The Torque Pedal

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Here’s a situation that does not work with the current set up; try this: .... Try to edge your car slowly up to the end and stop… Ah, you can’t can you… see!

Why? Because you creep towards the end, feather the brake as you get close and the motor stops… let go of the brake and you jump forwards on the creep… clunk… bugger… quick check… phew, no harm done. I don’t want to do that each time and, I don’t want to press the go pedal AND the brake together to manage the movement… too much risk of excess torque resulting in a ‘Ferris Bueller’s day off’ ending.

I found this when pulling into parking spots. At first it was about 5 tiny "tries:" to eek forward. Now I can usually do it in 2 big ones. When I really feel comfortable with the exact size of the car I will be able to pull in once, brake and be done with it.

(It's hard to estimate the size of the car because there is not really solo-field safe way of knowing you have gone too far without damaging something. The car is low so parking bumpers and curbs will damage bodywork all around.)

 

[donauker]

Here’s a situation that does not work with the current set up; try this: In my garage I need to move the car right up to the end of the garage to fit an ICE behind it, I have a cone and some foam at the end wall. Try to edge your car slowly up to the end and stop… Ah, you can’t can you… see!

Ok, I understand. I am not in the same situation with parking my Tesla since it is my daily driver but in a similar situation with another vehicle I created a plate with a raised stop on the end which, when fastened in place for the front wheels, made perfect parking easy.

 

[Mark Petersen]

a small trick for your garage
after you parked the car, mount a tennis ball from the sealing on a sting so it just touches the windscreen, next time you just stop the car when the tennis ball hit the windscreen

 

[johnr]

The most efficient way to hold the car stationary is with the friction brakes. Holding a car stationary with an electric motor can use a lot of current.

Fair enough, but I was thinking of something that might be implemented by Tesla with the simplicity of a software fix. Maybe applying max regen will be enough to keep the car stationary in most cases. If it comes right down to it, why not have the software hold the car stationary by supplying a little power to the motor - it wouldn't be for long at a time, and it couldn't possibly use anywhere near the amount of power it takes to go 60 mph.

 

[DrComputer]

a small trick for your garage
after you parked the car, mount a tennis ball from the sealing on a sting so it just touches the windscreen, next time you just stop the car when the tennis ball hit the windscreen

A more creative solution I use. Works for two cars in the garage.

Amazon.com: Maxsa Laser Park Laser Guided Garage Parking Device: Automotive

 

[SByer]

Fish bath toys (similar to these) here. When the cars aren't they're, they're swimmin'.

"Tap the fishie!"

 

[mpt]

I had the opportunity to try out a MINI-E this weekend; thanks to Chris Neff of Comverge inc. we swapped keys to compare and contrast; aside from the eerie silence of the drive train; very smooth, the PEM programming is quite different and I think I’m done with the whole ‘creep’ or ‘don’t creep’ discussion… try a MINI-E and I think you’ll agree; NO CREEP!

The MINI-E accelerator has a delayed, softened response, whereas the response on the roadster is instant the MINI is dampened and delayed so a sudden lift off has the power fall away quickly and the re-gen build steadily and firmly but not as instant as the roadster. It’s smooth as suits the car. I prefer the quick response of the roadster but, the ‘no creep ‘ is better; select D-for-do-it and the MINI just sits waiting. Rest on the pedel and it starts to move, let go and it rolls to a stop.

Given that this is only programming (ok… and QA, manuals, support, etc.etc) I’d love to be able to switch creep off, and possibly dial in a little of that softness to the pedel response for those days when I want to. Most of all though I’d like to dial in some of the quiet drive train and no on-off shunt.

 

[TEG]

They need some other mechanism to make sure you know the car is on and in 'D' even if you try to just get up and climb out of the car. If the seats have weight sensors (to know how to trigger the airbags) perhaps the car could just shut itself off if you opened the door and climbed out without putting it in 'P' first.

That is one of the reasons I heard they wanted creep... As a mechanism to make sure you notice right away if you try to climb out while the car is on and ready to go. I guess it is a big hazard if you were to jump in and accidentally hit the go pedal while the car was already on and ready to go. Without creep it isn't as apparent that the accelerator pedal is ready for action.

The other thing would be small hills. I gather the creep function resists the urge for the car to roll backwards.

 

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Chis wrote on MiniE facebook

Chris wrote at 7:26pm yesterday
Got to drive a Tesla today. Was at a community green day in Watchung NJ and had the MINI E on display. The Tesla is owned by Michael who lives in the area and was giving rides for charity...he let me drive it on the main roads flat out. I thought the MINI E was quick, the Tesla is just sick fast. After a few miles in the Tesla the MINI E felt like a Rolls...Tesla is fast but it is also raw! Uploaded a couple of pics - sweet EV indeed.

 

[mpt]

They need some other mechanism to make sure you know the car is on and in 'D' even if you try to just get up and climb out of the car. If the seats have weight sensors (to know how to trigger the airbags) perhaps the car could just shut itself off if you opened the door and climbed out without putting it in 'P' first.

That is one of the reasons I heard they wanted creep... As a mechanism to make sure you notice right away if you try to climb out while the car is on and ready to go. I guess it is a big hazard if you were to jump in and accidentally hit the go pedal while the car was already on and ready to go. Without creep it isn't as apparent that the accelerator pedal is ready for action.

I think you're right about that and I think the door switch idea makes sense; open the door and the pedel is muted so you can only move at 3mph - I could see a need to open the door when reversing.

Currently the car makes quite a fuss if you take off your seat belt, open the door, don't put on the hand brake, etc. etc. so I think they're covered on that.

BMW though seem to think it's ok to skip all of that though; perhaps they didn't think about, perhaps they think it's ok.

The other thing would be small hills. I gather the creep function resists the urge for the car to roll backwards.

Actually, not so much, it's not like a torque converter that tightens up, it rolls backwards on even mild hills... forget San Francisco.

I just enjoyed the no-creep driving experience, it just felt immediately right, normal. I urge all to find a MINI-E and try it.... or lobby the devs at TM to give us access to those registers

 

[vfx]

The problem with creep.

It only sort-of works.

On a flat, yes,

On a slight incline, maybe.

On a small incline, no. You need both feet not to roll back.

It's inconsistent and pointless.

 

[J in MN]

The other thing would be small hills. I gather the creep function resists the urge for the car to roll backwards.

Hill-hold can, and should, be implemented in another way, as it is on the Prius, for example. Hill-hold can be thought of simply as regen-braking for negative speeds, but proportional to speed, and with a large proportionality factor.