Tesla 2010 Roadster, Owner'S Manual, Page: 47 / 122

Driving basics
6-5 Driving your vehicle
Selecting gears
The vehicle has four selectable gears.
•
P (Park). Selectable whenever the
vehicle’s forward speed is less than
1.6 km/h (1 mph). With Park engaged
the transmission is locked and the rear
wheels cannot turn.
To select another gear when the
vehicle is in Park, you must press the
brake pedal.
Whenever the starter switch is in the
OFF position, Park is automatically
engaged, regardless of which gear was
previously selected.
Note: If for any reason the vehicle needs
to be moved on a flatbed truck, Park must
be deactivated before pulling the vehicle
onto the truck. Select Neutral or activate
Tow Mode using the touch screen. See
Vehicle recovery, page 9-14.
•
N (Neutral). Allows the vehicle to be
stationary without the transmission
being locked. If the hand brake is not
applied, the vehicle will roll freely if
pushed, or if located on a slope.
To select another gear when the
vehicle is in Neutral and moving at a
speed less than 5 km/h (3 mph), you
must press the brake pedal.
•
R (Reverse). Selectable whenever the
vehicle’s forward speed is less than
5 km/h (3 mph).
The maximum speed in reverse is
limited to 24 km/h (15 mph). An
audible tone will be heard when you
select Reverse.
•
D (Drive). Can be selected at any time
except when the vehicle is moving over
5 km/h (3 mph) in reverse.
When a gear is engaged, its associated
button will illuminate green. If you select a
gear that is not allowed by the current
situation (i.e. if you select Reverse and the
forward speed is more than 5 km/h
(3 mph)), the button will illuminate red to
indicate that the gear change is denied.
Note: Similar to a conventional automatic
transmission, when you select Drive or
Reverse, the vehicle will move, even if you
have not pressed the accelerator pedal.
Hand brake
WARNING: Do not apply the hand
brake when the vehicle is moving.
This could result in a loss of control and
may damage the rear brakes.
▲
To apply the parking brake, pull the lever
fully upwards.
If the starter switch is in the ON
position the warning indicators in
the instrument panel will illuminate when
the hand brake is applied.
The touch screen will display the main
‘Parked’ screen whenever the hand brake
is applied.
Caution: If you apply the hand brake
when the brakes are hot (i.e. after
prolonged or frequent hard use), ensure
the lever is fully engaged. As the brakes
cool, the amount of braking applied by the
lever decreases.
TR1325
TR1448