Driving basics
6-6
Driving your vehicle
To release the hand brake, pull the lever up
slightly, depress the button and fully lower
the lever. The warning indicator will
extinguish and the touch screen will
display the ‘Drive’ screen.
Note:
The hand brake operates on the rear
wheels only, and is totally independent of
the foot-operated hydraulic brake system.
Braking
WARNING: After driving through
heavy rain, you may experience a
loss of response from the brakes. As soon
as safety permits, apply the brakes to
generate heat and dry the brake
components.
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The brakes operate through dual circuits. If
one circuit fails, the other continues to
function, but braking performance is
reduced. If you experience longer
stopping distances, or if you find that you
need to increase pressure on the brake
pedal, you should not drive the car.
Contact Tesla Motors or an authorised
repairer as soon as possible.
The brakes are servo-assisted, but only
when the starter switch is in the ON
position and the electrical systems are
operating. Without servo assistance, you
will need to apply more pressure on the
brake pedal and you will experience
longer stopping distances.
Regenerative braking
Whenever the vehicle is moving and your
foot is off the accelerator, regenerative
braking slows the vehicle and feeds
energy back to the battery.
By anticipating your stops and simply
lifting your foot from the accelerator to
slow down, you can take advantage of the
energy gained from regenerative braking.
A visual display on the instrument panel
provides real-time feedback of the
vehicle’s regenerative braking. See
Instruments, page 6-12.
The amount of regenerative braking will
vary depending on the current state of the
Battery. For example, you’ll experience a
loss of regenerative braking if the Battery
is extremely hot or cold or if the Battery
has already been charged to its maximum
allowable level using the Range or
Performance charge setting.
The amount of regenerative braking will
also vary on roads with low traction levels
(i.e. wet or gravel surfaces). The traction
control indicator on the instrument panel
may flash and you may experience that
the brakes feel slightly different. This is not
a cause for concern.
When regenerative braking is not
available or has been significantly
reduced, a warning indicator illuminates
on the instrument panel.
Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS)
WARNING: ABS cannot overcome
physical limitations such as stopping
the vehicle in too short a distance, turning
the vehicle at high speeds, or the lack of
grip on the road’s surface.
▲
WARNING: Do not take driving risks
and hope that ABS will correct
judgement errors. It is always your
responsibility to drive with due care and
attention.
▲
Your vehicle is equipped with an anti-lock
braking system (ABS) that prevents the
wheels from locking when you apply
maximum brake pressure. This allows you
to maintain steering control during heavy
braking on most road conditions.
During emergency braking conditions, the
ABS constantly monitors the speed of
each wheel and varies the brake pressure
according to the grip available.
The alteration of brake pressure can be felt
as a pulsing sensation through the brake
pedal. This demonstrates that ABS is
operating and is not a cause for concern.
Keep a firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the
pulsation.
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