Tesla learns from Model Y’s first winter, issues update with cold weather improvements

Tesla has learned from Model Y’s first winter and started pushing a new software update with cold weather improvements.

Over the years, Tesla has often been accused of being a “California company” that doesn’t design cars for cold climates.

The truth is that Tesla vehicles perform very well in the cold when it comes to driving performance.

Electric powertrains provide a lot of torque and enable powerful all-wheel-drive through dual motor drivetrains, which can be extremely useful in winter conditions.

However, Tesla has run into some issues when it comes to day-to-day use in extreme cold.

During the Model 3’s first winter, we reported on the vehicle showing some significant flaws like the windows, the handle, and the charge port freezing shut.

Tesla ended up pushing some updates to address those issues.

The automaker has often released software updates after winters to optimize cold weather performance.

While it might look like bad timing, Tesla is actually learning more from each winter and improving on how its electric cars perform in regions with harsher climates.

Now Model Y vehicles had their first winter, and Tesla is releasing another post-winter cold weather improvement software update.

Several Tesla owners are reporting receiving a new software update “2021.4.12” and it includes very limited release notes:

Minor Cold Weather Improvements and Bug Fixes

Additional enhancements have been made to improve the overall experience of your Tesla vehicle in cold weather.

Tesla doesn’t go into details about those cold weather improvements, but several owners are reporting noticeably stronger regenerative braking.

Regen braking is not as strong in cold temperatures and the powertrain needs to warm up before it can kick in, meaning you often have no regen power for the first few minutes of driving in freezing temperatures.

Electrek‘s Seth Weintraub received the new update today on his Model Y in New York and noted a subtle difference in the regen braking.

That difference could be more significant in colder temperatures and with a different state-of-charge.

If you received the update and notice some of the changes for cold weather performance, let us know in the comment section below.