How important are regen settings in snow and ice ?

[DrGriz]

I'll give it a shot. I think I read off road mode disables tracking control though. If so, have you tried both, and which one works better? Having basically 4x4 without traction control, or mostly RWD with traction control?

I have tried both. We often drive on snow or ice here (basically every day for the last 2 months), so I have had a lot of time to compare.

There's no question in my mind that Off-Road Mode is more stable and solid for us in deep snow, ice, and rutted snow despite traction control being turned off. We play with it, switch back and forth during drives, just to see. Both my wife and I (we are lifelong winter drivers) feel the difference instantly. Can we drive OK without it? Yes, but neither of us like the kick-out of the rear wheel drive in ruts or slush or on turns. Who wants their back end in the wrong lane even for a second? If you've ever driven a rear-wheel-drive pickup on ice you know how bad that can go and how bad it feels (our other car is a pickup).

Anyway, I suggest you try it and see how you like it.

For sure you will take a range hit driving in ORM. We don't mind because we have inexpensive power and charge at home. If I were on a trip and worried about range I might not use ORM and just slow down more.

 

[Rally]

I have tried both. We often drive on snow or ice here (basically every day for the last 2 months), so I have had a lot of time to compare.

There's no question in my mind that Off-Road Mode is more stable and solid for us in deep snow, ice, and rutted snow despite traction control being turned off. We play with it, switch back and forth during drives, just to see. Both my wife and I (we are lifelong winter drivers) feel the difference instantly. Can we drive OK without it? Yes, but neither of us like the kick-out of the rear wheel drive in ruts or slush or on turns. Who wants their back end in the wrong lane even for a second? If you've ever driven a rear-wheel-drive pickup on ice you know how bad that can go and how bad it feels (our other car is a pickup).

Anyway, I suggest you try it and see how you like it.

For sure you will take a range hit driving in ORM. We don't mind because we have inexpensive power and charge at home. If I were on a trip and worried about range I might not use ORM and just slow down more.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm with you 100% and I'll try ORM next time. I don't care about range on my daily commute for the same reasons.

 

[DrGriz]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm with you 100% and I'll try ORM next time. I don't care about range on my daily commute for the same reasons.

I learned quickly what traction control does in sanded snow in some conditions coming down off of the ski mountain last year. First, I noticed that the car behind me was hanging way back. Then I realized the rear tires throwing 20–40-foot rooster tails all the way down as the car was keeping me in the lane. I didn't like it and neither did the traffic behind me!

 

[zoomer0056]

Adjusting regen is back with update 2023.12.8. Info from notateslaap.

 

[rpiotro]

Why would you not want maximum regeneration? Maximize efficiency. I've never had trouble with it in ice or snow. The stability control system deals with it nicely.

 

[zoomer0056]

Why would you not want maximum regeneration? Maximize efficiency. I've never had trouble with it in ice or snow. The stability control system deals with it nicely.

I also would not reduce it. There was a post somewhere on TMC where someone stated their passengers were getting sick in the car. A lot of the responses were trying to teach about letting up on accelerator more gently instead of abruptly. I don't know if their passengers are still getting motion sickness and wrenched necks. This new regen setting may be good for someone like this who can't figure it out. Kind of like regen training wheels.

 

[mswlogo]

I have the option on my 2020 model 3 and I leave it at normal. Now I do have an AWD so that helps, and I drive with snow tires. Regen is lower/inexistant when the battery is very cold otherwise works like normal. When the car detects slipping in regen, it will reduce the regen level automatically and try to bring it up as it can. It tries to ride the limits of traction. Some people swear by low regen because they don't like the initial slip at the back. There's no other way to find the limits of traction, you need to go over the limit. The traction and stability controls will make sure that you don't lose control, you just need to get used to the back sliding an inch sideways from time to time.

Disagree. It does not have noticibly slip to find limit. Why does launching or slamming on brakes not slip wheels? They can detect micro slippage long before you perceive it.

 

[GtiMart]

You disagree to what? I'm saying regen adjusts itself just fine, and you seem to be saying exactly that after disagreeing.

 

[coleAK]

Why would you not want maximum regeneration? Maximize efficiency. I've never had trouble with it in ice or snow. The stability control system deals with it nicely.

I’m at almost 5 years (and 5 winters in Alaska) with my AWD 3 (9 years with my S) and Regan does very little to add to range except when going down long hills such as mountain passes. When you suddenly release the accelerator in an unexpected or emergent situation regen can put it into a full blown uncontrolled (not controlled like ABS) slide, especially when going downhill on ice.

 

[coleAK]

I also would not reduce it. There was a post somewhere on TMC where someone stated their passengers were getting sick in the car. A lot of the responses were trying to teach about letting up on accelerator more gently instead of abruptly. I don't know if their passengers are still getting motion sickness and wrenched necks. This new regen setting may be good for someone like this who can't figure it out. Kind of like regen training wheels.

You live in SoCal and giving out winter driving advice…. Winter in LA at 65 degrees with 4” of solid ice?

 

[GtiMart]

And letting go of the accelerator suddenly is something that a driver accustomed to winter should/would not do. That's the same thing as giving a harsh steering input, jamming the brake pedal to the floor, or worse doing both at the same time. Stability systems, abs etc do what they can but the driver has a job to do.

 

[coleAK]

And letting go of the accelerator suddenly is something that a driver accustomed to winter should/would not do. That's the same thing as giving a harsh steering input, jamming the brake pedal to the floor, or worse doing both at the same time. Stability systems, abs etc do what they can but the driver has a job to do.

Well sometimes you don’t have a choice: when someone unexpected pulls out in front of you, a moose suddenly crossed the road, someone running didn’t look both ways, the pickup with MT tires blows by you in whiteout conditions going 80 then loses control, a massive ice brick falls off the semi in front of you…. Just finished my 33rd winter driving and zero crashes.

 

[GtiMart]

Same here I'm just saying that there's a limit to the grip in winter conditions, and driving must be adjusted accordingly. Security systems in cars have advanced tremendously over those 30+ years but none have yet modified the laws of physics. The driver is still responsible to taking the conditions into account. It's just way more lenient than it was before. In particular for regen, the car reacts very fast and reduces or even kills regen if it has to. If you let go of the accelerator harshly, it will recover. If you let go harshly at the same time as you're turning it might be harder but that's physics.

 

[zoomer0056]

You live in SoCal and giving out winter driving advice…. Winter in LA at 65 degrees with 4” of solid ice?

No advice given.

 

[coleAK]

No advice given.

The title of the thread:

How important are regen settings in snow and ice ?​

You: “I also would not reduce it….”

 

[zoomer0056]

The title of the thread:

How important are regen settings in snow and ice ?​

You: “I also would not reduce it….”

Yeah? I, means me ... For me.

 

[DrGriz]

By distributing braking evenly front and back, Off Road Assist really improves the braking experience in icy conditions. If there's a panic, however, or just experimenting, there can still be a momentary loss of traction when lifting off the accelerator while driving on ice. Traction Control is excellent at regaining control, but I prefer not to lose it in the first place. I will happily reduce Regen in the right conditions and am delighted to have the opportunity.

 

[rpiotro]

I also would not reduce it. There was a post somewhere on TMC where someone stated their passengers were getting sick in the car. A lot of the responses were trying to teach about letting up on accelerator more gently instead of abruptly. I don't know if their passengers are still getting motion sickness and wrenched necks. This new regen setting may be good for someone like this who can't figure it out. Kind of like regen training wheels.

My best friend's wife. 70 years old and still has not come to terms with the concept of steady throttle. Either on or off. She makes me car sick in her Subaru. The only time I felt a little queasy in a car. Ever. I never let her drive my Tesla. I can't imagine.

 

[ay221]

Just did an update but It's for update 2023.12.5. I only need it for winter anyways.