No handbrake on Model S

[Lloyd]

One for each of the rear wheels. Normal parking brakes only actuate one of the two rear wheels.

 

[westcoast]

So can someone please answer.... you're in the S, at speed... 60mph, and the brakes fail. It happens.

Is there any way secondary method to slow the car?

 

[Doug_G]

So can someone please answer.... you're in the S, at speed... 60mph, and the brakes fail. It happens.

Is there any way secondary method to slow the car?

Regenerative braking.

Possibly engage the parking brake by putting it in Park.

 

[daniel]

Regenerative braking slows the car but does not stop it, since it cuts out at some slow speed. And though the Roadster has very aggressive regen, it does not slow the car as rapidly as the brakes. On my old Civic, with the hand brake, if you held the button in while pulling up on the handle, you could control the amount of braking, and with a foot brake, if you're really careful you can apply either moderate or heavy braking, depending on the situation. I don't like an all-or-none emergency stopping system, which is why I prefer a hand brake to a foot brake for the parking brake.

We're not supposed to call it an "emergency" brake any more, but I liked having an emergency brake. One system for braking not dependent on the car's electronics if the brake pedal fails. This is not a deal-breaker for me, just a preference.

 

[dtich]

i've got a.. maybe dumb.. question: what happens if you leave your model s on a hill and the battery drains... does the parking brake caliper release and your car rolls?? or is it a 'normally closed' type of setup, where removal of charge closes the caliper.. which seems unlikely as an electric failure will cause the brake to engage... just curious.

 

[Robert.Boston]

From the Massachusetts Drivers Manual:

An accessible emergency hand brake so the examiner can make an emergency stop.
It is up to the individual examiner to determine if the emergency hand brake would be
accessible to him or her in an emergency. To help ensure that brake access will not be
a problem, you should bring a vehicle to the test that has a centrally located
emergency hand brake.

So, I guess my son won't be able to take his driver's test in the Model S. A shame -- I would love to have seen the examiner's face.

 

[Doug_G]

i've got a.. maybe dumb.. question: what happens if you leave your model s on a hill and the battery drains... does the parking brake caliper release and your car rolls?? or is it a 'normally closed' type of setup, where removal of charge closes the caliper.. which seems unlikely as an electric failure will cause the brake to engage... just curious.

I'm pretty sure the parking brake would stay in whatever state it was left in.

 

[dsm363]

From the Massachusetts Drivers Manual:

So, I guess my son won't be able to take his driver's test in the Model S. A shame -- I would love to have seen the examiner's face.

If you could have someone else drive and take two cars (one ICE as a backup), I bet the instructor might overlook this rule just to ride in a Model S. If they didn't, you'd have your other car. I realize this means you'd have to take 2 cars and 3 people to the test though.

 

[dtich]

ah, oh i see. so it's not spring loaded? i see. yes, that makes sense. maybe it's a ratchet or screwdown type mechanism... hmm. yes. makes more sense.

looked for a diagram of the brembo electronic parking brake.. can't find. anyway. someone out there knows how it works...

 

[vfx]

From the Massachusetts Drivers Manual:

So, I guess my son won't be able to take his driver's test in the Model S. A shame -- I would love to have seen the examiner's face.

A kid here took his drivers test in the Roadster at 16.