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kevincwelch
Active Member
Amazing acceleration (although maybe not so smart under these conditions, with poor visibility).
The brake lights keep confusing me. It looks like the driver brakes after a few hundred yards, but I guess he simply lets go of the accelerator and regenerative braking activates the brake lights (because of the powerful deceleration). I don't know if I want my brake lights to light up every time I let go of the accelerator at high speeds. I wonder if Tesla will introduce a third regen option: no regen.
The brake lights keep confusing me. It looks like the driver brakes after a few hundred yards, but I guess he simply lets go of the accelerator and regenerative braking activates the brake lights (because of the powerful deceleration). I don't know if I want my brake lights to light up every time I let go of the accelerator at high speeds. I wonder if Tesla will introduce a third regen option: no regen.
If you select to low regen you won't get brake lights. But when you hit 75-80 on a street like they were on, slowing down is good. just don't let all the way off the accel and you won't get the lights.
There's an accelerometer that controls the lights, so they'll only come on if deceleration is enough to require alerting drivers behind you. You can hit the Tesla logo at the top middle of your display, and on the picture of your car you can see when the brake lights shine. Just keep an eye on the road, too 
I tried this and the brake lights shone only when deceleration was pretty hard. Letting up a little doesn't cause them to glow, so it's not just whenever regen is on at all.
I tried this and the brake lights shone only when deceleration was pretty hard. Letting up a little doesn't cause them to glow, so it's not just whenever regen is on at all.
It's easier and safer to see the brake lights if you leave the rear view camera on. As long as the street lights aren't too bright you can see the ground light up red. Easier to see than those little graphics on the car avatar. And yes, it takes pretty strong regen braking before the lights come on. My impression is that the threshold is higher than the Roadster.
FalconNinetyD
Active Member
I usually see the brake lights come on at about 30kWh regen, give or take a few kWh depending on speed...
I'm very impressed with whatever logic they use for the brake light activation, no complaints at all. At first I thought they would light too often, but they entirely replicate, in my view, when the brake lights would shine in a regular ICE. My wife followed me to the office, a 15 mile drive in traffic, and she said there was nothing weird or unusual at all.
Been trying to figure it out myself, and I'm voting for accelerometer. Going down a steep hill with max regen does not turn the brake lights on, so I'm thinking it's not tied to regen. By the "feel" and watching the brake lights they come on I'm convinced it's based on negative g-force (accelerometer). Hey, my cell phone knows when I bring it down from my ear to turn the screen on. How hard would it be to use that method in a car?
I was thinking the same thing. That acceleration is amazing, it surprised me just watching it.
Cel phones use a different method, an infrared sensor or something. You can try it by laying your phone on a flat surface and hovering your hand above it.
Anyways, yeah, the Model S brake lights work fine, great even. They only come on when you're slowing at a significant enough rate, or whenever you press the brake pedal.
Anyways, yeah, the Model S brake lights work fine, great even. They only come on when you're slowing at a significant enough rate, or whenever you press the brake pedal.
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byt
Member
I always wonder what it looked like to the other drivers. Great video! Thanks for linking to it!!
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