Does it intelligently coast?

[tt4442]

A non-tesla owner, but a fan, does Tesla's software (or autopilot) intelligently coast?

I heard the ID.3 won't always apply regen if it makes sense to coast/glide, for instance when there may be a stop sign but it is far away so it is better to coast 'up' to it.

Thanks.

 

[powertoold]

Not sure of your exact question, but yes, AP does use regen braking whenever possible.

 

[Puma2020]

No. Coming from someone who drove stick shifts for many, many year and always coasted, this EV (and I suspect most EVs) are different beasts. You can apply some accelerator to "sort of" coast. The big thing to know is that pressing the accelerator doesn't mean pull from the battery. If you are "coasting", it is likely re-gen'ing some but less than full regen. TACC will continue to try and maintain the desired speed until it has to slow down and it does that rather well but not with any coasting. It also depends on whether there is a car in front of you or not. If that car is coasting, then chances are higher that you are simulating coasting.

As I told my kids, any braking you had to do at the lights meant wasted energy both from stopping and then starting up again. If you can "coast" up to the lights and it goes green when you are at 10 or 15 mph, that is a lot of energy saved not having to start from zero again.

 

[jdw]

You control the coasting as well as acceleration and regen braking all from the accelerator. It takes less than a day for most people to get used to modulating the one pedal.

 

[tt4442]

Not sure of your exact question, but yes, AP does use regen braking whenever possible.

I can't seem to edit my original post. I will clarify further.

Tesla is striving for efficiency, as are its owners.

In order to increase efficiency while driving, sometimes coasting (free-wheeling) is preferable to braking.
Say for example, on autopilot, tesla recognises a traffic light turn to red. it has, say 100 meters ahead, travelling 40mph.

Option a) It could continue to use the motors to go 30mph until it reaches within 30 meters, then use regen to recoup
Option b, my suggestion)
- It could coast/freewheel/glide (no friction at all), which it then uses to calculate the distance it is likely to stop at
- it can then precisely time the accelerator to 'off' at the point where it calculates the car will naturally stop in order to get as close to the traffic lights as possible
- This then results in using no brakes, and maximises the cars existing momentum.

I personally think that, if it can read a stop sign (so it knows it will have to stop), or a traffic light turn to red, then it should coast up to that distance.

I'll also add - if the gradient is a slope and the speed limit is say, 50mph, then it should use the exact amount of brake regen (no brake usage) to match 50mph (or whatever the driver set it as). Although it probably does this already?

Here is etrons explanation, I'll need to read more into it, but the basics are there:
Audi Technology Portal - Predictive efficiency assistant

The open road can be full of surprises – signs indicating speed limits or residential areas can appear suddenly over the crest of a hill, forcing the driver to brake. In conventional vehicles, however, braking means that kinetic energy is converted into heat. It would be far more efficient if the driver could start to decelerate earlier and coast down to the speed limit in a more controlled manner – which would mean knowing what lies ahead.
Precisely this capability is the focus of the predictive efficiency assistant (PEA), one of Audi’s advanced development projects. Its objective is to use the route information from the navigation system for drive management. The new major expansion level of the MMI Navigation plus incorporates not only speed limits but also gradient data. This enables the drive management system to determine how the stretch should be driven. It is supported by the adaptive cruise control, which monitors the traffic ahead. The PEA also takes into account the current vehicle mass and possible add-on extras like roof boxes or similar items.​

 

[Kevin_Freeman]

My blunt answer: Tesla AP today makes no attempt to coast. The car will coast only during periods of time in which the drive control algorithm is not requesting a change in speed (whether due to driver or AP input). In traffic, AP constantly applies power or regen rather than allowing a "comfort zone" in which the vehicle should be allowed to coast until follow distance is too close. It accelerates into stopped traffic and then applies regen and sometimes mechanical brakes to slow down. It applies regen braking when crossing an area with a lower speed limit. There is room for improvement!

Observations on Model 3 AWD.

A non-tesla owner, but a fan, does Tesla's software (or autopilot) intelligently coast?

I heard the ID.3 won't always apply regen if it makes sense to coast/glide, for instance when there may be a stop sign but it is far away so it is better to coast 'up' to it.

Thanks.

 

[UncleCreepy]

If I want to coast I usually just put the car in neutral. It's a much bigger effort to keep the accelerator at the right spot and I'm way too lazy for that.

 

[Puma2020]

Option b, my suggestion)
- It could coast/freewheel/glide (no friction at all), which it then uses to calculate the distance it is likely to stop at
- it can then precisely time the accelerator to 'off' at the point where it calculates the car will naturally stop in order to get as close to the traffic lights as possible
- This then results in using no brakes, and maximises the cars existing momentum.

Yes I agree coasting would be a nice feature. Tesla doesn't do this currently.
I also agree with jdw that it doesn't take long to get used to the 1 pedal driving. Live, Learn, Adapt.