Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Regen fail - scary

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
So this morning when taking the kids to school, I had to slow down for some bad traffic, and when I took my foot of the go pedal, regen failed to kick in, and I had to brake hard. It was a really odd feeling, and hasn't happened since. If I see again, I'm definitely getting it to Tesla for a look-see.
Anyone else encounter anything similar?
 
Has only happened to me consistently after doing a range charge; after the first few miles, regen returned to normal, but my eyes about popped out of my skull when I was attempting to regen to a stop at the first stop sign in our neighborhood the first time it happened!

I think I may have seen the same behavior one other time on a cold morning when the night before I forgot to plug in, which is the other scenario where regen is limited - cold battery that time vs a fully charged battery the previous eye-popping time.
 
I don't have the car, but as I read allways when the batterypack is cold, the regen is off or limited to not damage the battery pack. This unfortunately also means that you don't brake when lifting the foot from the pedal. Many already suggested that tesla should simulate the 'regen' if regen is off because of the batterypack limitations.
 
So this morning when taking the kids to school, I had to slow down for some bad traffic, and when I took my foot of the go pedal, regen failed to kick in, and I had to brake hard. It was a really odd feeling, and hasn't happened since. If I see again, I'm definitely getting it to Tesla for a look-see.
Anyone else encounter anything similar?

This also sometimes happens with my Volt on a very cold day, but usually it kicks back in a short time later.
 
I don't have the car, but as I read allways when the batterypack is cold, the regen is off or limited to not damage the battery pack.

In those cases, you should see a yellow dashed line on the lower right portion of the speedometer indicating how far the regen is limited. I noticed that line there at the 30kW mark on a cold evening, coming back from a 3-day trip. It disappeared after a few minutes driving.
 
This also sometimes happens with my Volt on a very cold day, but usually it kicks back in a short time later.

The Volt "gas" pedal is like the Tesla???
My Leaf (using it for a couple of days while my S is having elective inpatient facelift surgery :redface: (full wrap)) ... it only regens when I apply the brake ... and then hardly slows the card down at all.
 
In those cases, you should see a yellow dashed line on the lower right portion of the speedometer indicating how far the regen is limited. I noticed that line there at the 30kW mark on a cold evening, coming back from a 3-day trip. It disappeared after a few minutes driving.

You also get the yellow "limited regen" line on a full range charge as well, I did one last week, and had it show up.
 
In my short experiece driving S, regen is fully operational after ~15 miles of driving. So far I've noticed it in the morning and when leaving work many hours later with temps in the 30's/40's.
 
Ya, as soon as you step on the brake and you speedo flips you should see the limit lines when it is below 48 degrees or so or if you're fully charged.

Actually the limit lines are always there so you know regen is limited.
If regen is completely disabled there will be no limit lines, but instead a warning message that regen is disabled on the drivers display.
 
This also sometimes happens with my Volt on a very cold day, but usually it kicks back in a short time later.

Funny, I have never experienced this on the Volt even on -15 degree Celsius days. I drive in L. On those days the gas motor comes on intermittently to heat the car. I have experienced regen kick out when the wheels hit a manhole cover while slowing. The car feels like it has just accelerated. Kind of unnerving.

The Volt "gas" pedal is like the Tesla???

Yes when you drive in L.
 
Actually the limit lines are always there so you know regen is limited.
If regen is completely disabled there will be no limit lines, but instead a warning message that regen is disabled on the drivers display.

and an audible noise too, I think


..I meant you will see them once you 'turn on' the car. you need to step on the brake otherwise you wont see the limits or 'no regen'
 
In those cases, you should see a yellow dashed line on the lower right portion of the speedometer indicating how far the regen is limited. I noticed that line there at the 30kW mark on a cold evening, coming back from a 3-day trip. It disappeared after a few minutes driving.

Here's a picture I took when this showed up in my car. Never have seen the yellow line again since.

image.jpg


Air suspension warning was probably because I left the car parked on "very high" for 3 days.

Also remember now it was not a cold evening, it was middle of the day, 52 degrees F, which is still cold (for California) :smile:
 
and an audible noise too, I think


..I meant you will see them once you 'turn on' the car. you need to step on the brake otherwise you wont see the limits or 'no regen'

With the Prius it is 'B' and not as strong as the Model S. Also when the batter is full (kinda same situation as too cold in the S) it starts braking in a different way (it gets way louder, so probably the gas engine) but the brake-feeling stays the same.
 
The Volt "gas" pedal is like the Tesla???
My Leaf (using it for a couple of days while my S is having elective inpatient facelift surgery :redface: (full wrap)) ... it only regens when I apply the brake ... and then hardly slows the card down at all.

The Volt has 2 regen settings associated with the D and L positions on the shift lever. L gives the highest regen. And, yes, when you let off the accelerator pedal, regen kicks in.
 
bump in the road.

The Roadster traction control (if enabled) kicks in hard and kills regen if you hit a really BIG bump while braking. This can knock out half your braking force for a second, which is quite startling the first time it happens! Luckily your foot is already on the brake pedal, but you usually end up stopping a few feet farther down the road than you had planned on.

That said, I have yet to see that behavior in the Model S.

Limited regen is a daily occurrence for those of us driving their Model S in cold winter driving conditions. For me, so far, having full regen power has been the exception rather than the rule!
 
Another advantage for a dual motor / AWD setup. If battery is too cold or too full, the second motor could use up the regen energy for 'braking'. Would create a much more consistent regen behaviour.
 
Last edited: