Tires and Tire Chains
• Use winter tires to increase traction in snowy or icy
conditions. You can purchase winter tires on http://
www.tesla.com (see Seasonal Tire Types on page
194).
• Tire chains provide additional traction when driving in
snowy or icy conditions. Check local regulations to
determine if tire chains are recommended or required
during winter months. See
Using Tire Chains on page
195 for more information.
Your vehicle’s tire pressures will drop in cold ambient
temperatures. If the TPMS indicator light appears, inflate
the tires before driving. The tires will lose one PSI for
every 10° F (6° C) drop in outside temperature (see Tire
Care and Maintenance on page 190). Proper tire
pressures help protect tires from potholes and improve
range when properly
inflated.
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:
•
Use seat heaters to keep warm. Seat heaters use less
energy than the cabin heater. Lowering the cabin
temperature and using seat heaters reduces energy
consumption (see Climate Controls on page 136).
•
Slow down your driving and avoid frequent and rapid
acceleration.
•
You can improve the eciency of the cabin heating
by reducing your selected acceleration mode (see
Acceleration Modes on page 83). This allows the heat
pump system to take more heat from the Battery to
eciently heat the cabin, instead of maintaining the
Battery's ability to provide peak acceleration
performance. This helps to maximize driving
eciency in colder weather. Note that when
subsequently increasing the acceleration mode, the
Battery requires time to warm up before the
increased level of acceleration is available.
Regenerative Braking
Regenerative braking can be limited if the Battery is too
cold. As you continue to drive, the Battery warms up
and regenerative power increases (see
Regenerative
Braking on page 77).
NOTE: Limited regenerative braking can be avoided if
you allow enough time to precondition your vehicle or if
you use Schedule to precondition Model X before your
departure time (see Scheduled Charging and Scheduled
Departure on page 185).
Blue
Snowflake Icon
A blue snowflake icon appears on your
instrument panel when some of the stored
energy in the Battery is unavailable because the
Battery is cold. This portion of unavailable
energy displays in blue on the Battery meter.
Regenerative braking, acceleration, and charging
rates may be limited. The
snowflake icon no
longer displays when the Battery is suciently
warm.
After Driving
Leave Model X plugged in when not in use. This uses the
charging system, rather than the battery itself, to keep
the battery warm (see
High Voltage Battery Information
on page 178).
Scheduled Departure
When parked, plug in Model X and use the Schedule
settings, available on both the charging and climate
control screens, to set a time when you want to
precondition Model X (see Scheduled Charging and
Scheduled Departure on page 185). Your vehicle
determines the appropriate time to begin charging so it
is complete during o-peak hours and the cabin and
Battery are warm by your set departure time. For more
information, see Scheduled Charging and Scheduled
Departure on page 185.
Storage
If you leave Model X parked for an extended period of
time, plug the vehicle into a charger to prevent normal
range loss and to keep the Battery at an optimal
temperature. Your vehicle is safe to stay plugged in for
any length of time.
When not in use, Model X enters a sleep mode to
conserve energy. Reduce the number of times you check
your vehicle’s status on the mobile app, as this
automatically wakes up your vehicle and starts normal
energy consumption.
Cold Weather Best Practices
97Driving
