Driving in the snow? Chains or no chains?

[hellolucid]

I remember reading that Lucid doesn't approve of using snow chains. Some of the mountain roads in California/Oregon requires them. so what are the options? Lucid recommends tire socks (first time i'm hearing that term). People who had their cars last winter, what did you do? did you get tire socks and if so, which one?

 

[borski]

The only option is finding snow tires (which don’t exist yet) or snow socks.

 

[Unmutual]

The only option is finding snow tires (which don’t exist yet) or snow socks.

I'm getting snow tires through Lucid: the Pirelli Sottozero 3s are specced for the Air.

WINTER SOTTOZERO™ 3 245/45R19 102V XL LUCID ELECT | Pirelli

245/45R19 102V XL LUCID ELECT - Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 tires are designed for maximum safety in all weather conditions. Buy now!

www.pirelli.com

 

[joec]

I'm getting snow tires through Lucid: the Pirelli Sottozero 3s are specced for the Air.

WINTER SOTTOZERO™ 3 245/45R19 102V XL LUCID ELECT | Pirelli

245/45R19 102V XL LUCID ELECT - Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 tires are designed for maximum safety in all weather conditions. Buy now!

www.pirelli.com

Those are fine if you have the 19-inch wheels. There are no snow options for the 20s or 21s.

 

[Unmutual]

Those are fine if you have the 19-inch wheels. There are no snow options for the 20s or 21s.

True, but if I had 20 or 21s, I'd get 19" rims for the snow tires. I have 19s already, but am getting an extra set mounted with the snows so I can just swap them out myself each December and March.

 

[joec]

True, but if I had 20 or 21s, I'd get 19" rims for the snow tires. I have 19s already, but am getting an extra set mounted with the snows so I can just swap them out myself each December and March.

Sure. But that was @borski's point. If you have the 20s or 21s, you can't just get snow tires, because none exist for those rims. And you can't use chains. So it's either socks, which have limited use, or a second set of wheels.

Keep in mind, too, that you can't just "swap them out" yourself. You could, physically, but your sensors will need to be factory reset by Lucid to account for the differences between the sizes. Lucid has not yet added a way to make those adjustments in software on the user side yet.

 

[Unmutual]

I wasn't aware the OP had 20 or 21s, nor did Borski refer to 20 or 21s. I can out-pedant anyone here ....

 

[hellolucid]

I'm getting snow tires through Lucid: the Pirelli Sottozero 3s are specced for the Air.

WINTER SOTTOZERO™ 3 245/45R19 102V XL LUCID ELECT | Pirelli

245/45R19 102V XL LUCID ELECT - Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 tires are designed for maximum safety in all weather conditions. Buy now!

www.pirelli.com

Nice. I’m going to talk to Millbrae service then. I have a 21” so I have to swap the rims.

 

[hellolucid]

Those are fine if you have the 19-inch wheels. There are no snow options for the 20s or 21s.

I suppose the other option is to install the Michelin all season 21” tires but not sure if lucid carries them.

 

[joec]

I suppose the other option is to install the Michelin all season 21” tires but not sure if lucid carries them.

All-season tires will not meet the requirements for many mountain regions that require snow tires specifically. I assume they will do better with grip than the summer tires for around town. But at least where I live, there are many roads that require dedicated snow tires. So new rims, unfortunately, are the only way to go for now.

Unless, of course, you just have the 19s. Which is my plan.

 

[Shane_SLC]

https://m.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=X-Ice+Snow&frontTire=44HR0XISXL&partnum=44HR0XISXL&rearTire=64HR0XISXL&autoMake=Lucid&autoYear=2023&autoModel=Air&autoModClar=245%2F40-20F+265%2F40-20R

I'm not a tire expert so I apologize if I'm missing something obvious, but shouldn't these tires be compatible with the 20" wheels?

 

[Bunnylebowski]

I'm getting snow tires through Lucid: the Pirelli Sottozero 3s are specced for the Air.

WINTER SOTTOZERO™ 3 245/45R19 102V XL LUCID ELECT | Pirelli

245/45R19 102V XL LUCID ELECT - Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 tires are designed for maximum safety in all weather conditions. Buy now!

www.pirelli.com

Weird, when you try to order them on that link it doesn’t even list Lucid as a brand choice.

 

[Bel]

I'm getting snow tires through Lucid: the Pirelli Sottozero 3s are specced for the Air.

WINTER SOTTOZERO™ 3 245/45R19 102V XL LUCID ELECT | Pirelli

245/45R19 102V XL LUCID ELECT - Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 tires are designed for maximum safety in all weather conditions. Buy now!

www.pirelli.com

Can you mount studs in these tires?

 

[AltadenaAir]

Re-opening this discussion, as I am planning a trip to the Sierras and would love to take my AGT.

I have to admit I didn't notice the "no chains" discussion before I purchased my car. That might have been enough to have me not buy it. Frankly, it seems like a silly restriction that puts owners (and their cars) at risk. After all, it's not like getting stuck on a mountain pass is a rare event for someone who takes their car touring (which is in the name!).

I haven't used actual chains for decades, always using snow cables. Cables add very little dimension to the tire, so I'm surprised that Lucid didn't provide the clearances required, at least for the 19" wheels. Does anyone have an engineering explanation of why Lucid would exclude the use of snow cables? Is this common with other high performance cars? Certainly cables were not a problem with my Tesla Model S. Is Lucid typical here, or atypical?

 

[joec]

Re-opening this discussion, as I am planning a trip to the Sierras and would love to take my AGT.

I have to admit I didn't notice the "no chains" discussion before I purchased my car. That might have been enough to have me not buy it. Frankly, it seems like a silly restriction that puts owners (and their cars) at risk. After all, it's not like getting stuck on a mountain pass is a rare event for someone who takes their car touring (which is in the name!).

I haven't used actual chains for decades, always using snow cables. Cables add very little dimension to the tire, so I'm surprised that Lucid didn't provide the clearances required, at least for the 19" wheels. Does anyone have an engineering explanation of why Lucid would exclude the use of snow cables? Is this common with other high performance cars? Certainly cables were not a problem with my Tesla Model S. Is Lucid typical here, or atypical?

Do you have 19s? If so, get snow tires. Way better than dealing with chains.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

There are snow socks you can get also which I think Lucid approved?

 

[AltadenaAir]

I have Pirelli M+S tires. Isn't that factory equipment?

For trips to the California mountains, true snow tires (as opposed to M+S, which are really all-purpose) are a pain. You probably never need them. Interestingly, while M+S tires are sometimes consider "three season" tires, these factory Pirellis are labeled "all season". As I understand it, in comparison to M+S tires, "winter" or "true snow" tires have a more aggressive tread pattern and a rubber that retains flexibility at lower temperatures. Some manufacturers seem to say that 7F is the cutoff for M+S tires.

In California, the Highway Patrol has three levels of snow chain requirements"

• Requirement 1 (R-1): Chains are required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight and equipped with snow tires on at least two drive wheels. Chains must be carried by vehicles using snow tires. All vehicles towing trailers must have chains on one drive axle. Trailers with brakes must have chains on at least one axle.
• Requirement 2 (R2): Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels.
  NOTE: (Four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles must carry traction devices in chain control areas.)
• Requirement 3 (R3): Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions.

Note that both R-1 and R-2 requirements state that you must carry "traction control devices" (e.g., chains or ?) even if you don't have to put them on.

The R-1 requirement is interesting for Lucids, because my AGT's GVW is 6285lbs. I don't know what the two-wheel drive Airs will weigh, but unless it is less than 6000lbs you will need to carry chains.

So for R-1 and R-2, technically, you don't have to install chains on a AWD Lucid. That said, in my experience in the California mountains, only folks that have truly aggressive four wheel vehicles don't always install the chains when they encounter a chain control section of highway. The reasons should be obvious: you're driving in the mountains, likely in terrible weather, on roads that are unevenly plowed, with a bunch of other drivers who don't usually drive in snow. I like AWD a lot, but in mountain snow it's a far cry from the security of traction control devices like chains or cables.

I'd love to be able to use cables.

 

[AltadenaAir]

And snow socks seem, well, flimsy. I can't see how they would hold up.

 

[joec]

The Colorado mountains aren’t exactly hills. And here, so long as you have AWD and actual snow tires (not all seasons) you are good to go pretty much anywhere. Chains are only required in some places for 2WD vehicles.

Also, the only time the police give you any trouble is if you actually get stuck and require a tow or a push up the hill. In that case, if you don’t have AWD or you have all-seasons, they will fine you.

Of course, everyone here drives in multiple feet of snow six months of the year. So there are fewer folks who get themselves into that sort of trouble.

 

[AltadenaAir]

Also, the only time the police give you any trouble is if you actually get stuck and require a tow or a push up the hill. In that case, if you don’t have AWD or you have all-seasons, they will fine you.

I'm not as worried about the ticket as I am ending up in a snow bank or barrelling down a steep cliff. I think that's why most of us California wussies put on chains.