new snow, essentially funneled snow straight into the vehicle. they had to change out the motors on the back seats multiple times. thought it may be worth mentioning!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Your Mom's House
    Posts
    8,302
    Single anecdotal data point:

    I bought a Chevy Bolt and drove it to and from my parent's place in the mountains last weekend.

    The drive is 140 miles and climbs from 5,000ft up to 10,000ft with a few ups and downs in between, then goes up and down a bit more before ending up at 8,000. My drive out was in 30* weather and at night. Speeds were 60-70mph most of the way.

    The Bolt has a stated range of 240mi. I used about 2/3 of the battery to make the above drive, so the combination of uphill trend, cold weather, nighttime, and highway speeds cost me something like 25% of the stated range. Seems consistent with other things I've read online.

    I recharged overnight and going back was in warmer temps and daylight, and obviously trended downhill (but there's still a few big hills to climb), and I used about 55-60% of the battery getting home. I forgot to check exactly.

    Keep in mind that aerodynamic drag affects the range of EVs more noticeably than ICE cars* due to the differences in engine efficiency vs. RPM. That means that putting a box or ski rack on top of an EV is going to affect the EV more than the ICE.

    Also keep in mind that in cold weather, the vehicle will cycle the battery heater while parked to keep the battery warm enough. This uses some of your available range. Not a ton, but some.

    I second the above that EVs handle great in the snow. The Bolt is FWD but is nearly as good as our AWD Suby, all things being equal in tires. EVs are both heavy and the weight is exactly where you want it, low and in the center of the car.

    Can it work for skiing? For me, Front Range CO, living on the east side of town, I'm pretty confident Loveland or Berthoud Pass and back would be no problem. Winter Park, A-Basin, or Keystone would stretch it a little but probably still fine. Breck and Copper might be pushing it. Vail is probably out. Day trip to Monarch is definitely out. If I lived on the west side of town that would save me like 50 miles and make it much more possible. The AWD Tesla 3 has a noticeably longer range so that makes it more viable. I'll probably end up driving the Subaru or the lifted Tundra to skiing most of the time. The Bolt, however, totally kicks ass as a commuter and city car. It's better for that than an ICE car is pretty much every way.

    *more technical explanation: aerodynamic drag is a function of drag coefficient and velocity. EVs are often designed with lower drag coefficients but velocity is the main driver, so in reality aerodynamic drag affects EVs and ICE cars nearly equally. However, IC engines operate FAR more efficiently when they are running at low RPMs, in a high gear, at a consistent speed AKA highway driving. That's why the common wisdom that you get your best fuel economy while cruising at around 55mph in most cars - aerodynamic drag is still reasonable and the engine is operating under ideal conditions. Electric motors, on the other hand, operate at a fairly consistent efficiency level regardless of RPM, so you notice the effects of aerodynamic drag much more than in an ICE car.
    Last edited by adrenalated; 11-07-2019 at 01:26 PM.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    livin the dream
    Posts
    5,761
    No rocket box compatibility with model x.


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    Best Skier on the Mountain
    Self-Certified
    1992 - 2012
    Squaw Valley, USA

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    1,218
    Quote Originally Posted by Muggydude View Post
    What's the distance to the hill from your house? (What resort, where do you live). You got the Model 3 I assume Husky?
    I couldn't resist the siren song of Ludicrous mode and someone else taking the depreciation hit, so I picked up a used '15 S P90D from Tesla. 90% charge reads 222 miles. Stevens and Crystal are 78 & 89 miles, respectively with superchargers on the highway turnoffs.

    I did a quick test-run the other week to Stevens, really flogging the hell out of it. Started with 170 miles of range, rolled into the lot with...26. I had to sit in the lot charging for 2 hours before I could make it to Monroe. That being said, by my math if I'm a little more...gentle, I think I should be able to at least make the superchargers on the return trip. Not accounting for drag from the roof rack+boards, though...

    Also, echoing the EV+snow sentiment. The car came with summer slicks, which were downright dangerous in even 1 inch of fresh on the road (duh), but interestingly absolutely killed it in the lot with 8"+ with slush and mud, absolutely no drama. Very impressed. Nokian Hakkapeliittas coming soon...

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    der town, WA
    Posts
    137
    Dunno about Crystal, but Stevens has EV charging parking spots in the G lot.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    WA
    Posts
    2,524
    The cabin heater uses tons of juice. When I drive in the winter in my Chevy Bolt, I always pre-heat the cabin while plugged in before leaving. At least I'm not using battery for the initial warm-up of the interior.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    5,352
    FWIW I read Crystal is installing charging stations summer 2020.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    1,218
    Quote Originally Posted by Dromond View Post
    FWIW I read Crystal is installing charging stations summer 2020.
    Yeah but only a handful. Honestly, the new supercharger in Auburn has made the whole range thing a complete non-issue if you're coming from the Seattle area.

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