• CHP warned cold weather drains EV batteries faster.
  • The alert came after a Rivian R1S ran out of charge.
  • The incident took place in snowy Truckee, California.

California is known for its beach vibes, but the state’s climate offers a little bit of everything. That’s especially true in the mountain town of Truckee, which reportedly received more than 10 inches of snow in the past 24 hours.

While snow is a fact of life in the Sierra Nevadas, some people aren’t used to the cold conditions. That appears to include a Rivian R1S driver, who discovered how weather can impact range.

More: Louisiana Town Threatens Drivers Without AWD, Then Mocks The Backlash

On Facebook, the California Highway Patrol posted a short clip of an R1S that apparently ran out of juice in the middle of a snow covered intersection. Authorities didn’t say what happened, but the video was accompanied by a message saying “Cold weather drains batteries faster than you think. If you’re rolling over the Summit, make sure your charge level matches your confidence level.”

They also advised drivers to charge up, slow down, and carry snow chains. While that’s a good reminder, police appeared to mock EVs and the driver as the post was tagged #ItsElectric and #MakeGoodDecisions.

Last week, they joked about a Tesla driver who lost control and went down an embankment. In that post, they said “Chain control was lifted earlier this morning and some of you took that as a personal challenge to full send anyway.” It was accompanied by an assortment of tags including #MakeGoodDecisions, #DonnersGonnaDonner, and #SlowYourRoll.

This appears to be a common theme with the Truckee post, but the criticism isn’t limited to EV drivers. Some people seem to get a kick out of this as one popular comment was “My new winter goal is to not be featured on your social media page.”

Chain control was lifted earlier this morning and some of you took that as a personal challenge to full send anyway….

Posted by CHP – Truckee on Wednesday, February 11, 2026