Tesla Owners Online Forum banner
21 - 40 of 46 Posts
For the 7 years I drove my 1st Gen Volt, I downshifted (D-L) when I wanted to increase the regen. D being the equivalent to Low and L being standard in the Tesla. My wife and most people apparently liked to drive in L. I found that "downshifting" was better as I did not lose as much energy if I wanted to coast in D and slow down in L. The 2nd Gen Volts had a steering wheel mounted switch (like a gear shifting switch in some sports cars) which I think would be better. The new Honda Clarity has an interesting system of steering wheel mounted switches to increase or decrease the regen with 4 settings. So my point is couldn't Tesla make one of the steering wheel mounted thumb wheels to "dial in" more regen as you want it? Elon are you listening?
Yes, exactly this. I was actually thinking of the paddle on the Volt as I posted, as I understand that it gives you the ability of using more regen when you want/need it, and then you can still brake when you need that, but then you can still "coast" when that's most efficient.

It seems to me that you'd have a more efficient car if you could coast when you could/needed to coast, and then apply regen as much as possible when - and only when - you wanted to slow down.

Maybe I'm missing something about one pedal driving in "high" or (with Tesla M3) "standard" regen. It seems to maintain your speed, you're always having to apply energy to offset the regen, since it's always on. You're never coasting, then, but always applying energy against the regen. You're never coasting . . .
The risk of leaving a reply unfinished on one's screen for an hour... but I guess we're all on the same page :).
 
  • Like
Reactions: fsKotte
I was just thinking today that I wish Tesla would add a Regen setting like 'natural', which would be the same as the low setting until the brake is detected, then switch to standad until you hit the accelerator and then go back to low.

This way you can relax your right foot more and the grab point is somewhere closer to the zero accelerator input, so when you remove your foot completely it doesn't throw you forward .
 
I was just thinking today that I wish Tesla would add a Regen setting like 'natural', which would be the same as the low setting until the brake is detected, then switch to standad until you hit the accelerator and then go back to low.

This way you can relax your right foot more and the grab point is somewhere closer to the zero accelerator input, so when you remove your foot completely it doesn't throw you forward .
Me, too. This also, in my mind would be the most efficient way to do things. Coast when it's appropriate/convenient, and regen when you need to slow down. As it stands, the "one pedal" driving that everyone talks about really seems to me to be not efficient and would not increase range, because you never get the advantage of momentum to go forward; you're always needing to push through the regen resistance to move forward. The only thing I can think of, is when you're pressing the accelerator in "standard" (high) regen mode, the regen resistance is actually switched off and is only engaged when you decrease pedal pressure. But it seems like it isn't, because as soon as you reduce pressure on the pedal, the regen is so immediate that it feels like it's been on the whole time.
 
fskotte -
I think you have a misunderstanding of how Tesla regen works.
If you're driving down the road at 50, the power bar (just below the speed display) will be showing a slight amount of power - it'll extend to the right of center. If you release a little pressure on the wheel, the power bar will retract to the center - that's the equivalent of coasting in neutral in an ICE. If you release a little more pressure, the power bar will extend slightly to the left - indicating a little regen is being applied and you should note the car slowing. Release a little more pressure, the bar extends more the left and you feel more regen. Take your foot all the way off, and you're at full regen and now you can start applying the brake if you need.
If the power bar is left of center, no power is being sent to the motor - instead the motor is regen-ing power into the battery. If the power bar is right of center, power is being sent to the motor and no regen is occurring.
 
My comments come from only driving manual transmission before this, and being used to pulling my foot all the way off the pedal in gear. I like the way the low regen feels, but the efficiency is at about 285 wh/mi for me, so I'm going to give standard regen a go and see if I can get used to it.

My main beef with standard regen is that the zero point between go and regen is a slightly depressed pedal, and if you let all the way off quickly t slows too fast, so you're always feathering it slightly on. I'm having a tough time going from 3 pedals to 1.
 
As it stands, the "one pedal" driving that everyone talks about really seems to me to be not efficient and would not increase range, because you never get the advantage of momentum to go forward; you're always needing to push through the regen resistance to move forward.
If you hold the pedal at the point where you're neither accelerating or decelerating, then you're coasting. You can do that no matter which regen setting you're using. It will be just as optimally efficient.
 
If you hold the pedal at the point where you're neither accelerating or decelerating, then you're coasting. You can do that no matter which regen setting you're using. It will be just as optimally efficient.
Agreed. But I think what some of us are saying is that requires a bit more conscious effort than just being able to ease off completely and let the car coast for short periods when you're trying to modulate your speed in light traffic.
Definitely falls hard into the First World Problems category, but if it only needs a few lines of code written to make a "coast" option appear in the Regen menu then hey, why not?
 
It's funny how strongly people react to the regen behavior, some love it and some not so much

I have a friend who has driven my 3 all of 2 times. Both times he gets in the car and is flummoxed by the regen as he normally drives a manual Mini Cooper. I too have a ICE manual transmission car, turbo charged (so it even has a wider range of acceleration/deceleration behaviors than his Mini)

I have zero problems moving between cars and not tossing myself or passengers out the front window. It's not 'cause I'm special (well some may disagree o_O) but because I'm used to the behavior. I have zero problems not removing my foot all the way off the throttle to slow down in the 3.

I also don't simple take my foot off the gas pedal in the turbo car to slow down, it's a modulation there as well - it's just different amounts - but honestly I could also say that it is because my turbo gas car is a tiny thing compared to most vehicles driven in the USA and the 3 is quite big compared to it - so weight of the car also effects handling/braking/etc. I've driven tiny cars and stupid big box trucks and they all respond different to differing amounts of throttle modulation

I wonder if the folks (sans my friend) who have the biggest dislike of heavy regen are those used to driving slushbox automatics since they seem to have zero engine braking unless forcibly downshifted

Caveat - I have driven my Roadster in wet weather and you do need to be mindful of engaging full regen as it can provide interesting behavior out back due to rear drive and heavy rear regen - traction controll will step in here. The amount of wet weather I've driven the 3 in is pretty low - I expect to see the same behavior but hopefully a bit more refined since 10 years of development has gone by between the 2 cars.

I also spent too many years dealing with winter weather in the Boston area so the whole concept of controlling a car both with throttle and brake, as appropriate, is not new to me.

All that said, more options for controlling these settings wouldn't go unappreciated but it's low on my list of wishes for the Tesla software ;)
 
After driving the Volt for so long I think I will miss the instant choice of regen mode (D vs L) and downshifting. There was 2 definite advantages... 1) Much more efficient if you want to do the work (not much work, but you had to pay attention driving to extend the range as much as possible). Now this may not be a problem with the range of the Model 3.
2)...After 170,000 km (106,000 miles) my brakes still look brand new. Almost no wear since even when you touch the brakes the first bit of brake pedal travel just increases the regen. No actual brakes until you really need them and depress the pedal past a certain point. This is so efficient that I found that after not using the brakes almost at all for weeks I would have to do a fast deceleration from highway speed to rub some of the service rust off the rotors (not visible, but would cause a bit of noise on braking that I did not like).

I know everybody has an opinion, but if you listen to the majority of those that have been driving EV's for years. Greater control over regen is preferred. If you don't want to use it you don't have to but it is nice to have the option. Here's hoping it will come in a software update, which is one of the great things about a Tesla.
 
Agreed. But I think what some of us are saying is that requires a bit more conscious effort than just being able to ease off completely and let the car coast for short periods when you're trying to modulate your speed in light traffic.
^^^ Yup, THIS. When I had a Volt, I used the different modes just as you described up-thread -- D on the highways, L on local roads. In my e-Golf (which has *four* different regen levels), I do the same thing -- D or D1 on highways, and D2, D3 or B on local roads. Driving in L/B on the highways requires you to be much more conscious of your foot position from one moment to the next, which not only costs you a little in efficiency (and possibly in carsickness and foot cramps), but in mental fatigue over longer periods of sustained driving. Sure, if you're lucky enough to find yourself on an open, uncongested freeway, you can engage cruise control, but if it's even lightly congested, you'll want to control your speed manually.

But wait a minute, doesn't Tesla have a general-purpose solution for highway driving fatigue that handles a variety of traffic densities? Why, yes it does -- Autopilot! So I guess TACC/Autosteer will be my new "D" mode.

For those that don't have EAP, though, I think it would still be nice to have an easier, no-look way to switch to Low regen mode for those who prefer less regen on the highway.
 
For the first 500 miles, Blanche's EAP and TACC were not working. Tesla SC fixed that, but during the absence, I didn't like the fact that I had to keep my foot engaged with the throttle at all times. It led to fatigue and muscle cramps and I missed driving my slushbox where I could pull my foot off the throttle from time to time and relieve the stress.

Once EAP and TACC were in place, everything changed. I can engage either one and then I'm able to move my right leg to a more relaxed position. With these in place, I'm completely comfortable with regen. After 2800 miles, about 80% at highway speeds Blanche is averaging about 245 wh/mi.

EAP provides another benefit: the ability to relax your shoulders, arms and hands. You can maintain contact with the wheel, but rest your arm on your knee. When using EAP, I usually keep one hand on the wheel, resisting torque and keeping EAP engaged. I swap hands occasionally to avoid one hand fatique. After 4 hours of highway driving, my shoulders and arms are in way better shape than they are when I have to keep my hands on the wheel and actually steer. :)
 
It's funny how strongly people react to the regen behavior, some love it and some not so much

I have a friend who has driven my 3 all of 2 times. Both times he gets in the car and is flummoxed by the regen as he normally drives a manual Mini Cooper. I too have a ICE manual transmission car, turbo charged (so it even has a wider range of acceleration/deceleration behaviors than his Mini)

I have zero problems moving between cars and not tossing myself or passengers out the front window. It's not 'cause I'm special (well some may disagree o_O) but because I'm used to the behavior. I have zero problems not removing my foot all the way off the throttle to slow down in the 3.

I also don't simple take my foot off the gas pedal in the turbo car to slow down, it's a modulation there as well - it's just different amounts - but honestly I could also say that it is because my turbo gas car is a tiny thing compared to most vehicles driven in the USA and the 3 is quite big compared to it - so weight of the car also effects handling/braking/etc. I've driven tiny cars and stupid big box trucks and they all respond different to differing amounts of throttle modulation

I wonder if the folks (sans my friend) who have the biggest dislike of heavy regen are those used to driving slushbox automatics since they seem to have zero engine braking unless forcibly downshifted

Caveat - I have driven my Roadster in wet weather and you do need to be mindful of engaging full regen as it can provide interesting behavior out back due to rear drive and heavy rear regen - traction controll will step in here. The amount of wet weather I've driven the 3 in is pretty low - I expect to see the same behavior but hopefully a bit more refined since 10 years of development has gone by between the 2 cars.

I also spent too many years dealing with winter weather in the Boston area so the whole concept of controlling a car both with throttle and brake, as appropriate, is not new to me.

All that said, more options for controlling these settings wouldn't go unappreciated but it's low on my list of wishes for the Tesla software ;)
I like the thought you've put into this, and the only explanation I can come up with for your friend who should be use to low gear compression in his manual cars is that some of us who regularly hop from manuals to automatics and back become "programmed" to expect a certain set of behaviours from each. So even though I've been a manual trans guy most of my life (swapped out not one but two slushboxes 'cause I hated them so much), when I don't have a clutch pedal I "automatically" expect the car to coast. It's 100% subconscious. I certainly had no problem adjusting to the Model S's I've rented, but prior to having the Volt it did take a bit of a transition period to overcome my programming.
 
This is my first car with Regen so a bit of a newbie. Switched to low and have been breaking like I did in my ICE.. learning here I should toggle my Regen more. But just to confirm that when I apply pressure to the break pedal I am cancelling all the Regen?
Thanks
 
This is my first car with Regen so a bit of a newbie. Switched to low and have been breaking like I did in my ICE.. learning here I should toggle my Regen more. But just to confirm that when I apply pressure to the break pedal I am cancelling all the Regen?
Thanks
No.

All this thread is saying is that pressing the brake pedal on a Tesla doesn't add any additional regen.

The brake pedals only apply/control the brake pads and have no effect on regen.
 
I have some of that programming, my 3 has creep enabled - some folks find that the height of blasphemy ;)
I tried turning creep off, which I thought would be great, but the amount of pedal travel/force required to get the car moving was weird. I felt like that made it more likely for me to get into an unintended acceleration situation if I thought I was in reverse or drive and I was in the opposite.

I wish Tesla had a manual transmission/neutral mode, where the car wouldn't apply any holds/etc and just rolled based on the topography. I'd take that in a heartbeat over creep/no-creep. I can always enable hold if I want anyway, so turning creep off seems limiting.
 
after reading these comments I'm really glad that Tesla does what it does and ignores most of these suggestions :cool:
I personally like the simple, two choice regen that doesn't involve the braking system. All the blended braking systems I've tried have had some issues.
A great example would be the Leaf version that seemed to work - until you need to brake hard really bumpy roads, at which point braking just quits completely.
 
I do hope they enable multiple degrees of regen at some point. Standard is very very heavy (obviously for 1 pedal driving) and low is pretty low. Slightly more than my Leaf. I'd like a middle ground as I can't see me doing 1 pedal driving but I'll probably try at some point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PNWmisty
I do hope they enable multiple degrees of regen at some point. Standard is very very heavy (obviously for 1 pedal driving) and low is pretty low. Slightly more than my Leaf. I'd like a middle ground as I can't see me doing 1 pedal driving but I'll probably try at some point.
I agree on more regen choices, but I'd like to see a stronger regen option.
 
I really like one pedal driving on standard regen but think it could be improved with a small hardware change. That said, I think Tesla's implementation of throttle/regen has more going on than most are aware of. First, a few observations:

1) When holding a steady throttle position on a level road and encountering a steep hill, in an ICE car it is necessary to depress the throttle considerably more in order to maintain the same speed up the incline. On the Model 3 very little (if any) extra throttle is needed to maintain the same speed. Some might attribute this to the superior torque of an electric motor. I'm not sure it's that simple and think Tesla engineers have added in extra throttle when the load on the motor increases. Even computerized "throttle by wire" ICE engines do not do this.

2) When accelerating from zero, it is only necessary to depress the pedal slightly to begin. Therefore the throttle is in the same position during mild acceleration that it will be in during regen braking when coming off the throttle. How is that possible? The throttle mapping must be variable depending upon the speed of the vehicle.

3) Regen braking is about 50% efficient. Therefore, the most efficiency is obtained during cruise if it is not necessary to enter regen. However, when following another vehicle there is almost always a little speed variation. In this situation, particularly if the road is on an imperceptible decline, I find that I tend to "hand-off" between slight regen and slight throttle on to maintain appropriate following distance and it's difficult to discern which mode I'm in (or whether I'm coasting) without looking at the screen. Even then I find the narrowness of the regen/power indicator as well as the light green color of the regen indicator, makes it difficult to easily tell the difference between coasting and slight regen. I recommend Tesla make the indicator line thicker and use a darker green color to indicate regen. I will point out that I, like 10% of all males, have some form of colorblindness. While I can distinguish the green regen color from the background, it's difficult because both colors have roughly the same luminance.

4) I propose a hardware change to the throttle pedal. It involves a light spring pressure for the first third of pedal travel followed by a slight detent and then a more firm spring pressure for the remaining two-thirds of pedal travel. The first third of throttle travel would be reserved for regen braking and it would be necessary to push past that to begin accelerating. When cruising, the detent would be a tactile clue that the coasting position had been reached so drivers could efficiently coast for maximum efficiency when appropriate.

Change #4 involves a change that would be foreign to all drivers. However, I suggest that regen braking is essentially foreign to 99% of drivers anyway. Learning a slightly new driving technique is required either way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kizzy and victor
21 - 40 of 46 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top