People can’t get enough of those “vehicle on ice” videos that show even the most capable off-roaders have a hard time going uphill on a slippery road. In one of the latest, a proud owner of a Tesla Model Y shows a Jeep Gladiator that fails to climb an inclined driveway covered in ice, while his electric vehicle doesn’t seem to have any problems.
Having the best of 4x4 technology onboard is far from guaranteeing the best performance on a road that is covered in ice or snow. We’ve seen this time and time again and we marvel at how easy is for people to forget the importance of good winter tires. Yes, these are the often overlooked donuts of rubber wrapped around the wheels that can make or break a vehicle depending on the situation.
In the case of a 4x4 vehicle, having the wrong tires can be just as bad as having no four-wheel-drive at all, if not worse. Add the weight of an off-roader to the equation and you’ll see that moving such a hefty chunk of metal uphill on an icy road is no easy task. This is something the guy at Tommy L Garage doesn’t quite get, besides the fact that he calls the Jeep Gladiator an SUV.
He owns a Tesla Model Y that he is very proud of and he shows how the crossover has no issues going up the icy driveway. The car even stops on the incline and then starts again without a problem. The Model Y has Michelin all-season tires that seem to grip just fine on the icy incline. To demonstrate how slippery it is, Tommy slides downhill on his shoes toward the Jeep Gladiator. This is presented as having “winter tires” although it is obvious this is not the case.
After getting behind the wheel and engaging 4x4 traction, as well as locking both front and rear differentials, Tommy starts up the same driveway the Model Y was climbing moments earlier. Although the Gladiator sports some big mud tires, it doesn’t want to cooperate and slides back to the base of the driveway. This shows how important is to have proper winter tires (or all-seasons with winter qualities certified by the 3MPSF sign on the wall) when ice and snow contaminate the road.
Judging by people’s reactions, Tommy is also missing some off-road training, and he might have made (deliberately or not) the Gladiator’s job harder. This is because engaging both differentials would deactivate all the electronics nannies that help in low-grip situations. Without them, the wheels just spin out of control, as seen in the video. What do you think, is Tesla Model Y actually better on an icy incline than a Jeep Gladiator?
After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions. Full profile
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