I finally got it, while learning more and more about the car.
"It", - you know that, lifting the foot off the accelerator, it can be hard to hit that sweet point where it's not braking, just coasting? I asked for a shortcut to toggle between low and normal regen - and got a lot of flak for even asking - but I don't need it now (the low/normal toggle)
How many of you use Neutral, while driving? I remember reading about it previously, before I got the car, then forgot it again. It's quite useful, look at this scenario:
Coasting, making a long stop ...
So you can see in front of you, that you will have to stop completely further ahead. Two options: 1) Keep going, then brake (regen), or 2) regen now, then leap slowly forward? In these situations I miss the clutch in the stick-shift or the toggle to Neutral in an automatic.
But no need, the Model S also has Neutral.
I just couldn't make it work properly to my liking, yet as I started to test it more, I finally I got it.
So the traffic light a bit in front of you just changed to RED and you know it will be a while before it's green again, because you have been to this place before.
I don't want to brake and I don't want to keep the speed, I just want to coast, leaving the passengers without any jerks at all. Yes, I know regen will put power back in the battery, but it's not 100% efficient - there are times where coasting seems (to me) to be the better option.
Clicking the lever briskly up to Neutral, it will release a triple warning tone, and it doesn't always work going into Neutral. That is because you need to toggle it just a little, NOT into R but just one small click up to N (just like when you want to add or subtract one single km/h or mph, with the cruise control). Bang, and you are gliding like a floating carpet, no bells of warning, no jerks at all. And boy does this car glide! Due to the inertia it seems like it wants to glide for a long time.
Now the light is green, and since I didn't stop completely anyway, I want to go back to Drive - also without a jerk, please. The first thing I do is to press the accelerator just a tad down, then pull down to D again. Now this toggle requires a deep toggle, nothing will happen if you just wiggle it slightly like you did going from D to N, take it all the way down to re-engage D. If your accelerator is just a little down or so, you won't even feel the (virtual) engagement of the motor. Virtual, as we know there is no disconnect, it's all purely electronic. The idea is, I want to go back to drive, neither accelerating nor braking too much.
Maybe it seems a bit awkward, but never mind, it works a charm. Just tried it a bit, it is so much more comfortable. Some don't care much about comfort, but when not sporting about, I really enjoy to try to drive as comfortably as possible.
I know, I know, a lot of you guys have known this for ages, yet I am sure there are a lot of drivers out there, who haven't yet discovered this way of driving.
Other ideas along the same lines? I found it quite useful, maybe there is an even better way?
"It", - you know that, lifting the foot off the accelerator, it can be hard to hit that sweet point where it's not braking, just coasting? I asked for a shortcut to toggle between low and normal regen - and got a lot of flak for even asking - but I don't need it now (the low/normal toggle)
How many of you use Neutral, while driving? I remember reading about it previously, before I got the car, then forgot it again. It's quite useful, look at this scenario:
Coasting, making a long stop ...
So you can see in front of you, that you will have to stop completely further ahead. Two options: 1) Keep going, then brake (regen), or 2) regen now, then leap slowly forward? In these situations I miss the clutch in the stick-shift or the toggle to Neutral in an automatic.
But no need, the Model S also has Neutral.
I just couldn't make it work properly to my liking, yet as I started to test it more, I finally I got it.
So the traffic light a bit in front of you just changed to RED and you know it will be a while before it's green again, because you have been to this place before.
I don't want to brake and I don't want to keep the speed, I just want to coast, leaving the passengers without any jerks at all. Yes, I know regen will put power back in the battery, but it's not 100% efficient - there are times where coasting seems (to me) to be the better option.
Clicking the lever briskly up to Neutral, it will release a triple warning tone, and it doesn't always work going into Neutral. That is because you need to toggle it just a little, NOT into R but just one small click up to N (just like when you want to add or subtract one single km/h or mph, with the cruise control). Bang, and you are gliding like a floating carpet, no bells of warning, no jerks at all. And boy does this car glide! Due to the inertia it seems like it wants to glide for a long time.
Now the light is green, and since I didn't stop completely anyway, I want to go back to Drive - also without a jerk, please. The first thing I do is to press the accelerator just a tad down, then pull down to D again. Now this toggle requires a deep toggle, nothing will happen if you just wiggle it slightly like you did going from D to N, take it all the way down to re-engage D. If your accelerator is just a little down or so, you won't even feel the (virtual) engagement of the motor. Virtual, as we know there is no disconnect, it's all purely electronic. The idea is, I want to go back to drive, neither accelerating nor braking too much.
Maybe it seems a bit awkward, but never mind, it works a charm. Just tried it a bit, it is so much more comfortable. Some don't care much about comfort, but when not sporting about, I really enjoy to try to drive as comfortably as possible.
I know, I know, a lot of you guys have known this for ages, yet I am sure there are a lot of drivers out there, who haven't yet discovered this way of driving.
Other ideas along the same lines? I found it quite useful, maybe there is an even better way?