jerhenderson

Well-known member
First Name
Jeremy
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Threads
11
Messages
2,202
Reaction score
3,354
Location
Prince George BC
Vehicles
Cybertruck
Occupation
Correctional Officer
Country flag
The problem with plowing in heavy snowfall is you can only push snow and you run out of places to push it. My local Mount Baker Ski Area has the official world record for the most snowfall in a season and they need to use snow throwers to avoid the problem of walls of snow everywhere:





This is in July, trying to re-open the road:







This is what they clear the parking lot with because they have a steep slope to push it off:





Fortunately, the WSDOT does a good job running up and down the highway during periods of heavy snowfall so it rarely gets over 5" deep and my Performance Model 3 has been really exceptional with it's fast reacting traction controls and independent control of the front and rear wheels. Better than any AWD Subaru, Volvo or Audi I've driven. The Quad motor Cybertruck with independent control of every wheel is going to be unreal on icy highways and with up to 16" inches of ground clearance and no center differential hanging down, it will be an absolute beast in deeper snow.



BTW, big horsepower is not needed, even to plow snow. The heavy equipment pictured above is probably in the 300-horsepower range. That's because it's done at speeds below 30 mph and they have the power of gearing working for them. The Cybertruck will have more torque than it will be able to apply to ground covered in snow and ice. Power is a non-issue, it's all about traction. I believe the quad motor, max range Cybertruck will weigh about 6700 lbs which is a good weight for standard light-duty plowing. Some weight in the bed will make it even better.



Warning: A principle well known to people taking machinery in deep snow: The harder a vehicle is to get stuck, if it does get stuck, it's even more difficult to get it out!
yup... and trucks with blades don't have enough weight to really get the job done...leaving snow behind which becomes concrete ice.
Sponsored

 

Cyberman

Well-known member
First Name
Adam
Joined
Apr 7, 2020
Threads
35
Messages
2,280
Reaction score
3,652
Location
San Diego
Vehicles
F150,F550, Escape
Occupation
Cybercontractor
Country flag
I'm super excited about the CyberTruck for MANY reasons... but one of them is just how awesome this truck will be at plowing snow.

For context, I'm "that guy" who now plows snow with my Tesla Model Y with a backward plow in the tow hitch. I have Nokian snow tires coupled with the Tesla traction control has been incredible even in crazy off road conditions. I've also watched a ton of YT videos with people plowing in regular trucks so I'm somewhat familiar with the pain points of regular trucks. I'll be referring to the specs of the Quad Motor CT, but I still think the Dual would make a much better-than-average snow plow truck.

The Good:
1) Insane Torque with Traction Control - The CT will have zero problems pushing the biggest piles of snow imaginable due to 4 motors at each wheel and 1000+ HP.
2) 16" Ground Clearance - Won't get bogged down even in deep snow, unlike my Y with low clearance.
3) 4 Wheel Steering - Will allow for tighter turning radiuses and more control.
5) NO Transmission - This is something that always wears out quickly when snow plowing with a traditional truck.
6) Built-in Back Up Camera with Huge 17" Display - No 3rd party camera with crappy display needed.
7) Vision - No big hood to look over out the front, can better see what you're plowing
8) Tonneau Cover over Bed and Front Frunk - Huge lockable storage areas traditional trucks just don't have as standard.
9) 500+ Mile Battery - Will easily last all day. Most snow routes aren't very long, but obviously, you use a lot of energy per mile. Quick 15-30 min charge at V3 or V4 charger and you're good to go again.
10) Stainless Steel Body - No rust!
11) CyberQuad ATV with Plow - This could be the ultimate compliment to tackle the smaller jobs & sidewalks and is easily transported with fold down tailgate.
12) 120/240v Electrical Ports - Can charge up electric snow blower or CyberQuad in truck bed.
13) Quieter Operation - Selling point especially for residential when plowing at night or early AM.
14) NO Emissions - Some clients will appreciate the more environmentally friendly option.
15) Battery Pack Weight - Many plow trucks add weight to the bed to get better traction. No need in a CT, plus less roll-over risk.
16) Safety - Better traction = less accidents, plus safety features like FSD V4 to prevent road accidents, and typical superior Tesla crash safety.
17) Mobile Advertising - No more eye catching design to wrap vehicle with company logos and generate business on the fly.


The Bad:
1) Charging Infrastructure - There will still be some locations that are not close enough to a SuperCharger to recharge quickly but this only applies to commercial accounts that need to go 24/7 for several days on end. However, they are building out the network faster than ever.
2) How to Mount the Plow? - Especially since the CT will not be built on a typical on-frame design, it's unclear how the attachments will be done. This may mean expensive custom metal fabrication until the plow manufacturers build their own attachment systems but that could be years after first deliveries. Or, worse yet, it simply won't allow a plow without voiding the warranty, but I'm hopeful that insn't the case. How will it mount is the biggest unanswered question at this point.
3) Steering Wheel - Hopefully they offer BOTH the Yoke and the round wheel like in the S/X. If not, I'm sure some traditionalists will complain the yoke is a joke. Personally, I'd love to try it and love how it looks but won't know how practial the yoke is till giving it a solid test.

The Ugly:
1) What are you talking about? No one has ever accused the CT of being ugly. NO ONE!
Well, some people have called the CT ugly, but they're all crazy (obviously).
 

Coolbreeze704

Well-known member
First Name
Bruce
Joined
Nov 23, 2019
Threads
15
Messages
1,399
Reaction score
3,743
Location
Troutman,NC
Vehicles
2022 Model Y, 23 Lightning, CyberTruck (someday)
Occupation
GM Manufactured Homes
Country flag

davelloydbrown

Well-known member
First Name
Dave
Joined
Feb 13, 2022
Threads
7
Messages
542
Reaction score
614
Location
Canada
Vehicles
model 3, silverado
Occupation
veterinarian - retired
Country flag
I got one of the early model 3's in June of 2018 (#28,000) and there was no 2 motor version then. Although I grew up driving rear wheel drive cars, they really do suck in snow as I have to back up a slight hill to get into my garage and as little as 1-2 inches of snow it will just spin even with snow tires and slip stop. I live about 2 hours north of Toronto and I really need my CT.
 

Jhodgesatmb

Well-known member
First Name
Jack
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Threads
63
Messages
4,914
Reaction score
7,093
Location
San Francisco Bay area
Website
www.arbor-studios.com
Vehicles
Tesla Model Y LR, Tesla Model 3 LR
Occupation
Retired AI researcher
Country flag
You bring up a good point regarding the flat underbody and how ground clearance is measured. So the the point is that the electronics do not allow for wheel spin to push through deep snow. So it’s a limitation of the car.

regarding his experience… his resume is pretty solid as he lives full time in Truckee CA, has sleds on is F250 Tremor, has had a model Y, Range Rover, a MB sprinter, and 2 model Xs all in that environment, as well as Subarus.

when he says the X with snow tires doesn’t do well in deep snow, I’d wager he’s right.
Yes, he’s tried the slip start mode, doesnt help.
Doesn’t mean it’s a flawed vehicle, but that the electronics get in the way under this scenario.
My hope is that the CT will have a mud/sand mode or deep snow mode that allows wheel spin to push through. No teslas today have this. Many other 4x4s do including TRX, GX 460s, etc…
Agreed. I hope that Tesla gets some real offroad experts (deep sand, mud, water, snow, ice, etc.) to design modes that exceed the other options available on ICE, Hummer, and Rivian vehicles. Why go half way when touting the offroad capabilities of the vehicle?
 


SHorzy

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2020
Threads
3
Messages
55
Reaction score
71
Location
Prince George, BC
Vehicles
Cybertruck
Country flag
I hope CT will allow us to plow. I think I heard Ford Lightning will void the warranty if you do.
 

HaulingAss

Well-known member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Oct 3, 2020
Threads
9
Messages
4,496
Reaction score
9,477
Location
Washington State
Vehicles
2010 F-150, 2018 Model 3 Perform, FS Cybertruck
Country flag
I got one of the early model 3's in June of 2018 (#28,000) and there was no 2 motor version then. Although I grew up driving rear wheel drive cars, they really do suck in snow as I have to back up a slight hill to get into my garage and as little as 1-2 inches of snow it will just spin even with snow tires and slip stop. I live about 2 hours north of Toronto and I really need my CT.
Yeah, right. That sound really fishy because backing up a hill works in a Front Wheel Drive vehicle as it transfers more weight to the front drive wheels, exactly the opposite of what you want in a RWD car. It makes no sense you could back up a hill but not drive it uphill forward. Also, my wife has a RWD Model 3 equipped with Pirelli Sottozero III Winter radials and it's kicks ass in the snow and ice for a RWD car, never experienced anything like it in an ICE RWD car.

My Performance Model 3 has Track Mode so I can turn it into a RWD Model 3 except it has an extra 200 pounds in the front drive unit about where an ICE engine and transmission would be in an ICE car. This means my wifes RWD is *much* better than mine when I'm in RWD "drift" mode because an empty frunk and no front drive unit is ideal with RWD in the snow. I've driven lots of RWD ICE vehicles in the snow and ICE and they all suck compared to the RWD Model 3.

I'm curious what kind of winter tires you had on there and what pressure you typically run.
 

davelloydbrown

Well-known member
First Name
Dave
Joined
Feb 13, 2022
Threads
7
Messages
542
Reaction score
614
Location
Canada
Vehicles
model 3, silverado
Occupation
veterinarian - retired
Country flag
Yeah, right. That sound really fishy because backing up a hill works in a Front Wheel Drive vehicle as it transfers more weight to the front drive wheels, exactly the opposite of what you want in a RWD car. It makes no sense you could back up a hill but not drive it uphill forward. Also, my wife has a RWD Model 3 equipped with Pirelli Sottozero III Winter radials and it's kicks ass in the snow and ice for a RWD car, never experienced anything like it in an ICE RWD car.

My Performance Model 3 has Track Mode so I can turn it into a RWD Model 3 except it has an extra 200 pounds in the front drive unit about where an ICE engine and transmission would be in an ICE car. This means my wifes RWD is *much* better than mine when I'm in RWD "drift" mode because an empty frunk and no front drive unit is ideal with RWD in the snow. I've driven lots of RWD ICE vehicles in the snow and ICE and they all suck compared to the RWD Model 3.

I'm curious what kind of winter tires you had on there and what pressure you typically run.
When I got my model 3 in 2018, I bought a second set of pirelli snows and rims. I now have about 85 K km between the two sets of tires. I change my own tires and set the pressure to 42 psi as recommended. Here is a video of me stuck in about 2 inches of wet snow trying to back into my garage ( I have to back in because the charger is at the far end of the garage). The wheels just spin and the traction mode doesn't make any difference. The noise in the background is my tractor that I am using the scrape the snow so I can get into the garage.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMuyK0q-bBByqlMxAk5mY7Q560DgCMvMEHMCSMN
 

HaulingAss

Well-known member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Oct 3, 2020
Threads
9
Messages
4,496
Reaction score
9,477
Location
Washington State
Vehicles
2010 F-150, 2018 Model 3 Perform, FS Cybertruck
Country flag
When I got my model 3 in 2018, I bought a second set of pirelli snows and rims. I now have about 85 K km between the two sets of tires. I change my own tires and set the pressure to 42 psi as recommended. Here is a video of me stuck in about 2 inches of wet snow trying to back into my garage ( I have to back in because the charger is at the far end of the garage). The wheels just spin and the traction mode doesn't make any difference. The noise in the background is my tractor that I am using the scrape the snow so I can get into the garage.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMuyK0q-bBByqlMxAk5mY7Q560DgCMvMEHMCSMN
Bad link (error 404)

It's true that backing uphill on ice puts a rear wheel drive car at a disadvantage because it transfers weight to the non-drive wheels. But a Model 3 has more favorable dynamics in this situation vs. a front engine RWD vehicle so it's probably down to the tires if you thought it should have been able to do it.

I don't understand why you didn't just pull in forward as the Wall Connector has a 24' long cord! That's as long as most garages.
 

davelloydbrown

Well-known member
First Name
Dave
Joined
Feb 13, 2022
Threads
7
Messages
542
Reaction score
614
Location
Canada
Vehicles
model 3, silverado
Occupation
veterinarian - retired
Country flag
Bad link (error 404)

It's true that backing uphill on ice puts a rear wheel drive car at a disadvantage because it transfers weight to the non-drive wheels. But a Model 3 has more favorable dynamics in this situation vs. a front engine RWD vehicle so it's probably down to the tires if you thought it should have been able to do it.

I don't understand why you didn't just pull in forward as the Wall Connector has a 24' long cord! That's as long as most garages.
I built the steel garage myself and it is 40 feet wide and 50 feet long and I have a work shop at the far end so that is why i back my model 3 in.
 


FutureBoy

Well-known member
First Name
Reginald
Joined
Oct 1, 2020
Threads
207
Messages
3,522
Reaction score
6,012
Location
Kirkland WA USA
Vehicles
Toyota Sienna
Occupation
Financial Advisor
Country flag

ecotrials

Well-known member
First Name
Paul
Joined
Feb 3, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
62
Reaction score
80
Location
Lafayette, CA (SF Bay Area)
Vehicles
GMC Sierra, electric trials bike
Occupation
Retired
Country flag
I believe these are the attachmen points.

E3B96CEE-407B-4298-A3E0-90416071AC95.jpeg
I thought I read a comment from someone attending who said those two attachments were strictly for moving the prototype around, I think he said it didn't have a usable drivetrain (or something to that effect). Point to consider - my memory has reached a point beyond peak performance, now on the downslope : -)
Sponsored

 
 




Top