Tesla Model S: 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).
• Slow down your driving and avoid frequent and rapid acceleration.

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).

NOTE: Limited regenerative braking can be avoided if you allow enough time to precondition your vehicle or if you use Schedule to precondition Model S before your departure time (see Scheduled Charging and Scheduled Departure).

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 sufficiently warm.

Warming the Battery Before Supercharging

By using Trip Planner (if available in your market region) to navigate to a Supercharger, Model S pre-heats the Battery to ensure when you arrive at the Supercharger, the Battery temperature is optimal and ready to charge. This reduces the amount of time it takes to charge.

NOTE: Tesla recommends using Trip Planner to navigate to a Supercharger for at least 30-45 minutes before arrival to ensure optimal Battery temperature and charging conditions. If the drive to the Supercharger is less than 30-45 minutes, consider preconditioning the Battery prior to driving (see Before Driving)

Autopilot

To ensure optimal Autopilot performance, keep the sensors free of snow, ice, mud, and dirt (see About Autopilot).

READ NEXT: