Mach-E stuck in snow, owners spend night in the car before they got help.

[kgautam28]

I'm surprised you made it out of there alive without your wife killing you

We had enough food, water and heat, it was like camping.

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[dbsb3233]

The roads to ski areas are maintained, forest service roads are not maintained. You should be fine.

That's what I was just gonna post too. Typically highways and roads to high traffic destinations like ski resorts are usually pretty well plowed. The problem here was high-centering from too much accumulation. The MME AWD should do OK on plowed roads. But don't venture off to unplowed roads with >5".

 

[kgautam28]

Thanks for sharing your story (knowing how many opinions and "suggestions" you would get)

What made you stop? was the car starting to struggle getting through the snow? I am amazed you got as far as you did if the snow was deeper than 6 inches on the road.

I felt it was not safe to go forward, so thought to stop and go back. but my bad luck is that i stopped where snow was deep. further up ahead i can see the asphalt on the tracks.

 

[ajmartineau]

Was a horrifying night in the cold, only could use seat warmer for heat, the battery drains if the heater is on 2% every 5minutes. With seat warmer it was draining 1% an hour.
Me and wife were in there for 14 hours before we got out, Ford's roadside assistance would answer the call and then cancel without saying a word.

I'm glad you made it out of there ok! One of the few things I don't like about the Mach-E is that it doesn't have a towing "I-bolt" connection in the front or back for this exact situation.

The battery usage for the heater really surprises me. I really hope you are exaggerating a little (which is ok). 2% in 5minute is 1.76 kWh in 5 minutes. 1.76 kWh in 5 minutes is a rate of 21.12 kW. or 21,120 watts.

I've camped in other EVs and they don't use anywhere near that much. Even at freezing temps, I average about 3kW. I wonder if it was putting power out to warm the battery and motors for safety.

 

[ajmartineau]

We had enough food, water and heat, it was like camping.

And it was really quiet. I hope there was a view of the stars.

 

[kgautam28]

I'm glad you made it out of there ok! One of the few things I don't like about the Mach-E is that it doesn't have a towing "I-bolt" connection in the front or back for this exact situation.

The battery usage for the heater really surprises me. I really hope you are exaggerating a little (which is ok). 2% in 5minute is 1.76 kWh in 5 minutes. 1.76 kWh in 5 minutes is a rate of 21.12 kW. or 21,120 watts.

I've camped in other EVs and they don't use anywhere near that much. Even at freezing temps, I average about 3kW. I wonder if it was putting power out to warm the battery and motors for safety.

Well, i was rationing the battery % to last the night, at 30F, with snow under the car, this is what was happening.

 

[kgautam28]

And it was really quiet. I hope there was a view of the stars.

Was foggy.

 

[highland58]

And it was really quiet. I hope there was a view of the stars.

The last time I was camping in the Gifford Pinchot (or giffy pinko as I call it), we were playing Pink Floyd loud, when we stopped playing music we heard howling Wolves (or Coyotes?) - I think they liked the music.

 

[pt19713]

I have a GT reserved with just 5.3" of ground clearance. I like to go skiing and the Mach-E will be my only car.

Am I picking the wrong car or should I not worry about it?

With snow tires or chains , you should be fine. I've driven in deep snow in a lowered Miata but with Blizzaks, I never got stuck. Tires make a huge difference.

 

[Mirak]

Ugh. Better add “gets stuck in only 12” of snow while off-roading” to the issue list. The Tesla crowd is gonna have a field day with this.... And they didn’t even have a heat pump!

 

[dtbaker61]

AWD all.sesson tires m+s can no longer drive where the Macan used to.

Lesson: learn to measure snow height before going on and carry a shovel. Snow chains do not help either..

I'd suggest that if you KNOW you are going to drive in ice/snow:

- turn OFF 'traction control' setting , which will keep all 4 wheels powering if one starts spinning
- switch to actual Snow tires like 'Blizzak' or equivalent rather than all-weather tires. different tread and softer rubber really work wonders.
- keep in mind you have a big flat bellypan, with 6" of clearance. Any more snow than 6", and you run the risk of packing it under the belly and lifting your wheels off the ground. No tires in the world will help you then.
- Pack a small shovel like a foldable avalanche shovel, and a 12v Electric blanket (they are available with a 12v socket built in), under the rear cargo cover.... maybe along with some granola bars.

 

[dtbaker61]

With snow tires or chains , you should be fine. I've driven in so snow in a lowered Miata but with Blizzaks, I never got stuck. Tires make a huge difference.

def go with Blizzaks.

 

[dbsb3233]

- Pack a small shovel like a foldable avalanche shovel, and a 12v Electric blanket (they are available with a 12v socket built in), under the rear cargo cover.... maybe along with some granola bars.

Great use for the frunk. It's too inconvenient to get into regularly (vs the highly convenient liftgate & cargo area), so I put all the rarely-used "just in case" stuff in the frunk.

 

[highland58]

I'd suggest that if you KNOW you are going to drive in ice/snow:

- turn OFF 'traction control' setting , which will keep all 4 wheels powering if one starts spinning
- switch to actual Snow tires like 'Blizzak' or equivalent rather than all-weather tires. different tread and softer rubber really work wonders.
- keep in mind you have a big flat bellypan, with 6" of clearance. Any more snow than 6", and you run the risk of packing it under the belly and lifting your wheels off the ground. No tires in the world will help you then.
- Pack a small shovel like a foldable avalanche shovel, and a 12v Electric blanket (they are available with a 12v socket built in), under the rear cargo cover.... maybe along with some granola bars.

Excellent points. Turning off traction control will make a big difference in this situation.

 

[Wallace]

Yes low ground clearance means, FE AWD all.sesson tires m+s can no longer drive where the Macan used to. A yearly once route for me, dint ever see snow here before at this time of the year, just as I decided to go back after 20ft of snow, Got beached in snow late evening, and had us stuck with no cell reception nearest population was 40miles away.. Had to spend the night in the car up in griffith pinchord national forest, luckily dint snow that night. Next day morning, Was able to walk 4 miles to call 911 get a tow trailer, only to learn that in tow mode you can only tow forwards. No tow hook at the back. Had to gently tug at the wheels, cleared snow with a shovel below the car before that and it came loose and drove back all fine like nothing happened.

Was a horrifying night in the cold, only could use seat warmer for heat, the battery drains if the heater is on 2% every 5minutes. With seat warmer it was draining 1% an hour.
Me and wife were in there for 14 hours before we got out, Ford's roadside assistance would answer the call and then cancel without saying a word. We really need wider tires, and better ground clearance.

Lesson: learn to measure snow height before going on and carry a shovel. Snow chains do not help either..

Yes yes I understand I shouldn't have gone there, but the only way was to go further and turn around or stop and go back. It's when I stopped when it got stuck. No.issues as long as it was moving.

I've done this same route multiple times in a lot of cars at same.time of year, so went on with that.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. I always hoped, not to be the first MME-dirver with such an experience (my MME will arrive earliest in 6 weeks...). I'm also not sure, if my wife would have taken this situation as camping-night and I would have survived it ??.

About towing: I've read in the manual, that emergency-towing works only forward, therefore no hooks at the tail...
About snow chains: they would help, but in the manual is written, they'll be mounted only on 18" all season tires. As I understand: not on winter tires (maybe because they have a deeper profile than all season tires?). Can anybody confirm that or does anybody know, that snow chains are also allowed on winter tires? This would be the first car I know with a restriction of snow chains on all winter tires.

All the hints in the posts are helpful, also thanks to you guys...