Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Electric Vehicle route to the alps

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
mooney058 wrote:
rob@rar wrote:
DanishRider wrote:
Have unfortunate owned a Cupra a year ago, and I am NEVER getting a VW again - The software is terrible !
All of the current VW EVs seem to have a terrible reputation for their software. Every review that I saw seemed to say the same thing.


Agree and the coriad story is outrageous. In equal measure- each time I see a tesla trying to keep my distance, change lane - would not like to be on the receiving end of tesla’s phantom braking. This alone outweighs any frequent OTA updates.


I was also worried about "phantom braking" prior to purchasing an model Y. During the one year and 7k miles ownership this has never happened. There were two "sharp" brakings during my trip to Alps but in both instances the car in the other lane was drifting towards me while I was overtakin - the braking could have been done smoother if I was doing it myself but I think it was justified.
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
mooney058 wrote:
mgrolf wrote:
mooney058 wrote:
@paulhinch, I still do not understand Musk time, musk energy measurements, musk volume measurement:
You say model Y has 854 L of space with seats up. How come Skoda enyak with much lover rear space volume fits the same number of banana box (as per the famous Tesla Bjorn) in coupe disguise and 1 more in a regular SUV shape - 9 boxes for both Y and coupe Enyak and regular enyak SUV 10 banana boxes?


It's partly because Tesla measure the volume right up to the roof whereas other manufacturers quote the volume up to the top of the rear seats (or thereabouts). The model Y boot is big, but not that much bigger than others like the Enyaq. The model Y boot does have an odd shape, with deep recesses in the floor (rather than a flat floor) so it will take a lot, if the load is the right shape.


Indeed, and it was slightly tongue in cheek. I was set on model Y (even had a referral from a friend who drives model X). Luckily I took everything at face value and the long promised 4680 batteries were about to be launched. The “about” bit was looong, giving me time to learn about “musk time”, “musk quality”, “musk service”, “musk range”. And I would not be to fussy about the panel gaps. Hopefully with a German tesla things got better but comparing “musk time/litters/kWh/etc is pointless as he just creates his own parameters. His game is to push volume sometimes of half-baked solutions. Decided I could not simply trust musk/tesla. Loads of hours spend on channels like tesla bjorn and other specialist websites realised that musk’s way of measuring boot space is “interesting”. Granted supercharger network is tesla’s main early advantage and selling point. But guess what - with proliferation of alternative fast charger solutions all of the sudden musk decided to open supercharger network to non tesla. This happened on the continent, it will happen in the UK. In any case fast chargers are mostly relevant on longer road trips. If you charge mostly at home - why tesla? Not preaching to others, just outlining my story. Will be choosing an EV this year and shortlist are (some models still to be tested once relesed):
- Skoda Enyaq;
- Nissan Arya
- Renault Scenic E
- Kia EV9 (love it and maybe overkill but would be excellent for road trips)
- audi q6


All the EVs from the VW group has horrible software I guess it is ok if you are fine with a car receiving no updates (like most cars in the old days). But once you have experience of continuous updates made to EVs these days (my friend's 8 years old Model S is still getting updates for example,) I wouldn't look back.
snow conditions
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
alvinsu wrote:
mooney058 wrote:
rob@rar wrote:
DanishRider wrote:
Have unfortunate owned a Cupra a year ago, and I am NEVER getting a VW again - The software is terrible !
All of the current VW EVs seem to have a terrible reputation for their software. Every review that I saw seemed to say the same thing.


Agree and the coriad story is outrageous. In equal measure- each time I see a tesla trying to keep my distance, change lane - would not like to be on the receiving end of tesla’s phantom braking. This alone outweighs any frequent OTA updates.


I was also worried about "phantom braking" prior to purchasing a model Y. During the one year and 7k miles ownership this has never happened. There were two "sharp" brakings during my trip to Alps but in both instances the car in the other lane was drifting towards me while I was overtakin - the braking could have been done smoother if I was doing it myself but I think it was justified.
I'm a bit puzzled about the term "phantom braking". Whenever my car has adjusted its speed autonomously it's been perfectly clear why it has done it. I've never had the car brake for no reason, no "phantom" cars that it has imagined and responded to. Sometimes that autonomous braking has been more sensitive than I would have been or the adjustment has been bigger than I would have made, but it's never been dramatic, never impinged on cars behind me (if it did they would almost certainly be driving too close to my tail).
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
rob@rar wrote:
mooney058 wrote:
... would not like to be on the receiving end of tesla’s phantom braking.
Can't speak for other Tesla drivers but that's a non-issue in my experience. Owned one since March, done 15,000 miles only had one occasion when the car braked sharply by itself, and on that occasion I was about to take evasive action (which would have been similar, but a bit smoother) but the car beat me to it by a fraction of a second. There has been other times when the car has been a bit over-sensitive to other cars on the road when in autopilot, including a period this autumn when a software update changed the behaviour and for around a month the car was too sensitive. But that's been dialled back and I think it's mostly pretty good now. When it autopilot it normally places itself in the centre of its lane, but nudges over slightly if the car/lorry it is passing drifts within its own lane, and slows if it might drift outside of its lane. I think it's a good feature although it was overly sensitive when introduced, but I assume Tesla aggregated a huge amount of data on this when it went live and has now tuned the behaviour to be a bit smoother. At no point has any car behind me needed to brake suddenly when my car has modified its speed. I've read some people report issues with phantom braking, but it's not been my experience.

Perhaps book an extended test drive and see how you get on with it?


Not for this cycle - I am based on the continent, not concerned by the supercharger network advantage. I do not like tesla ergonomics - seats, lack of HUD, only the central ipad. Happy to see other manufacturers getting back their sense and not following blindly tesla anymore with a single screen approach. Tesla’s record with quality is not for me. Constant experimentation with IT/software (others see it as an advantage, I don’t). Model Y is similar what I am after - but so much of tesla marketing hype just broke any trust and enthusiasm I initially had for it.

I do hope tesla will continue to improve - both for their customers’ benefit and for putting competitive preassure on polestar, legacy makers or new entrants


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 4-01-24 0:02; edited 1 time in total
latest report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
rob@rar wrote:
alvinsu wrote:
mooney058 wrote:
rob@rar wrote:
DanishRider wrote:
Have unfortunate owned a Cupra a year ago, and I am NEVER getting a VW again - The software is terrible !
All of the current VW EVs seem to have a terrible reputation for their software. Every review that I saw seemed to say the same thing.


Agree and the coriad story is outrageous. In equal measure- each time I see a tesla trying to keep my distance, change lane - would not like to be on the receiving end of tesla’s phantom braking. This alone outweighs any frequent OTA updates.


I was also worried about "phantom braking" prior to purchasing a model Y. During the one year and 7k miles ownership this has never happened. There were two "sharp" brakings during my trip to Alps but in both instances the car in the other lane was drifting towards me while I was overtakin - the braking could have been done smoother if I was doing it myself but I think it was justified.
I'm a bit puzzled about the term "phantom braking". Whenever my car has adjusted its speed autonomously it's been perfectly clear why it has done it. I've never had the car brake for no reason, no "phantom" cars that it has imagined and responded to. Sometimes that autonomous braking has been more sensitive than I would have been or the adjustment has been bigger than I would have made, but it's never been dramatic, never impinged on cars behind me (if it did they would almost certainly be driving too close to my tail).


Agreed Rob. I think it could have been an issue for older cars with the previous generation of hardwares but no long the case for newer cars.

During "sharp braking incident" I noticed the other car drifting towards me (in fact it was already on the white line) and the car reacted faster than me, it was quite impressive that it brakes sharply until my car was about one car length behind the other car and then immediately resume acceleration as the other car went back to its lane
latest report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
mooney058 wrote:
rob@rar wrote:
mooney058 wrote:
... would not like to be on the receiving end of tesla’s phantom braking.
Can't speak for other Tesla drivers but that's a non-issue in my experience. Owned one since March, done 15,000 miles only had one occasion when the car braked sharply by itself, and on that occasion I was about to take evasive action (which would have been similar, but a bit smoother) but the car beat me to it by a fraction of a second. There has been other times when the car has been a bit over-sensitive to other cars on the road when in autopilot, including a period this autumn when a software update changed the behaviour and for around a month the car was too sensitive. But that's been dialled back and I think it's mostly pretty good now. When it autopilot it normally places itself in the centre of its lane, but nudges over slightly if the car/lorry it is passing drifts within its own lane, and slows if it might drift outside of its lane. I think it's a good feature although it was overly sensitive when introduced, but I assume Tesla aggregated a huge amount of data on this when it went live and has now tuned the behaviour to be a bit smoother. At no point has any car behind me needed to brake suddenly when my car has modified its speed. I've read some people report issues with phantom braking, but it's not been my experience.

Perhaps book an extended test drive and see how you get on with it?


Not for this cycle - I am based on the continent, not concerned by the supercharger network advantage. I do not like tesla ergonomics - seats, lack of HUD, only the central ipad. Happy to see other manufacturers getting back their sense and not following blindly tesla anymore with a single screen approach. Tesla’s record with quality is not for me. Constant experimentation with IT/software (others see it as an advantage, I don’t). Model Y is similar what I am after - but so much of tesla marketing hype just broke any trust and enthusiasm I initially had for it.

I do hope tesla will continue to improve - both for their customers’ benefit and for putting competitive preassure on polestar, legacy makers or new entrants


The ioniq 5 (or Kia / Genesis equivalent) might be a good option.
snow conditions
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@alvinsu, yep, the upcoming ev5 from kia looks very promising. Only sat in ioniq5, which was OK but not my cup of tea for some reason (subjective rather than based on the actual driving).
snow conditions
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Perhaps this thread could be moved to the lounge, it no longer seems to have much relevance to driving to the Alps.
latest report
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
alvinsu wrote:


All the EVs from the VW group has horrible software I guess it is ok if you are fine with a car receiving no updates (like most cars in the old days). But once you have experience of continuous updates made to EVs these days (my friend's 8 years old Model S is still getting updates for example,) I wouldn't look back.


Oh I didn't know the system on the e-UP was pretty top notch.

Regarding boot space ignore any manufacturers data and take things with you on your test drive and see what fits. I took a snowboard and an fully packed iSUP bag, Polestar, EV6 both failed to be able to take them, Enyaq would just about work with the "60" Split seat down, similar on the ID4. Only the Model Y took them with ease ... 40/20/40 split seat was a brilliant here.... and then there is the huge space in the front.

My Y is the first non-VW group car I've had in 20 years.
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Doofenschmirtz wrote:
alvinsu wrote:


All the EVs from the VW group has horrible software I guess it is ok if you are fine with a car receiving no updates (like most cars in the old days). But once you have experience of continuous updates made to EVs these days (my friend's 8 years old Model S is still getting updates for example,) I wouldn't look back.


Oh I didn't know the system on the e-UP was pretty top notch.

Regarding boot space ignore any manufacturers data and take things with you on your test drive and see what fits. I took a snowboard and an fully packed iSUP bag, Polestar, EV6 both failed to be able to take them, Enyaq would just about work with the "60" Split seat down, similar on the ID4. Only the Model Y took them with ease ... 40/20/40 split seat was a brilliant here.... and then there is the huge space in the front.

My Y is the first non-VW group car I've had in 20 years.
The 20% middle seat split, was the reason I got the Model Y over the 3 - I literally have no need for a roof box anymore!
latest report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Doofenschmirtz, hmm, when I tested Enyaq it had 40-20-40 split. That is a must for me exactly because of skiing.
ski holidays
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
mooney058 wrote:
@Doofenschmirtz, hmm, when I tested Enyaq it had 40-20-40 split. That is a must for me exactly because of skiing.


I think that might have been an option or standard on higher trim levels than I was looking at. Which is another thing Tesla do well... everything is there as standard rather than as add-on packs. Heated rear seats, yep they're there... electric closing tailgate, there...
snow report
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
DanishRider wrote:
mooney058 wrote:
rob@rar wrote:
DanishRider wrote:
Have unfortunate owned a Cupra a year ago, and I am NEVER getting a VW again - The software is terrible !
All of the current VW EVs seem to have a terrible reputation for their software. Every review that I saw seemed to say the same thing.


Agree and the coriad story is outrageous. In equal measure- each time I see a tesla trying to keep my distance, change lane - would not like to be on the receiving end of tesla’s phantom braking. This alone outweighs any frequent OTA updates.


Haven’t experienced phantom braking for a very long time!


That's surely just a software issue that gets largely resolved over time.

I've had a Volvo V60 (Petrol) for 4 years with all the fancy adaptive cruise, lane keeping stuff and when I first got it I had a couple of random braking moments from nowhere. They've disappeared. I can't remember the last time it happened apart from when someone stepped out in front of the car and the emergency brake worked SOOOOO quickly it was insane....my foot was miles behind the pedal disappearing into the floor). My only assumption is when it's been in for a service and they've plugged it in for a software upgrade they've improved the software.

I'd assume Tesla is the same but with OTA updates rather than a dealer plugin.
latest report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
paulhinch wrote:
That's surely just a software issue that gets largely resolved over time.
A software update earlier in the autumn definitely made Tesla’s autopilot system more skittish when overtaking cars on the motorway. Just a slight movement of the car you were about to pass veering in their lane towards you and the Tesla system would slow the car, often more than was necessary and too quick a rate. It was a pain for about six or eight weeks, then another of the regular stream of over the air software updates seemed to recalibrate that aspect of the autopilot function. Now I think it’s pretty good, a big improvement over the first iteration and I guess as Tesla collect more data on how this performs it will continue to be refined.
ski holidays
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
paulhinch wrote:
DanishRider wrote:
mooney058 wrote:
rob@rar wrote:
DanishRider wrote:
Have unfortunate owned a Cupra a year ago, and I am NEVER getting a VW again - The software is terrible !
All of the current VW EVs seem to have a terrible reputation for their software. Every review that I saw seemed to say the same thing.


Agree and the coriad story is outrageous. In equal measure- each time I see a tesla trying to keep my distance, change lane - would not like to be on the receiving end of tesla’s phantom braking. This alone outweighs any frequent OTA updates.


Haven’t experienced phantom braking for a very long time!


That's surely just a software issue that gets largely resolved over time.

I've had a Volvo V60 (Petrol) for 4 years with all the fancy adaptive cruise, lane keeping stuff and when I first got it I had a couple of random braking moments from nowhere. They've disappeared. I can't remember the last time it happened apart from when someone stepped out in front of the car and the emergency brake worked SOOOOO quickly it was insane....my foot was miles behind the pedal disappearing into the floor). My only assumption is when it's been in for a service and they've plugged it in for a software upgrade they've improved the software.

I'd assume Tesla is the same but with OTA updates rather than a dealer plugin.


I also had a 2019 V60 Polestar that initially had phantom breaking, but credits to Volvo for solving it fast - I believe they fixes it within a month or two!
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
DanishRider wrote:
rob@rar wrote:
jedster wrote:
I'm contemplating a model Y...
How long did it take you door to door?
We just drove back form Les Contamines. Left at 4:30am, back in Marlow, Bucks 3pm (having benefitted by the hour difference). So 11:30 including refuelling vehicle and two drivers Smile
To be honest cruise control, lane assist, front assist, 4WD, winter tyres and a huge range on the 2l diesel makes our humble 2015 skoda a pretty relaxing and reassuring way of doing the journey. I find it hard to believe an EV would be better. But of course we don't own a car just for driving to the Alps!

I've now done the journey in both directions, Les Arcs to SW London, in a Model Y. The requirements of a drive to/from the Alps on 4 or 6 days a year was never for me going to determine my choice of car for the remaining 359 days or so; I would have been happy to add an overnight stop if absolutely necessary, but hoped that I could continue to do the journey in a full day's drive just like I had always done. That proved to be easily the case. It added 90-120 minutes to the journey time, which I think depends on how long you would have stopped along the way in an ICE car (if you are getting to Marlow by 3pm I suspect you aren't stopping for a long lunch). I didn't change how I drove, same speed, same route, etc, so the actual driving time was the same, the additional time was for EV charging when I had more time for rest than usual (I'm typically the only driver). With the modern driving aids, the driving itself was the most relaxed I've ever had, so for me the journey was extremely easy.

With that experience I'd say that the demands of an EV drive to the Alps shouldn't be any sort of factor in your choice of whether to get a Model Y or not.


Fully agree with you - I calculate 30-60 minutes extra per 1000 km. That said - I choose the Tesla Model Y because of the space, and especially because of the Tesla charging network. It is just the best network available, and makes me not think about charging.


Done 4 trips in a Tesla to LaTania / LaPlagne. On one trip 4 cars in total - x2 ICE x2 Teslas. Overall the ICE cars arrived 1.5 hours earlier than the Teslas.
Comparing our timings to previous trips in an ICE vehicle (been driving to alps for 26 years +) I would agree that overall - Calais to chalet does take around 1.5 longer.
We enjoy the drive in our Model YP above any other vehicle we have taken - purely for comfort and ease of drive.
The more journeys we make the more we can finetune each trip. I like to make detailed notes on proximity of chargers to motorways and services provided etc.
snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Dippy wrote:
DanishRider wrote:
rob@rar wrote:
jedster wrote:
I'm contemplating a model Y...
How long did it take you door to door?
We just drove back form Les Contamines. Left at 4:30am, back in Marlow, Bucks 3pm (having benefitted by the hour difference). So 11:30 including refuelling vehicle and two drivers Smile
To be honest cruise control, lane assist, front assist, 4WD, winter tyres and a huge range on the 2l diesel makes our humble 2015 skoda a pretty relaxing and reassuring way of doing the journey. I find it hard to believe an EV would be better. But of course we don't own a car just for driving to the Alps!

I've now done the journey in both directions, Les Arcs to SW London, in a Model Y. The requirements of a drive to/from the Alps on 4 or 6 days a year was never for me going to determine my choice of car for the remaining 359 days or so; I would have been happy to add an overnight stop if absolutely necessary, but hoped that I could continue to do the journey in a full day's drive just like I had always done. That proved to be easily the case. It added 90-120 minutes to the journey time, which I think depends on how long you would have stopped along the way in an ICE car (if you are getting to Marlow by 3pm I suspect you aren't stopping for a long lunch). I didn't change how I drove, same speed, same route, etc, so the actual driving time was the same, the additional time was for EV charging when I had more time for rest than usual (I'm typically the only driver). With the modern driving aids, the driving itself was the most relaxed I've ever had, so for me the journey was extremely easy.

With that experience I'd say that the demands of an EV drive to the Alps shouldn't be any sort of factor in your choice of whether to get a Model Y or not.


Fully agree with you - I calculate 30-60 minutes extra per 1000 km. That said - I choose the Tesla Model Y because of the space, and especially because of the Tesla charging network. It is just the best network available, and makes me not think about charging.


Done 4 trips in a Tesla to LaTania / LaPlagne. On one trip 4 cars in total - x2 ICE x2 Teslas. Overall the ICE cars arrived 1.5 hours earlier than the Teslas.
Comparing our timings to previous trips in an ICE vehicle (been driving to alps for 26 years +) I would agree that overall - Calais to chalet does take around 1.5 longer.
We enjoy the drive in our Model YP above any other vehicle we have taken - purely for comfort and ease of drive.
The more journeys we make the more we can finetune each trip. I like to make detailed notes on proximity of chargers to motorways and services provided etc.


One more thing - I do feel more “fresh” after the EV drive, than I did in any of my old ICE-cars…. Maybe the reduced noise and the mandatory breaks?
ski holidays
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@DanishRider, Yes - Definitely!
We usually have a leisurely drive down, stopping overnight around Dijon / Beaune at a hotel with Tesla chargers but drive home in one day.
Luckily only live 25 minutes from Tunnel
latest report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
DanishRider wrote:
[One more thing - I do feel more “fresh” after the EV drive, than I did in any of my old ICE-cars…. Maybe the reduced noise and the mandatory breaks?


yes 100% agree, but not sure if it's the EV or the modern cruise control etc?
latest report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
My son in law drove us to and from the Alps at Christmas in a Peugeot van without cruise control. He retro-fitted cruise control to his previous T4 and intends to do the same with the Peugeot as he found it invaluable. Having never had cruise control I suppose I don't miss it! To me, the key factor in relaxed long distance driving is what I'm sitting on. My first drive to the Alps, there and back in 3 - 4 days, was in a big rented Ford Transit full of flat pack furniture. I found the high, firm, commercial style seat ergonomically ideal for me and a revelation after a family car - really liked it.
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
There's cruise control then there's adaptive cruise control. I had cruise on my old Seat and it was great but absolutely useless in any sort of traffic. In my Volvo (and all the EVs / autonomous fanciness of the new generation), we literally get on the motorway in Yorkshire and don't need to accelerate or brake until the Tunnel....(admittedly, we do a bit if we want to stop / swap). Same goes for the other side. Get into France, set it at 135km and just worry about steering (mine steers but I don't trust where it holds me in the lane....even after 4 years of it).

Really great point about seats though.....my Volvo seats are one of the reasons I'd fancy a Polestar over most EVs (if only they had the charger integration of Tesla).
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
If there is heavy rain, ice or snow then use the speed limiter, rather than cruise control. Cruise control can be very dangerous in those conditions
snow report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@Frosty the Snowman, why? Lack of driver attention maybe, but cruise control itself? Vs a speed limiter? More info required...
ski holidays
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
mgrolf wrote:
@Frosty the Snowman, why? Lack of driver attention maybe, but cruise control itself? Vs a speed limiter? More info required...
If you spot standing water then you just have to ease your foot off the accelerator if driving on the limiter. If you are on CC then you either have to disengage the CC manually or touch the brakes - both are bad options. Also, the cruise control can continue to drive the wheels in ice and snow. In those conditions you really need delicate control instantly.
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Yeah. There's times where you don't want Cruise control on. I'd not drive it up the road from Bourg on Cruise, regardless of the conditions. In theory, the car will do it and slow down for bends etc but it's a bit brave for my liking (or it sees a bend and slows down almost to a stop to get round a gentle curve).
snow conditions
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Frosty the Snowman, fair enough, although i think it's just as quick to press a button to reduce speed slightly as it is to lift off the accelerator - assuming that you have anticipated the potential need (i.e. are paying attention). At least it is in my car.
Cruise control will generally back off if the wheels start to spin (either as traction control kicks in or because it thinks the car is going faster) so its immediate reaction is usually a decent one. In general though I wouldn't be using cruise control in poor conditions because the safe, appropriate speed is likely to vary so much anyway that it is pointless.
ski holidays
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
mooney058 wrote:
@Doofenschmirtz, hmm, when I tested Enyaq it had 40-20-40 split. That is a must for me exactly because of skiing.


When we were looking earlier in the year the Enyaq did not support 40:60. There was actually a very small list that supported 40:20:40 now which massively limited us as this was a hard requirement for us as I often used that in my existing car including for the skiing trip.
snow conditions
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@mgrolf, If you were in an EV then disconnecting the CC usually results in regen braking, and even in an ICE, the sudden complete removal of power can be enough to induce a slide.

With standing water, especially at night, you often don't see it until the very last second.

With CC there are often a number of buttons, and I have often hit the wrong one when adjusting the CC. dot drive with my fingers on the CC buttons

If you are actually driving the car you have more "feel"
latest report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Actually, I think my (not top spec) Fabia has a speed limiter but I've never bothered to find out how to use it. I find that watching my speed is all part of the overall business of being fully engaged with what's going on around me.

When driving a boat I have to positively discipline myself to keep a good lookout (especially astern) when using an autohelm. With my hands on a tiller (or wheel) I do it automatically and am much more attuned to what's going on.

But the autohelm steers a much straighter course! And doesn't get tired.
snow report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Frosty the Snowman, you tend to feather the accelerator in a modern EV if you wish to avoid heavy regen...I've deliberately come off the power quite aggressively on a snowy road (albeit at low speeds) without issue.
snow report
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@pam w, I think it comes from me driving a truck, where your level of awareness and knowledge of what is going on around you is needed to be so much greater than when driving a car. If you set the limiter you never need glance at the speedo, and can spend more time checking mirrors etc
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Yes, I'll look up how to do it! And I'd certainly never claim that my speed doesn't go above the limit.
ski holidays
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
desperately trying to get this back on topic of at least trips to Europe, I'm planning an EV Euro trip in summary, leeds->Calais via the tunnel, then Reims, Loire, Dordogne, Biscarosse, Bordeaux and back to Leeds.

I am guessing the chargers at the tunnel are busy and worth avoiding? Any recommended hotels very close to Calais that have charging at all? Plan is to do Leeds to Folkestone Tues afternoon, late crossing, crash at a hotel then up early and to Reims in the morning.


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 4-01-24 17:27; edited 1 time in total
snow conditions
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@kitenski, please stay on topic - This for a route to the Alps wink
snow conditions
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
kitenski wrote:
desperately trying to get this back on topic, I'm planning an EV Euro trip in summary, leeds->Calais via the tunnel, then Reims, Loire, Dordogne, Biscarosse, Bordeaux and back to Leeds.

I am guessing the chargers at the tunnel are busy and worth avoiding? Any recommended hotels very close to Calais that have charging at all? Plan is to do Leeds to Folkestone Tues afternoon, late crossing, crash at a hotel then up early and to Reims in the morning.


When i was travelling last week, the chargers at the tunnel were not busy at all.

When returning to the UK, the Calais side has both supercharger and normal fast chargers, and surprisingly, the normal fast chargers (150kw) were slightly cheaper at 41c / KWH
snow report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
@alvinsu, thanks
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Since the Tesla chargers at Eurotunnel are available to non-Tesla's, I've used them twice in each direction in winter, and on all occasions they were only about half occupied

For hotels in Calais with chargers, I've stayed at:
Hotel Meurice, which had 2x 11KW AC chargers which were fine, but needed a specific app (sorry, can't remember which one). This was last year
Originals City, Coquelles. This had 2 x 3KW AC chargers, which is not much. However, there are Tesla rapid chargers next door (though I don't know if they are available for non-Tesla's. This was two years ago

There's also the Holiday Inn, Coquelles which has 6 Ionity rapid chargers. I've not stayed there, but I used the chargers (over breakfast after the underwhelming chargers at Originals City
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
alvinsu wrote:
jedster wrote:
alvinsu wrote:
Just finished my first ev trip from SW London to Tignes and back in a model Y. The super charger network, hotel destination charger (in tignes), and the autopilot on the smooth french motorway has made this trip much more relaxing than my previous one in a Lexus SUV.

The autopilot especially worked fantastically well in french autoroutes.

Overall electricity cost is about 40% of equivalent petrol.


I'm contemplating a model Y...
How long did it take you door to door?
We just drove back form Les Contamines. Left at 4:30am, back in Marlow, Bucks 3pm (having benefitted by the hour difference). So 11:30 including refuelling vehicle and two drivers Smile
To be honest cruise control, lane assist, front assist, 4WD, winter tyres and a huge range on the 2l diesel makes our humble 2015 skoda a pretty relaxing and reassuring way of doing the journey. I find it hard to believe an EV would be better. But of course we don't own a car just for driving to the Alps!


We always stop at a hotel so no much difference compared my previous trips in an ICE car. Mind you, I always have a break every 90 mins or so and almost never drive continuously for more than two hours in any cars, so that pattern fits very well with EV charging. Almost all my stops had either Supercharger or other fast chargers (the Tesla network is far superior, easy to use, reliable and is a lot cheaper).

The autopilot worked very well. My previous car was Lexus with adaptive cruise control. IMO the Tesla's autopilot is miles better, much smoother and better lane keeping. I guess this is not EV specific and assume other latest generation cars from BMW, Volvos etc will be similar. One thing to note though, for most other brands, to get the similar level of adaptive cruise control / lane keeping you will have to pay extra.


We have two drivers so we tend to do 90-120 min stints then swap. The swap tends to be either just that or a loo/coffee/fill up stop of 5 mins. I'm pretty good at napping in the passenger seat too. So charging time will definitely be a loss to us. But as I said before - choice of car is not going to be dominated by a couple of drives to the Alps every year.
What is more of a question is whether in a two car household like ours we would be better with a smaller, shorter range EV for most of our journies and keeping a roomier diesel for the few long ones. I tend to the view that most EV drivers are wastefully hauling around big, heavy, expensive batteries for rare occasions when they need them. If you only run one car that's unavoidable but if you don't...
The other complication is that I fancy a camper van (VW camper size) and taht might be our long range vehicle...
snow report
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
rob@rar wrote:
@pam w, my Tesla Model Y is 49mm longer than a Skoda Octavia estate, 21mm wider and 156mm taller. So pretty similar footprint but a bit taller, and with significantly more storage. For sure a Range Rover is going to be a bigger car than the Octavia, is this what you meant by a chunky SUV? I think the Tesla Model Y is described as a compact SUV, although the term makes no sense to me as the space it takes up on the road is very similar, for example, to a Skoda Octavia and dozens of other similar cars, ICE and EV. Jane is currently driving a Skoda Fabia courtesy car as her's in in the garage being repaired, and it's way too small to be our main car.


This is one of the attractions of the model Y to us. Lots of similar cars are smaller on the inside than and Octavia estate, the model Y is noticeably roomier than the VW/volvo/BMW equivalents
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:

The other complication is that I fancy a camper van (VW camper size) and taht might be our long range vehicle...

@jedster, Make sure to get a T6.1 and not the idBuzz Tonka toy wink
snow report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy