Taking the CA DMV License Test with a Tesla

[kingkong5]

My high school aged son is taking driving lessons to prepare for getting his CA driver license. His first lesson was yesterday, and the instructor came to our house in a Toyota Camry. In between lessons we are to take him out for practice, and we'll also need to take him to the exam at the DMV with our own car. We have three Teslas in the house. I've read that about a year ago, DMV was failing people on the driving exam because of their use of regenerative braking. I can't find any information on if DMV has updated their position on that. As we begin to let our son practice, I am wondering if he should be trying to learn on a Tesla if he's not able to use it at the exam, or if he should choose not to use it for the exam. Does anyone know if regen braking is still a problem with the CA Driver License exam?

 

[Tam]

My high school aged son is taking driving lessons to prepare for getting his CA driver license. His first lesson was yesterday, and the instructor came to our house in a Toyota Camry. In between lessons we are to take him out for practice, and we'll also need to take him to the exam at the DMV with our own car. We have three Teslas in the house. I've read that about a year ago, DMV was failing people on the driving exam because of their use of regenerative braking. I can't find any information on if DMV has updated their position on that. As we begin to let our son practice, I am wondering if he should be trying to learn on a Tesla if he's not able to use it at the exam, or if he should choose not to use it for the exam. Does anyone know if regen braking is still a problem with the CA Driver License exam?

Anti-Tesla DMV is locality dependent. It's best to call your local DMV to see whether they would automatically flunk Tesla's regenerative brake.

You can appeal the local DMV's practice to the State level by recruiting a news reporter and that local DMV will be pressured to let your kid pass the test.

If the problem was fixed, you would see a clear policy on the DMV website.

Some EV manufacturers learn the DMV lesson so they allow user's setting to turn off regen completely: Your car can glide as if it's a gasoline car just for the DMV test.

 

[D.E.]

You can turn off regeneration then the car will behave like any other.

 

[kingkong5]

You can turn off regeneration then the car will behave like any other.

I'm not sure that we can turn regeneration off completely on our Teslas. I will go to the screen settings to check.

 

[D.E.]

You can turn it down, maybe not off. I’ll need to check as well. Anyway maybe less of an effect will be enough. If that fails, he’ll have friends with cars, maybe he can use one of those. I took my driving test with a friend’s Triumph TR4 with the top down.

This doesn’t address the bigger problem, that of the DMV not allowing passing of a driving test by a qualified applicant in a licensed, California street legal passenger vehicle. If you want to tackle that problem, you can contact your congressman, they have lots of juice when it comes to things like that. I suspect that with the much more widespread use of Teslas now, the problem is likely long over.

Good luck.

 

[Tam]

I'm not sure that we can turn regeneration off completely on our Teslas. I will go to the screen settings to check.

"Failed students" already covered this. It doesn't work in Tesla. Thus, it's anti-Tesla.

Older Tesla has an option for lesser regen or standard: It doesn't work because the DMV can still flunk you since they can still feel the regen at any Tesla's setting.

New Tesla has no regen settings: That's what you got, not user-configurable.

 

[jjrandorin]

You can turn off regeneration then the car will behave like any other.

No, you cant. You cant turn OFF regen braking in any tesla. Additionally, tesla removed the ability to even turn DOWN the regen on teslas from like 2020 or newer. You can turn it down on the vehicle in your signature (but not off), and I can turn it down on my 2018 Model 3, but there is no option to change regen at all on my wifes 2022 model Y, or any 2021 or newer model 3 or Y.

The only way you could mess with the regen on a tesla is to either use a third party solution like the SEXY buttons, or to charge the car to 100% so that regen braking is not active.

 

[D.E.]

No, you cant. You cant turn OFF regen braking in any tesla. Additionally, tesla removed the ability to even turn DOWN the regen on teslas from like 2020 or newer. You can turn it down on the vehicle in your signature (but not off), and I can turn it down on my 2018 Model 3, but there is no option to change regen at all on my wifes 2022 model Y, or any 2021 or newer model 3 or Y.

The only way you could mess with the regen on a tesla is to either use a third party solution like the SEXY buttons, or to charge the car to 100% so that regen braking is not active.

Well, the majority has spoken. I was wrong. I’d seen the settings on mine to turn it down but there have been many beta firmware updates since then.
I’m sorry to have posted faulty information.

The second paragraph in my post was accurate, though. I think.

 

[kingkong5]

Well, the majority has spoken. I was wrong. I’d seen the settings on mine to turn it down but there have been many beta firmware updates since then.
I’m sorry to have posted faulty information.

The second paragraph in my post was accurate, though. I think.

I'll talk to my wife and son about it. Not sure he wants to be the one who needs to fail his first test in order to make a point, but I would support doing that. Be the change you want to see is a good lesson I want to teach him. If Governor Newsom is going to force California to sell only electric vehicles by 2035, perhaps our DMV could start making accommodations for the unique driving characteristics of one. I'm going to drive home from work today with regen turned down, and see if that might work (I suspect it won't). I would even try the 100% charge workaround, but I'd be sad if regen kicked in during the test since we'd have to drive to the location, and also my son would be learning how to drive with regen on, then made to test with regen disabled.

 

[kingkong5]

"Failed students" already covered this. It doesn't work in Tesla. Thus, it's anti-Tesla.

Older Tesla has an option for lesser regen or standard: It doesn't work because the DMV can still flunk you since they can still feel the regen at any Tesla's setting.

New Tesla has no regen settings: That's what you got, not user-configurable.

I will see which DMV my son plans to take his test at, since we live near so many of them. I dread having to sit on phone hold and then trying to explain to the first person to answer, who I really need to talk to. And once that person eventually tells me it's all good, to find out that when we finally show up for the test that someone else is in charge that day and my son will fail his driving test.

 

[jjrandorin]

I'll talk to my wife and son about it. Not sure he wants to be the one who needs to fail his first test in order to make a point, but I would support doing that. Be the change you want to see is a good lesson I want to teach him. If Governor Newsom is going to force California to sell only electric vehicles by 2035, perhaps our DMV could start making accommodations for the unique driving characteristics of one. I'm going to drive home from work today with regen turned down, and see if that might work (I suspect it won't). I would even try the 100% charge workaround, but I'd be sad if regen kicked in during the test since we'd have to drive to the location, and also my son would be learning how to drive with regen on, then made to test with regen disabled.

If you have a regular ICE vehicle, that would be the one I would use to teach your child how to drive. It would be much easier for a new driver to adapt to one pedal driving, than not learn to make "instinctive" the motion of moving your foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal.

If you ever think they will drive something other than a vehicle with 1 pedal style driving, (rental cars, their first owned vehicle, etc), then you owe it to them to make "moving foot to brake pedal to stop the car" and instinctive maneuver . That has nothing to do with DMV.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Perhaps get your son trained to feather the accelerator pedal to simulate no regen.

 

[Tam]

I will see which DMV...

This is the latest policy:

"...the agency advised that those who wish to take their driving test in a Tesla should speak to a manager first to avoid issues..."

That means there's no policy. It's up to each manager or each branch to decide whether Tesla regen is acceptable or an automatic flunk (then you have to go to the news and get the CA DMV Public Affairs Office to pressure the manager to pass your kids).

If you hate the phone and you still have time, how about just write a USPS letter to the manager asking for advice regarding the news report on automatic fails for Tesla regen?

If you got no response, you can risk showing up for the test and ask the examiner for the agreement. If not, ask the examiner for the manager. If you got no cooperation, then you have no easy choice but to rent a gasoline car UNDER YOUR SON's name and do it. By the way, the DMV does allow you to use its gasoline cars in cases like this for a fee ($140 in 2021).

Hyundai Ioniq 5 regen has 4 levels: 0 means none, no brakes at all, just glides like a gasoline car. 3 means one pedal driving just like newer Tesla's regen: Take your foot off and the car will stop completely ending with a physical brake hold.

Thus, this is Tesla's unique problem, not some other EVs' problem.

 

[kingkong5]

If you have a regular ICE vehicle, that would be the one I would use to teach your child how to drive. It would be much easier for a new driver to adapt to one pedal driving, than not learn to make "instinctive" the motion of moving your foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal.

We only have three Teslas and no ICE vehicles. But only my wife and I drive now, so one of them is sitting in the garage while I'm trying to sell it. Or I guess Ethan can have one after he passes his driving test. Who knows.

 

[D.E.]

You’d think the important things would be to control the car, bring it to a safe stop when necessary, to be aware and responsive to surrounding vehicles, and to know and obey traffic laws.

Maybe each examiner should drive a Tesla for a day or two. Then they might understand the differences and appreciate the skills of the people they’re examining. Right now I think they are failing people out of ignorance.

 

[Tam]

You’d think the important things would be to control the car, bring it to a safe stop when necessary, to be aware and responsive to surrounding vehicles, and to know and obey traffic laws.

Maybe each examiner should drive a Tesla for a day or two. Then they might understand the differences and appreciate the skills of the people they’re examining. Right now I think they are failing people out of ignorance.

The blame should rest on the DMV Executive Leadership. After hearing about these problems from the news, the DMV Director should have issued a public policy so staff and the public could be confident to test with a Tesla.

 

[Watts_Up]

I was going to say that you could charge the battery to 100%.

So up to 97% or 95% you will get a warning pop up message
indicating that the renerative braking is limited, and that you will
need to press on your brakes instead of letting the car slowing down.

- I wonder if such message would make the DMV driving test examiner happy?

Note: I just received the 2022.40.4 software release today,
and I noticed that there is a new 'Regenerative Braking' feature:

Your vehicle can now automatically apply regular brakes for consistent deceleration ​

when regenerative braking is limited due to battery temperature or state of charge. ​

​

To enable, tap Controls > Pedals & Steering > Apply Brakes When Regenerative Braking Is Limited.​

There is also a new 'New Indicator Light' icon:

​

​

With this update Tesla has added a new indicator light that appears near the other indicator icons.​

​

This new indicator appears to signal that regenerative braking is limited and that brakes ​

will be applied in order to provide a consistent experience when slowing down.​

 

[thesmokingman]

We only have three Teslas and no ICE vehicles. But only my wife and I drive now, so one of them is sitting in the garage while I'm trying to sell it. Or I guess Ethan can have one after he passes his driving test. Who knows.

Go down to your local DMV and ask one of their testers. I'm pretty sure after all the bad press they got that they have softened up on their stance vs Teslas.

 

[Watts_Up]

I've read that about a year ago, DMV was failing people on the driving exam because of their use of regenerative braking.

I took the DMV driving test using a car with manual transmission.

I can tell you that when in second gear, I don't need to use the brake to slow down the car.
On city driving, you basically drive the car using only the accelerator pedal.

I didn't have any issues passing the driving test.

 

[Kandiru]

When dealing with the standard issue citizen it is best to keep a low profile. Anything that sticks out, even an ICE with manual tranny is guaranteed to get you slashed.