Shifting Gears
When Model S is in Park, you must press the
brake to shift to another gear.
Move the lever up or down to change gears.
If you try to shift into a gear that the current
driving speed prohibits, a chime sounds and
the gear does not change.
Reverse
Push the lever all the way up and release. You
can only shift into Reverse when Model S is
stopped or moving less than 8 km/h. If
moving less than 1.6 km/h, you must press the
brake.
Neutral
Push the lever up or down to the first position
and release to shift into Neutral. Neutral
allows Model S to roll freely when you are not
pressing the brake pedal.
If Model S is in Park and you use the
touchscreen to release the parking brake
(
Controls
>
Safety & Security
), Model S shifts
into Neutral (see
Drive
Push the lever all the way down and release.
You can shift into Drive when Model S is
stopped or moving less than 8 km/h in
Reverse. If Model S is moving less than
1.6 km/h, you must press the brake to shift
into Drive.
Park
Press the end of the gear selector while
Model S is stopped. Whenever Model S is in
Park, the parking brake is applied.
Model S automatically shifts into Park
whenever you connect a charge cable or if
two or more of the following conditions are
met simultaneously while traveling slower
than approximately 2 km/h:
• The driver's seat belt is unbuckled.
• The occupancy sensor in the driver's seat
does not detect an occupant.
• The driver's door is opened.
NOTE:
The above conditions do not reflect a
comprehensive list of reasons why Model S
may or may not automatically shift into Park
and, in certain scenarios, it is possible for your
vehicle to shift into Park when only one of the
above conditions is true.
WARNING:
In emergency situations, if
the brakes are not functioning
properly, press and hold the Park
button on the gear selector to bring
the vehicle to a stop. Do not use this
method to stop the vehicle unless
absolutely necessary.
WARNING:
It is the driver's
responsibility to always ensure the
vehicle is in Park before exiting. Never
rely on Model S to automatically shift
into Park for you; it might not work in
all circumstances (for example, if
Creep or a slope causes the vehicle to
travel greater than approximately 2
km/h).
To make it convenient to pick up passengers,
you can also unlock all doors and/or extend
the door handles at any time by shifting into
Park then pressing the Park button a second
time.
Gears
53
Driving