Tesla Engineering VP Assures All Disk Brakes Made To Withstand Extreme Winter Corrosion — But Does FSD Pass The Icy Test?

EV giant Tesla Inc TSLA employs various strategies to prevent brake disk rusting in its vehicles, even in extreme cold conditions, according to a senior engineering executive.

What Happened: Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, addressed concerns about brake rusting in icy and snowy regions in a post on X. 

Moravy detailed the measures taken by Tesla to combat rusting in brake disks during adverse weather conditions.

Tesla utilizes a program in its vehicles that engages the brakes periodically, helping to clean off rust from brake rotors. Additionally, the standard brake rotors in Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are Ferritic Nitro-Carburized, which enhances their resistance to corrosion, Moravy said.

Yes – we do that on all vehicles. Model 3 and Y standard brake rotors also come with Ferritic Nitro-Carburized rotors to further improve corrosion toughness

— Lars (@larsmoravy) November 29, 2023

These measures are crucial, especially in regions where icy, snowy, and salted roads contribute to brake disk rusting, potentially causing vehicles to fail safety tests.

“This issue is increased on electric cars as they have regenerative braking (little brake use),” noted a concerned user on X, who got a reply from Moravy.

Apart from the features mentioned, Tesla incorporates features in select vehicles to warm the cabin and battery, defrost the vehicle, and provide additional support in challenging weather conditions.

Does FSD Beta Work in Snow? Despite Tesla’s efforts to address brake rusting, a video posted by a Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta user on X raised concerns about the system’s functionality in winter conditions. 

The video suggested that Tesla’s FSD capability struggles in snowy conditions, failing to assess the slippery nature of snow-covered roads.

"You're not going to be able to trust this in the winter snow." #SevenYearsLater $TSLA https://t.co/wmT3zcCbiL

— Diogenes (@WallStCynic) November 29, 2023

As a result, the driver had to intervene multiple times due to unintended slipping and acceleration.

“Tesla FSD Beta Does Not Work in Snow – Need V12,” the user wrote. V12 is expected to be Tesla’s fully autonomous FSD version needing no human intervention.

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