Taking the CA DMV License Test with a Tesla

[mpgxsvcd]

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?

There is an easy answer for this. Just get the S3XY buttons from Abstract Ocean. They allow you to adjust regen in four different levels from 0% to 100% on any Tesla.

The S3XY buttons do many other great things but this is the ultimate answer if your DMV doesn’t like regen.

S3XY Buttons

The button free interior of your Model 3 & Y is simple, clean, and, very occasionally, a tad annoying! There's so much you can do via the screen, but sometimes, don't you wish you actually had a glovebox button? Or a button to quickly turn on all your interior lights? Well, want no more....we...

abstractocean.com

 

[kingkong5]

In my Model S I have the option to use low regen. As I drove home from work yesterday I realized it could work! Under standard conditions when I fully lift off the accelerator it can regen -50kWh but when set to low it will only do up to half of that, and often less. It's so much less that the brake lights don't even come on. My son however is still concerned that if he meets the wrong examiner he will get an automatic fail. So I will call the Costa Mesa DMV this morning, ask to speak to a manager and see what they say about it.

In the worst case, my Mom lives in South Orange County and drives a Lexus ES 350. I am sure she would swap with my Model S for a few weeks while her grandson is learning to drive and taking the test. So there is a solution either way for us.

 

[GJones]

My grandson took his drivers test in a Bolt EV 6 days ago. It is the only car he has ever driven (we gave it to him as a present for his 18th birthday). He routinely uses the regenerative braking and one pedal driving. Passed with no comment or issues. Location - SF Bay Area.

 

[SSonnentag]

How would reduced regen be any different to driving an ICE vehicle with a manual transmission and using engine compression to decelerate?

I think a motorcycle decelerates just as quickly as a Tesla with full regen enabled.

 

[kingkong5]

How would reduced regen be any different to driving an ICE vehicle with a manual transmission and using engine compression to decelerate?

I think a motorcycle decelerates just as quickly as a Tesla with full regen enabled.

I unfortunately think that logic and the California DMV don't always go hand-in-hand LOL

 

[strider]

So what is their rationale for flunking a Tesla? Are they saying that you are not in control of the vehicle during regen?

 

[kingkong5]

So what is their rationale for flunking a Tesla? Are they saying that you are not in control of the vehicle during regen?

CA DMV failing Tesla car for behind the wheel drive test

I took my daughter this morning for her behind the wheel drive test at the DMV office in our Model 3. She was failed for "Mechanical Failure". According to the examiner, because of the regenerative braking which she was calling "auto braking". She was failed just because it was a Tesla and...

teslamotorsclub.com

From the link: She was failed for "Mechanical Failure". According to the examiner, because of the regenerative braking which she was calling "auto braking". She was failed just because it was a Tesla and has regenerative braking. According to the examiner the car is braking by itself and therefore my daughter was failed for "Mechanical Failure". I got into a heated argument explaining that all electric cars have regenerative braking .....it is not "auto braking".

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

CA DMV failing Tesla car for behind the wheel drive test

I took my daughter this morning for her behind the wheel drive test at the DMV office in our Model 3. She was failed for "Mechanical Failure". According to the examiner, because of the regenerative braking which she was calling "auto braking". She was failed just because it was a Tesla and...

teslamotorsclub.com

From the link: She was failed for "Mechanical Failure". According to the examiner, because of the regenerative braking which she was calling "auto braking". She was failed just because it was a Tesla and has regenerative braking. According to the examiner the car is braking by itself and therefore my daughter was failed for "Mechanical Failure". I got into a heated argument explaining that all electric cars have regenerative braking .....it is not "auto braking".

This is a non-issue.

Just drive well and your son will pass the test. Do sudden release of the accelerator and you might fail.

Teslas are much smoother than most ICE cars so have a significant advantage.

Don’t pay any heed to Teslarati articles!

Report back! It’ll be fine.

 

[smorgasbord]

When automatic transmissions came out, did the DMV flunk people who weren't showing up in stick shift/manual transmission vehicles?

 

[Watts_Up]

When automatic transmissions came out, did the DMV flunk people who weren't showing up in stick shift/manual transmission vehicles?

In Europe and UK, If you pass in an automatic you won’t be able to drive a manual.

Should I learn to drive in a manual or an automatic?

Most of us learn to drive in a manual, but an auto is easier. If you want to ask, "Should I learn to drive in a manual or an automatic?" we can help...

www.firstcar.co.uk

Driving in France with Automatic or Manuel Cars

Automatic and Manual Cars At the FEHRENBACH DRIVING SCHOOL, we propose the driving with manual transmission car or automatic cars Automatic transmission car The written test is identical to the standard transmission car – but if you take the roadtest on an automatic car, it is marked on your...

www.frenchlicense.eu

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[D.E.]

Will you tell us the outcome? Whether he took the test in the Tesla or your Mom’s Lexus and if he passed.

 

[kingkong5]

Will you tell us the outcome? Whether he took the test in the Tesla or your Mom’s Lexus and if he passed.

I will tell you all about it, I think his test is scheduled in a few weeks. He is still taking lessons, and they have had him in a Camry and a Prius so far. He practices on our Model Y and intends to take the test in the Model S 75D with regen set to low. I called the Costa Mesa DMV and went through the phone tree until I found a manager for the Behind the Wheel test, Vicky. Vicky from the DMV let me know that a Tesla would be totally fine to take the test in, so long as it meets all of the published requirements for a test vehicle, which she says it does. I'm optimistic that Vicky is correct about it, but I worry that Vicky won't be the manager in charge when my son takes his test.

From the DMV website these requirements are:

Test Vehicle Requirements​

Your drive test vehicle must be safe to drive. Before the test, the examiner checks for:

• 2 license plates. The rear plate must show current registration.
• Functioning front and back turn signals and brake lights.
• A working horn designed for the vehicle.
• Tires with no bald spots.
• Adequate brake pressure (you will be asked to step on the brake pedal to show it works properly).
• A driver’s side window that rolls down.
• A windshield that allows a full unobstructed field of view for you and the examiner.
• 2 rear view mirrors. One must be on the left, outside of the vehicle.
• Driver and front passenger doors that open from both the inside and outside.
• A glove box which is securely closed.
• A passenger seat permanently attached to the vehicle.
• Working safety belts (if the vehicle was manufactured with safety belts).
• Working emergency/parking brake.

You will locate the controls for the vehicle’s headlights, windshield wipers, defroster, and emergency flashers, and demonstrate how to use the parking brake.

I will have to teach him how to engage the parking brake.

 

[HankLloydRight]

demonstrate how to use the parking brake.

This might be interesting, since there is no separate parking brake apart from the regular "park" mode. It's obviously a brake caliper, but there's no other e-brake pedal or lever. I wonder how the manage that?

 

[Tam]

This might be interesting, since there is no separate parking brake apart from the regular "park" mode. It's obviously a brake caliper, but there's no other e-brake pedal or lever. I wonder how the manage that?

Your normal way of pushing the park gear button is not "parking brake."

You know it is not because you don't see the red circle parking brake icon.

You can do a parking brake by 2 ways:

1.Push and continue to hold that regular parking gear button until you see a red parking brake icon.

2. Controls > Safety > Parking Brake

 

[iPlug]

Can confirm at least at our local DMV that they are ok with Teslas. You just have to prove that you use the brake at any point during the test.

Since you can set the vehicle to low regeneration, using the brake is guaranteed in that mode which is what my eldest son did today and he passed the test.

 

[Watts_Up]

I would recomend charging at 100% just before taking the test drive.
So you will get no regen at all.
Note: You should also try before the test to get used to, and not to be surprised, as the car will glide like a torpedo.

 

[iPlug]

Considered doing that until I talked to some people with good CA DMV inside knowledge who said low regen that requires some braking is advised.

Problem with 100% regen is 100% in this 110°F heat on blacktop should be avoided and no re-gen will throw off a new driver unless he has lots of practice that way which also means lots of charging to 100%…