• intensely_human@lemm.ee
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    10 months ago

    One thing about at least the Model S I drove once is that it doesn’t really coast. It’s either accelerating or braking.

    This was 2016 so maybe that’s changed. But the Tesla I drove seemed to have zero chill. The moment my foot stopped pressing the gas, we were actively slowing down. It felt really tense to me.

    So basically its acceleration profile over a given trip would be different than most cars, meaning confusing novelty for your inner ear.

    • Vodulas [they/them]@beehaw.org
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      10 months ago

      That’s not just a Tesla thing, but it is more pronounced in Teslas. It is an EV thing, usually referred to as one pedal driving. It’s great because you get battery regeneration, but it for sure takes some getting used to. You have to think of the accelerator more as an analog stick than just a go pedal. Personally I prefer it, but a lot of people don’t like it.

      • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        When I drive a good 50% of the time is me coasting. Like, imagine skateboarding but you have to be kicking or stopping, no coasting allowed. Whole different feel.

        Seems like it should be configurable. Because you don’t really get that energy back; you’re losing your kinetic back into electric at a loss. I want that speed.

        Maybe it’s just a few days before the foot learns to hold the pedal for a good steady speed. It’s required in a gas car too, obviously, always need gas to maintain speed in atmosphere, but it sort of disappears from view.

        Oops, no that’s it. It’s not the steady-speed driving where it must have bothered me, but all the times I just let off the gas because I do need to start slowing down, but don’t want to brake if I don’t have to.

        In the Tesla, I’d let off the gas expecting to slow down at say 1 mph per second, and instead I’d be slowing down at 3 or 4 mph per second.

        Eh, I dunno. Just felt wrong. Definitely felt cool in terms of power though. Instantly recognizable as “oh this next century shit”. In a new league that didn’t exist with gas.

        • Vodulas [they/them]@beehaw.org
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          10 months ago

          Seems like it should be configurable.

          It is in some cars, just not Teslas. Kias have different levels you can set. In my ID.4 I can set it to coast or brake when letting go of the pedal. I was not a fan of the Kia method, but I think the car I test drove had some issues. My friend has an EV6 and enjoys the granularity of it.

          Definitely felt cool in terms of power though.

          Yeah, that is the cool thing about EVs. Instant torque. Obviously Tesla goes for that ridiculous acceleration, but all EVs have that to some extent. Hell, even the Leaf has that feeling compared to other small cars.