Autopilot Brake Usage

[jmmmmm]

Does anyone know if autopilot is smart enough to use regen to stop or does it use more brakes? I know I dont use brakes much with regen. Is AP smart enough to do that as well.

 

[Tam]

Does anyone know if autopilot is smart enough to use regen to stop or does it use more brakes? I know I dont use brakes much with regen. Is AP smart enough to do that as well.

If you monitor the brake activities with the rear red lights as reflected by your rearview camera at night, red light icon on the instrument cluster and physical brake pedal, I would say that Autopilot use a hybrid between the physical brake as well as regen.

If the regen is not strong enough to slow the car down, it would then uses physical brake as well.

 

[jmmmmm]

I've see the lights come on when I use regen to slow the car with no brakes so I don't know if that's a good indicator. I know it has to use physical brake at times, I guess I'm wondering if its smart enough to calculate the regen effectiveness either preemptively or real-time to only use the minimum amount of physical brake necessary to stop (like I do through seat of the pants feel).

 

[Black/Black MS]

Look at your energy monitor. you can see it regen.

 

[Russell]

Depends on what you set for following distance.
The shorter the distance, the more brakes it will use. The longer the distance, the more it can coast(regen) before it needs to use the brakes.

 

[cookie99]

If you monitor the brake activities with the rear red lights as reflected by your rearview camera at night, red light icon on the instrument cluster and physical brake pedal, I would say that Autopilot use a hybrid between the physical brake as well as regen.

If the regen is not strong enough to slow the car down, it would then uses physical brake as well.

Regen braking will also activate brake lights

 

[mattack4000]

It definitely does use the regular brakes, nothing smooth about it

 

[Battpower]

Coming from a far more 'budget' French EV, I was pretty surprised when I revisited Tesla and discovered their relatively basic braking (and cabin heating) technology.

If your car's energy status (SOC, battery temp etc) will allow, then some regen braking will be applied (assuming not disabled by user) however the car is instructed to slow down (by driver or autonomously) .

There is (as far as I can see) no attempt by the car to increase regen to max permitted and maintain through out brake application) when the brake pedal is first pressed (blended braking). When the car is in a mode that requires the car to apply brakes, it is not as delicate or forward looking / anticipatory) as a driver, so when the car brakes automatically, especially when regen is limited, I see friction braking being automatically applied sufficiently hard to ensure the car slows adequately, but at the same time denying regen chance to work optimally.

 

[KalJoMoS]

There is very easy test for you, as you mentioned you want to know if the brakes are being used. If you have had high humidity prior your drive then brake discs will be covered by rust. Now during your drive you will notice if brakes are engaged and when not. Obviously this is only heard in short period of you travel but it will give you simple understanding about brake engagement.

 

[98ramair]

MCU1/AP1...I have a squeaky brake peddle and can hear it actuate when TACC/AP are on. Depends on how fast it wants to slow down. Uses as much regen as it can, then I hear the squeak as the brake peddle goes down.

 

[jmmmmm]

Thanks everyone... So my theory was that using autopilot in town regularly (daily driver like) was significantly increasing the brake usage over a human driver in the same traffic conditions and therefore brake wear is increased along with brake maintenance frequency/cost.

That's a good enough reason for me not to use autopilot in town (or at least limit it to when I want to show off).