Snow Driving Issues

[Proxy]

Others have probably written better on the subject… the way I relate is traction control needs slip to redirect torque. An open diff allows the tire with traction to “anchor” that tire and slowly add torque. Therefore the front and rear each have an anchor. With four independent motors it adds torque equally until slip, then reduces torque. It is easy to get all four slipping before torque is reduced by the amount it guesses to reduce it to.
We’ve had the I-pace almost four years. I recognize the screen name/image from a previous forum. Glad you are on here too.

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[R.I.P.]

Others have probably written better on the subject… the way I relate is traction control needs slip to redirect torque. An open diff allows the tire with traction to “anchor” that tire and slowly add torque. Therefore the front and rear each have an anchor. With four independent motors it adds torque equally until slip, then reduces torque. It is easy to get all four slipping before torque is reduced by the amount it guesses to reduce it to.
We’ve had the I-pace almost four years. I recognize the screen name/image from a previous forum. Glad you are on here too.

Exactly.

You get it. You have experienced it. You understand the difference.

Now one of the members who only has a Quad, and has not driven both in the worst conditions possible is going to chime in with "BUT" and then another is going to say "MINE IS GREAT"...

Wait for it.... in 3, 2, 1,...............

 

[sgec]

Exactly.

You get it. You have experienced it. You understand the difference.

Now one of the members who only has a Quad, and has not driven both in the worst conditions possible is going to chime in with "BUT" and then another is going to say "MINE IS GREAT"...

Wait for it.... in 3, 2, 1,...............

Chiming in as a member who only has a Quad! Except to agree wholeheartedly with what you've been saying. I've experienced firsthand the vehicle losing grip and sliding while driving slowly on a road with a cross slope in super-slippery conditions. I say super-slippery as winter driving has such variability in traction which I think confuses the issue somewhat. I've learned a lot from your posts as I had always considered that the differential sending power to the wheel with the least traction was a bug, not a feature.

I've been driving the Cascade Lakes Highway between Bend and Mt. Bachelor in wintery conditions for many years. One other thing I noticed is the Rivian seems loose in the slipperiest conditions like alarmingly so like it's about to slide out. This is at a constant speed on a straight section of highway. I've gotten used to it and just let it do its thing but other vehicles I've driven seemed to track better. I first noticed this on the way back down to Bend in the early afternoon after the sun had come out melting the highway with sun exposure but not in shaded patches. The shaded patches were that super-slippery glossy white. Driving at a constant speed I could feel the vehicle to seemingly lose grip and then correct when hitting bare pavement. Not that much but enough to be noticeable by the passenger as well. It was disconcerting as I hadn't experienced this with other vehicles. Then early one morning on the way up where the road was a sheet of ice with vehicles spun out and off the road I felt the Rivian giving me hints it wanted to break free while at a constant speed (say 35mph) on a straight section of road. It gave me starts as I hadn't experienced this with other vehicles. I'm used to it now as it seems to self-correct but I'd love to know what's going on. Do you think this could be related to a lack of differentials?

(Quad, Stock 20" Pirelli Scorpions)

 

[White Shadow]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_River_Indians

So are you Native American? If so, I had no idea. That's cool though.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Do you think this could be related to a lack of differentials?

(Quad, Stock 20" Pirelli Scorpions)

Your choice of tire ain't helping. None of the stock tires are winter tires.

 

[R.I.P.]

So are you Native American? If so, I had no idea. That's cool though.

Yeah... Hence "Rogue Indian Power"... Lol. I spent many years designing power grids in out-of-the-way places specializing in hydro, solar and wind. I helped out a lot of the tribes across the country get lights to remote places.

 

[R.I.P.]

Your choice of tire ain't helping. None of the stock tires are winter tires.

That is why all that testing that we did between the drivetrains is legit apples to apples comparisons. Virtually every rig we are running has the same tires on it, so it takes that very variable out of the equation.

 

[zefram47]

That is why all that testing that we did between the drivetrains is legit apples to apples comparisons. Virtually every rig we are running has the same tires on it, so it takes that very variable out of the equation.

So again, running shit tires for actual winter conditions...got it.

 

[zefram47]

I don't think it's in the manual, and that might even be incorrect.

I was reading about it on Reddit and one owner used his FLIR and said the wiper area heater is on with front defrost (double press defrost icon till it turns from blue to red), not the rear defroster.

This is a problem. All the vehicles I've owned that had a wiper park heater had a dedicated button to turn it on while the rear defrost and side mirrors were on the same button. Considering Rivian doesn't allow you to turn the fan or the heat setting down while using the front defrost that leads to broiling yourself and your passengers if you want to see...just bad. Maybe the wipers would work better without setting the cabin to broil if we could independently turn on the wiper park heat.

 

[R.I.P.]

Chiming in as a member who only has a Quad! Except to agree wholeheartedly with what you've been saying. I've experienced firsthand the vehicle losing grip and sliding while driving slowly on a road with a cross slope in super-slippery conditions. I say super-slippery as winter driving has such variability in traction which I think confuses the issue somewhat. I've learned a lot from your posts as I had always considered that the differential sending power to the wheel with the least traction was a bug, not a feature.

I've been driving the Cascade Lakes Highway between Bend and Mt. Bachelor in wintery conditions for many years. One other thing I noticed is the Rivian seems loose in the slipperiest conditions like alarmingly so like it's about to slide out. This is at a constant speed on a straight section of highway. I've gotten used to it and just let it do its thing but other vehicles I've driven seemed to track better. I first noticed this on the way back down to Bend in the early afternoon after the sun had come out melting the highway with sun exposure but not in shaded patches. The shaded patches were that super-slippery glossy white. Driving at a constant speed I could feel the vehicle to seemingly lose grip and then correct when hitting bare pavement. Not that much but enough to be noticeable by the passenger as well. It was disconcerting as I hadn't experienced this with other vehicles. Then early one morning on the way up where the road was a sheet of ice with vehicles spun out and off the road I felt the Rivian giving me hints it wanted to break free while at a constant speed (say 35mph) on a straight section of road. It gave me starts as I hadn't experienced this with other vehicles. I'm used to it now as it seems to self-correct but I'd love to know what's going on. Do you think this could be related to a lack of differentials?

(Quad, Stock 20" Pirelli Scorpions)

Yes. Completely. Your quad cannot "anchor" one wheel on each axle to give it the inherent lateral stability a differential gives you.

 

[R.I.P.]

So again, running shit tires for actual winter conditions...got it.

If your tires are better for what we are doing (mud, snow, rocks and slop) come and show us up on the trails with all of your superiority.

Seriously dude.

 

[pricedm]

Hi All,

First, I'm overall loving my R1S. It does so much so well and I'm still overall enjoying the ownership experience.

That said, we had a heavy snow storm last night here in Denver and my R1S was - well, not confidence inspiring.

3. Winter Handling -

Gotta get snow tires. And go easy on the instant torque fun pedal.

 

[TollKeeper]

Bout to have a Engineer throwdown!!!

 

[R.I.P.]

So again, running shit tires for actual winter conditions...got it.

Help a brother out then: what tire would you recommend that is better for what we are doing?

 

[R1Tom]

Yes. Completely. Your quad cannot "anchor" one wheel on each axle to give it the inherent lateral stability a differential gives you.

I am curious.....can the brake lock differential behavior, i.e. traction control, be completely defeated in the DM's? Or does the traction control still apply brakes and attemp to send power to the tire that is anchored?

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