Brake Light: Regen Braking!

[jjrandorin]

Fantastic explanation, and I think your theory has a lot of merit. My girlfriend (who cannot drive stick) drives exactly like this and it drives me up a wall. It's go and release and go and release and omg I hate being a passenger with her. When she's nervous or in a rush it gets way worse. I sometimes have to drive just to get relief, but it's amazing how much I see this on the road.

We manual-drivers and motorcycle riders are used to something called 'engine braking' which you're well-aware....letting off the throttle means your natural engine compression will slow you down, especially as one downshifts with rev-matching and slipper clutch.

In the Tesla, I simply kept positive pressure on the gas (like I do for a bike throttle) until such time as I was willing to let the car decelerate on its own, smoothly. When I owned a 2018 LEAF S, I was very cognizant of how much some EV drivers tapped the brakes and made a point not to do that, and after a while in max regen mode I learned my braking distances so it was a very smooth way to bleed off speed without stepping on the brakes or having to re-apply acceleration too often (if at all).

I was just kinda worried that my braking patterns were gonna look crazy but I don't have the on/off habits that some might. On a motorcycle, you don't want to chop the throttle anyway because it's safer to have power going to the rear wheel with a settled chassis, especially as one accelerates through a turn, and chopping throttle before a turn is bad too. Hopefully my EV habits after 20 years of riding motorcycles and driving manual transmission cars will continue to serve me well. Thanks for the explanation!

I have no data at all to back it up, but I ride around with people sometimes for lunch, etc, and its amazing how many people do this, as you said. When we start having conversations about stuff, and cars come up, I normally try to ask them if they can "drive a stick" and the answer from almost everyone who I noticed drove this way was "no". My first car had a manual transmission, in 1985 (automatic cost more money back then). I havent driven a manual transmission car as a daily driver in about 18-20 years, but I still "think" like a driver of a manual car. I still rest my hand on the center console when driving as if I was going to reach for the gear shifter, lol.

My wife (of 34 years) drives this way, too. I noticed it before of course, but it did not bother me until we got my model 3 which is our first EV. We had a BMW hybrid before, but that didnt count at all. I also notice it driving behind many (but not all) tesla's.

I actually make a point to try to modulate the go pedal to be "smooth" and maintain speed, and try use regen braking to, well, brake.

 

[dmurphy]

I actually make a point to try to modulate the go pedal to be "smooth" and maintain speed, and try use regen braking to, well, brake.

One hundred percent true. The Model 3 has made me a smoother, better driver. I realized just how crappy my driving had become; some awful habits (like slamming the pedal etc.) had crept in. Driving Model 3 really reminds me to be smooth. Of course I've been relegated to rental cars for the last 3 months so I'm probably a mess again ... LOL!

 

[Spacep0d]

I totally disagree. Brake light is misnamed. Of course touching brake turns on the brake light but it shouldn’t. How many times have you driven behind someone who has their foot resting on the brake pedal. I don’t advocate it but remember my father driving with left foot on brake and right on the accelerator pedal. The brake lights should be renamed deaccelerator lights and only go on when car is slowing down. That’s what is significant issue to the following car. ICE cars should be mandated to change break lights to deaccereration lights.

I think we're in violent agreement here. My reason for writing this post was that I didn't want my brake light patterns in the M3 to look too crazy like I see from other drivers. So, I support reasonable brake-light illumination based on significant slowing or perhaps, different levels of braking indicated by brake-light intensity (which I've heard bandied about as an idea). One of the reasons I like engine-braking on a motorcycle or with a manual transmission vehicle is that I can slow without braking lights (or without braking). I've learned to be smooth on a motorcycle. It's one of the traits I have as a rider. I try to apply this to my car driving as much as possible, mixed with a bit of minimalism (minimum necessary interruption of flow). But, that minimalist aesthetic is one of the many reasons I love the Tesla so much!

So, I have a feeling we agree here more than might be apparent.

However, riding that brake pedal is bad technique and tough on the brakes. Not recommended.

 

[ZilWin]

Why not have the cyclops light flash during regen like they do on F1 race cars? I've never actually studied the brake light icons on the car on the display to see how often they come on during driving. I always drive one pedal and only use the brakes if necessary.