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Snow driving

5K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  MrPaulus 
#1 ·
just wondering what this is like to drive in the snow or on ice. Usually I shove the car into 2nd gear and let the traction of my Diesel engine move the car without applying revs or brakes. (Spent time out in Norway with the Royal Marines so had a bit of training in snow driving)

Having never driven an automatic before and certainly not one of these, what settings would I need or do I just leave it on the drive and work from home/leave the kids at school?

Was asked this question by my boss who lives "oop" north as he is considering one of these or the Passat equivalent when he replaces his Passat est. so it's not just me wondering.
 
#2 ·
I was wondering this too ... a few years back some automatic cars had a Winter button that forced them not to use 1st, and therefore engage 2nd gear when at standstill instead of first --- to prevent wheelspin.
I was wondering and suspect not, that the DSG will allow you to paddle shift into 2nd when at standstill or very very slow speeds ... e.g. approaching traffic lights on uphill road and they go green just before you come to a halt -- I'd then want to be in 2nd gear on such a snow road.
However I had also read that BEVs are better in snow because of the different way torque comes into play - maybe someone can comment to that, as I think 0-5/10mph or so the GTE would try to use the battery and not the ICE ?
 
#4 ·
I used the Eco button in the leaf in my work car park with about 3 inch of fresh snow, it pulled away without an issue. The torque is so linear it was very easy. I stopped a few times just to have a play and even without Eco turned on it was no problem to get going.

I'm pretty sure the e-golf has a similar setting that could stand in for second gear.

It would have been a lot more fun in a tesla!
 
#5 ·
No need to worry. It is actually the best car I have ever driven in snow.

The trick is to be very light on the accelerator. Unlike an ICE, the electric motor has full power from 0 revs. So no need to rev up to get power enough to get through the snow. Just push the pedal ever so lightly an the wheels will turn really slow with full power.
 
#6 ·
In the i3 I switch to Eco (dulls throttle response) and enable Traction control rather than stability control so it change behaviour to conserve forward momentum - presumably you can do something similar. Its essentially what snow mode buttons do, as always if its really bad and you don't have winter shoes your still gonna your hands full :p
 
#9 ·
We had 30 cm of snow over one night last week. Roads and parking areas were mostly unplowed, public transportation was cancelled and small coaches with studded tires could not get up a small incline just outside my house.

My GTE?

Like a tank. No problem whatsoever.

Maybe my Nokian Hakkapelitta 8 had something to do with it, but most people around here have at least decent winter tires.
 
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