WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
How much can regen contribute to braking? Like can it literally slide the tires if allowed to?
Not in a Model S, no. I would describe it as more than engine-braking [on a stick shift], and less than normal reasonably-heavy braking. To use it, and not use the brakes at all, I have to lift-off sooner than I would start to slow down in an ICE using brakes. That's fine, I keep a bigger gap to traffic in front, and as I am approaching slowing / stationary traffic I lift off and slow down (on full regen) as I approach the traffic; if I'm still travelling too fast I have to use the brake, but 95% of the time I can drive without using the brakes. (In MS Regen only works down to about 8 MPH, so I have to use the brakes below that, but e.g. the Bolt can get to a stop on Regen only)
But that is a factor of the amount of Regen energy that Tesla has decided to harvest on an MS. They could harvest significantly more (on a Semi). On MS its one-pedal driving - lift off and you get regen. It could be done using brake pedal instead - press brake pedal and get regen, until the point where you are pressing the brake pedal hard enough that you have exceeded regen ability and you get physical brakes too. If Regen will be "huge" on a Semi then maybe they will make it a function of Brake pedal, rather than one pedal driving. Much as I love one pedal driving I would be very happy if Regen was on brake pedal. In MS: if battery is cold or 100% charged then Regen is limited or non-existent; opportunity to get caught out by that by lifting off and expecting Regen but getting none! whereas if it was all on Brake pedal you'd press that and get Regen, if available and sufficient, otherwise you would get brakes.
The Bolt has a High/Lo switch for regen (so does the MS but its basically "almost nothing" and "normal" to allow Newbies to convert), so perhaps Tesla will provide Regen adjustment no the Semi - e.g. if trailer is empty or fully loaded.
Are you anywhere near a Tesla sales centre? If so I'd recommend getting a test drive. Whilst on the one hand driving a Tesla is just like driving any other car there is also a difference, and its hard to describe. The whole one-pedal-driving thing, with Regen, the lack of noise, the smoothness ... they are all "different" to ICE, and to my mind way, way better. I expect some of that will translate to driving an EV Semi, and you'd have a better feel for that if you had driven one. Look sufficiently interested in the MS / MX and talk Tesla into lending you one for the weekend for an extended trial perhaps?
In Europe, the situation is even more extreme
Plus the benefit that the price differential of Electricity / Diesel is more pronounced than USA