Sponsored video: Check out the new Michelin CrossClimate 2 All-Weather tires’ performance on snow-packed and icy roads. They made believers out of us. Find out more about these revolutionary tires here.
How good is an electric car in the snow?
In this video, Roman and Tommy take our Tesla Model Y Performance up into the Colorado mountains, where the roads become packed with snow and ice as the season sets in. More people than ever before are adopting EVs as their primary mode of transportation, and its a worthwhile question to ask if you live in a winter-prone region and want to make the plunge yourself.
On the whole, though, that original question is a bit more complicated. If you live in a winter-prone region, you’ll know the rub isn’t so much with the car itself (though AWD helps maintain traction to an extent), but the tires. So, ditching the standard all-seasons on 21-inch wheels, the Model Y now has some weather-appropriate rubber. Specifically, these are Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires. They are not a full-on winter design — that would be the X-Ice or Latitude tires, if you’re looking in the Michelin stable. These are “all-weather” tires meant to offer better traction in inclement weather, but could still be used year-round, like a standard all-season.
It’s our first chance to properly test out the Tesla on snow since having the new CrossClimate 2s fitted. To see just how well they work, Roman tries some acceleration, steering and braking tests in the video above. In addition to the car’s ABS, traction control and all-wheel drive systems, the tires should help keep the car planted and under control. Electric cars deliver their power more immediately than internal combustion engines, so there’s a greater opportunity to break the tires loose if you’re a little exuberant with the throttle.
More on the Tesla below
If you want a better look at how the tires perform against the dry, check out our recent video pitching the Model Y against the brand new Dodge Durango Hellcat below: