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Snow tire mileage

3K views 25 replies 15 participants last post by  cougsfan 
#1 ·
Just installed new Blizzak snow tires on my new 2018 Volt and my MPGE on my regular commute to work and back dropped from 120 down to 100.
Is this normal? Not sure if this matters but the temps here in Oregon is still mild 45-55.

I may be hallucinating, but the car actually feels like the tires are sticking to the road.
The interesting thing is the mileage drop is about the same as the the heating drop. If I don't run the heat I can gain almost what I lost on the snow tires.
 
#2 ·
What you are seeing doesn't surprise me. Snow tires are softer, much unlike the hard tires that come on the car. Mileage also goes down with temperature. In Eastern Washington my electric range on a full charge has dropped from 54 miles to 48 miles in the last couple weeks (with OEM tires still on), and like you, the temperatures are still fairly mild. I have bought a a set of studded tires mounted on rims ready to put on when the weather demands, and I fully expect another large drop in mileage when I do. I learned last winter that the OEM tires are horrible in snow and ice, so good winter tires and that drop mileage it just part of the reality of of owning a Volt. I don't plan on installing those tires until snow or freezing rain is in the forecast.
 
#5 ·
However when the weather changes and the ground begins to freeze, you will require more heat in the cabin to keep it comfortable.

Up here in Northern Ontario, my range dropped to about 25 mile in the 0F temps. And that was with just enough heat in the cabin to keep me comfortable. I am sure part of the loss was also due to the cold soaked battery.


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#6 ·
On my 2011, the Blizzaks cost 5 miles of driving range. Worth it for winter snow handling. I usually put mine on in December depending on a coming snow storm.
 
#7 ·
Check your tire pressures. I run our tires at 40 pounds for the winter. Just put the winter tires (Blizzaks too) and wheels on our 2016 and expect range to drop from 50-55 down to 40-45miles on electric. Winter arriving later this week here in Wisconsin and loss of mileage is worth every mile for how great these tires are in the winter snow, sleet and ice. Wouldn't be without them! Plus heating and my wife loves the heated steering wheel contributes to the loss of range. Still...
 
#9 ·
You guys are scaring me about driving my 2018 on snow/ice. I drove a 2013 for 3 winters without any problems. Thru snow so high I basically plowed the street. No problems on the original tires.

Is everyone saying the Gen2’s with original tires aren’t as good?
 
#10 ·
I'm saying any car with all seasons will be worse in snow than the same car with snow tires. I think the others are saying the same: snow tires are better in snow.
 
#19 ·
Yes, snow tires aren't just for snow, they are also better in the cold.

After internally debating with myself, I put the snow tires on my wife's Bolt tonight. There will be a little bit of slushy snow during her commute tomorrow, and I generally put snow tires on mid-December anyway. The only disadvantage is lost milage. But the Bolt has plenty to spare, so I threw on the snow tires.

One bummer: one tire's TPMS will not relearn. I must have gotten one bad unit from TireRack on these new wheels. That will be an interesting call.
 
#11 ·
I had the Michelin EnergySaver AS tires as OE on my 2011 Ford Fusion with AWD. There was a noticeable improvement in how the Ford performed under winter conditions when I switched to Continential tires (either Pure Contact or True Contact, I don't call which one.) I was not impressed with the way the Michelin tires performed in winter conditions. With my Volt my solution, so far, has been to not take the Volt on the road when the weather/road conditions are bad so I can't comment on how the Michelin EnergySaver AS tires perform on the Volt. You can check TireRack for their rating of how different tires perform in specific driving conditions.
 
#14 ·
This is the time of year when I get the absolute worst range: cold temps and all-season tires still on. I'll see the GOM duck into the high 20s regularly, and get actual range into 25 miles for a whole charge. As soon as I put the winter tires on, that'll just back up to 30 or 32 until it gets cold enough that ERDTT starts happening and ruins all good tracking....
 
#16 ·
Thanks everyone. I already believe that snow tires are better than all-season. (I just need to be convinced to *not* be a cheapskate about buying them + new rims + TPMS :) Fortunately I usually get to choose if I want to drive when it's bad out. I've owned AWDs and both Gen's of Volts. And my Gen1 seemed pretty good, considering the weight/stability vs an AWD (all w/ original tires). My original post was really OT because I was trying to figure out if everyone is saying Gen2's drove differently than Gen1's on their original tires. I'm guessing they're equivalent, and I'll just have to get used to it. Or pony up some $$ to feel more secure.
 
#17 · (Edited)
No sense in taking a new vehicle on the road in bad weather. Even if you have snow tires and experience driving in snow with good control of your vehicle you can't account for what the other drivers may do out there. Also, even with snow tires a thin layer of ice on the road can quickly ruin your day.
 
#20 ·
I managed to eke by with the stock tires on my Gen I Volt through 3 winters, mostly because we get our snow a few inches at a time and it's flat, locally. The "go" was acceptable but the "stop" was marginal. If the snowstorms were more like 4"+ and there was some up and down snow tires would have been a must have.
I'll drive my Silverado 4X4 through most of the winter and leave the Bolt in the garage unless the roads are clear of snow, ice, and salt. No use exposing it to corrosion. It's a long term keeper.
 
#22 ·
I’ve been driving for 31 years now and never had snow tires or 4wd. Always had small FWD cars and one 2wd truck. Always did fine, I just know the way to drive in the slick stuff. I think I’ve gotten stuck once in the truck and that was a bizarre situation where nothing would have helped. It was one of those storms where the snow got rained on and froze and there were tire ruts like driving a slot car, the differential got hung up it was so deep! I needed a tug from someone that time! No tire would be any better if they aren’t touching the ground ;)

Anyway, snow tires are a great idea but I don’t see them as a necessity


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#24 · (Edited)
I agree.

Driving for over 40 years in Minnesota, and have never owned an AWD vehicle. Probably a 50/50 mix between fwd and rwd vehicles. For the last 25 years I've used snow tires. They are very helpful and much cheaper than the extra cost of an AWD vehicle.

Yes, the low ground clearance on the Volt can be a problem, but we live in the city and streets get plowed quickly.

It seems that every winter I see a large number of AWD vehicles in the ditch. They drive too fast, falsely believing they can stop better in an AWD vehicle, just because they can go better. It's a tested fact that an AWD with all seasons can't stop as well as a fwd or rwd vehicle with snows.

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#23 ·
OK, my millage is getting worse now. Keep in mind I am a new volt owner so this is my first winter.
I went from 120 MPGE round trip to 90 MPGE. It happen after the temp dropped from 50 in the morning to 40 and I put on snow tires (all in the same week).

When I leave my house in the morning I am seeing 80 MPGE! was seeing 100 in the morning and by the time I returned from work I was at 120 MPGE round trip.
I am sure its due to both the snow tires and the slightly colder morning temps but is this normal? the change was so drastic I'm thinking the tire guys found a way to install the tires backwards.

What MPGE are you guys getting in the mornings? and what temp outside?
 
#25 ·
I went decades without snow tires.

But once I bought a set, I was hooked. The handling is superior when crossing slushy lanes, plowing through a plow pile when crossing an intersection, driving through snow covered streets, making turns or stops, even on dry roads on cold days. Are they absolutely necessary? Obviously not, people scrape and slide by without them just like I did for many, many years. But for me, the cost of avoiding an accident (with a set of snows) is minor compared to the cost of even a small accident.
 
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