Tesla Model 3 in Australia

[jontyh]

It's just sheer laziness and cost cutting.

Like all those other lazy cost-cutting companies such as

• Mercedes,
• BMW,
• Renault,
• Alfa Romeo,
• Citroen,
• Fiat,
• VW,
• Porsche,
• Audi
• ...and even Jaguar.

 

[Hairyman]

Hello all.

I’m in a similar position to AndrewSa. I’ll be trading my A3 etron on a Model 3 and I’ve been intrigued by the regen management vis Tesla vs Audi.

As Andrew said the A3 regen comes on with the brake pedal and increases to a certain point at which time the friction brakes engage. Otherwise the car will just coast when your foot comes off the accelerator.

This can have efficiency advantages because you are not suffering the conversion losses from kinetic to electrical energy and back again. Instead you just coast along gently losing speed from wind and rolling resistances - the car will coast a surprisingly long way!

If the A3 is on a hill and you take your foot off then it will engage a bit of regen to simulate engine braking an an ICE. You can really feel it change as the car senses the hill and then returning to the flat. It will still speed up on a hill, but not like giving your billycart a free run.

So my questions are:

To get a Tesla to “coast” is it just a matter of ghosting the accelerator to get zero energy flow on the screen?

If you put your foot on the brake does it use regen first, or just go straight for the friction brakes?

What happens when you are on autopilot? (In the Audi I think it goes for a mix of friction brakes and regen when I have the TACC engaged)

I’ve had a test drive in a P100D but not long enough to work this stuff out. BTW Andrew the fit and finish in the Model S was right up there with the Audi, so I don’t think we’ll be slumming it in our Model 3s!

 

[miimura]

So my questions are:

To get a Tesla to “coast” is it just a matter of ghosting the accelerator to get zero energy flow on the screen?

If you put your foot on the brake does it use regen first, or just go straight for the friction brakes?

What happens when you are on autopilot? (In the Audi I think it goes for a mix of friction brakes and regen when I have the TACC engaged)

I’ve had a test drive in a P100D but not long enough to work this stuff out. BTW Andrew the fit and finish in the Model S was right up there with the Audi, so I don’t think we’ll be slumming it in our Model 3s!

1. Yes, you can effectively "coast" by modulating the throttle until the power flow is zeroed out.

2. As you release the accelerator, the regen starts. So, by the time you get to the brake pedal in a normal relaxed situation, you're only pushing the brake pedal hard enough to get the additional stopping power that you need. The regen is added in relatively slowly. If you lift off the accelerator very quickly and jab the brakes for a panic stop, it's not going to use much regen because the traction and stability control will manage the individual wheels with the brakes. Also, if you are exiting the freeway and regen is high and you go over a significant bump, the traction control will recognize when it loses traction and will abruptly cut regen, making the car feel like it's lurching forward. Bottom line, applying the brake pedal does not increase regen in any situation.

3. AP and TACC will control speed the best it can with the motors, but if traffic is coming to a stop it will use the friction brakes as necessary, just like if you were driving manually.

 

[Hairyman]

Thanks miimura. I’d ‘like’ your reply, but I’m too much of a noob for that function to have turned on yet. Cheers

 

[RobDickinson]

Swapping an outlander phev I welcome not having to set regen levels every time lol

 

[paulp]

One thing about the position of the indicator stalk is you don’t want to put your car in reverse when you’re intending to turn left at an intersection...

Tesla’s are too clever for that unless you are stationary

 

[RobDickinson]

so whats its 0-100 kph time in reverse? asking for a friend..

 

[JWM000]

I work around the corner from the Martin Place store so thought I'd wander in and see what I can learn. I'm sure this needs to be taken with a pinch of salt but the advice was that demos for test drives will be here from the second week of August, deliveries in September...

 

[paulp]

so whats its 0-100 kph time in reverse? asking for a friend..

Its restricted, something like 8kmh for memory

 

[Hovean]

My only Tesla experience was a weeks hire of a 2013 model S85P in 2017. I found its regen braking allowed practically all driving using the accelerator pedal alone. The more you lifted it the more you decelerated, with the brake pedal only required to come to a complete stop. Completely intuitive. My only query was, do the brake lights illuminate under regen ? The deceleration is quite firm.

 

[Matt_NZ]

Tesla’s are too clever for that unless you are stationary

To be fair, that could happen. If you're stopped at the lights and go to indicate but get the wrong stalk and go into reverse when you go to take off you could end up going the wrong way.

Unless of course it blocks you going from Drive to Reverse and you have to go to Park first?

 

[Grenadine]

Yes they do turn on.

 

[paulp]

To be fair, that could happen. If you're stopped at the lights and go to indicate but get the wrong stalk and go into reverse when you go to take off you could end up going the wrong way.

Unless of course it blocks you going from Drive to Reverse and you have to go to Park first?

Yes thats why I said “unless you are stationary”. No you do not have to press park first.

 

[paulp]

My only Tesla experience was a weeks hire of a 2013 model S85P in 2017. I found its regen braking allowed practically all driving using the accelerator pedal alone. The more you lifted it the more you decelerated, with the brake pedal only required to come to a complete stop. Completely intuitive. My only query was, do the brake lights illuminate under regen ? The deceleration is quite firm.

The brake lights activate under heavy regen, ie foot completely off the throttle. It is possible to get to a low speed without the brake lights, but its tedious. You can see brake light status on the dash. Not sure how that pictorial of car status is managed on the model 3 screen.

 

[Matt_NZ]

Yes thats why I said “unless you are stationary”. No you do not have to press park first.

Maybe they need to add a training wheels mode for RHD models where you can't go to Reverse without going to Park first

 

[Vedaprime]

Wellington Port spotted - likely for south island.,
No plates on this one. Could be for some nice press shots on the South Island (probably likely) - or is getting customer ready


NATHAN on Twitter

 

[Grenadine]

OMG OMG OMG

 

[khayyam]

Wellington Port spotted likely for south island

NATHAN on Twitter

yes quite interesting. Looks like there are more in the country than just a few demo cars! On the other hand, if these were headed for customers, you'd wonder that there weren't some customer deliveries nearer to Auckland already.

 

[jontyh]

To be fair, that could happen. If you're stopped at the lights and go to indicate but get the wrong stalk and go into reverse when you go to take off you could end up going the wrong way.

Unless of course it blocks you going from Drive to Reverse and you have to go to Park first?

I'd say the entire screen filling with the reversing camera would be an indication that you're in reverse.

 

[CuirousSquire]

yes quite interesting. Looks like there are more in the country than just a few demo cars! On the other hand, if these were headed for customers, you'd wonder that there weren't some customer deliveries nearer to Auckland already.

If they are cars for delivery, you'd expect a load to land in Sydney shortly. Only ship I can see on its way from Auckland to Sydney is ANL TONGALA, which was previously in Oakland, near SF