Staff Car Report: Hakkapeliitta R2 Winter Tires Prove Their Worth as Snow Storms Bite

With their limited range, low ground clearance and lack of all-wheel drive, it’s often assumed that electric cars like the Nissan LEAF are best in temperate climates in large cities where the weather remains fairly pleasant all year round.
Those who live where the weather is a little more wild, many believe, need the all-wheel drive capabilities of a powerful pickup truck or SUV to get through the winter months without incident. Electric cars, it’s assumed, just aren’t cut out for winter weather.

 

Here at Transport Evolved, we’ve always disagreed with that sentiment. After all, Norway — the world’s number one electric vehicle market per capita — gets some pretty harsh winter weather. And last time we checked, Norwegians don’t make their electric cars hibernate when the mercury drops. They simply put on a set of good quality winter tires.
This year, we’re following those wise Scandinavian electric car owners and seeing just how much difference proper winter tires can make to a city-going Nissan LEAF living through the wet and windy winter of the Pacific Northwest — and how much difference those tires make to handling, economy and safety when we leave the comforts of the city limits behind and head for Mount Hood’s famous ski resorts at the weekend.

See More :  https://transportevolved.com/2015/12/16/staff-car-report-hakkapeliitta-r2-winter-tires-prove-their-worth-as-snow-storms-bite/https://transportevolved.com/2015/12/16/staff-car-report-hakkapeliitta-r2-winter-tires-prove-their-worth-as-snow-storms-bite/