Tesla Winter Tips

You've bought a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y and are now experiencing your first winter with it. Perhaps it's even your first electric car and you're dealing with this technology in cold temperatures for the first time. But don't worry, we've got some great Tesla winter tips for you that will make your daily life with your Model Y or Model 3 much more comfortable.

We are Tesla Outfitters. We are experts in high-quality Tesla accessories and are surrounded by Tesla Model 3 and Model Y every day. We now know every little detail of these vehicles. We want to share this experience with our readers and have therefore summarized the most important winter tips for Tesla drivers.

The Most Important at a Glance

• With the right Tesla winter accessories like all-weather rubber mats, your Tesla is best prepared for the winter

• Preheat your battery to avoid slow charging at the Supercharger

• You can comfortably defrost your windows via the app before you start driving

• Pre-condition your Tesla for a specific departure time

• Disable the automatic folding of the mirrors to avoid damage

Using the Right Winter Accessories

Tesla Model 3 and Model Y are only delivered with fabric mats. These are absolutely unsuitable for snow and moisture in winter. If you want to keep your vehicle in the best possible condition, we strongly recommend switching to high-sided all-weather rubber mats.

You can find the right mats for your vehicle here:

All-weather Rubber Mat Set Tesla Model Y

All-weather Rubber Mat Set Tesla 2024 Model 3 Highland

An ice scraper should, of course, not be missing.

Defrosting Tesla Windows

The Tesla app has many great features but one of them is especially important for all Tesla Model Y and Model 3 drivers in winter. The feature is called "Defrost Vehicle" and you can find it in the app under Climate at the bottom of the screen.

If it gets frosty in winter, you can defrost your Tesla before departure. In a few minutes, the windows are clear and you no longer have to stand in the cold with the ice scraper so that you can finally start driving.

Preheat Interior and Battery for Planned Departure Time

The defrosting function of the app is just one of the convenient options that Tesla offers you in the cold season. Because you can also use the "Preconditioning" function under "Schedule" in the app. This ensures that the vehicle's interior and battery are already heated to the right temperature at the planned departure time.

The advantage is not only that you don't have to freeze in the car for the first few minutes, but also that the battery can deliver the best performance and is best preserved. Because a warm battery works better than a cold one.

Tip: If you have the opportunity to charge at home, then leave your Tesla connected to the wall box. This way, the electricity for preheating does not come from the vehicle battery, but from the socket.

Turning Off Automatic Mirror Folding

When it gets really frosty in winter, a thicker layer of ice can sometimes freeze on your Model 3 or Model Y. One of the functions that is often overlooked in such situations is the automatic folding and unfolding of the mirrors.

We advise you to deactivate this function in winter, so that the motor that moves the mirrors does not wear out unnecessarily or even break.

To deactivate the automatic folding of the exterior mirrors, go to Vehicle -> Mirrors -> Automatically fold mirrors in the vehicle and uncheck this option.

Preventing Freezing of the Windshield Wipers

Another element that requires special attention in winter is the windshield wipers. They tend to freeze to the windshield in winter and are then not ready for use when you need them. However, Tesla windshield wipers cannot be simply set up by hand.

Instead, you will find the "Wiper Service" mode under Service on the screen in the Tesla at the bottom right. If you click on this, the windshield wipers will move up a little. Now you can set them up by hand so that they don't freeze.

Preconditioning the Battery for Faster Charging Speed

As a Tesla driver, you have probably already heard of preconditioning the battery. This brings the battery up to temperature to charge faster. Especially in the cold temperatures of winter, it is important to always precondition the battery before fast charging.

The difference in charging between a heated battery and a cold one is huge. A cold battery charges at 20-60kW while a fully preconditioned battery can be charged at over 200kW. This saves you a lot of time at the Supercharger in winter.

If you want to know more about this, then check out our article on preheating the battery.

Summary

In this article, we discussed several tips and tricks for optimal driving of a Tesla in winter. From the right choice of winter accessories to preheating and defrosting the vehicle and battery, to preventing the windshield wipers from freezing and preconditioning the battery for faster charging speed.

We hope we were able to help you enjoy a great first winter with your Tesla.