Photo: Tesla
Tesla started to act more aggressively on its Twitter channel, promoting the features and superiority of its electric vehicles. Not everything impresses everyone, though. Tesla’s efforts to explain how regenerative braking improves performance on a racetrack were dismissed by racer Craig Coker. Craig runs a Tesla Model S Plaid Unplug Performance and knows first-hand what the regen braking can and can’t do.
Tesla is on a roll to promote its engineering prowess, mostly on its Twitter account. In the past two weeks, we’ve seen many videos explaining technical details that mostly cater to geeks. This is how we’ve learned what makes Tesla cars so safe and how the octovalve and super manifold in its heat pumps work. This effort is part of a campaign to offset negative coverage of the company’s blunders.
Everybody knows that Tesla’s build quality is not always top-notch, but people tend to overlook misaligned body panels when the basic functions of the car work. Nevertheless, things are not always working properly, and many have started complaining about mundane things. Intriguingly, there are countless complaints about the exact heat pumps promoted in Tesla’s video. Being left with no heat in the winter is not fun, but numerous other issues annoy Tesla owners. We’ve covered everything from automatic wipers not working in the rain to fast-degrading batteries to dead drive units.
Even when considering safety, Teslas may withstand a crash better than other cars, but their automated driving features have also caused many crashes. Recently, a Tesla Model S braked suddenly in the middle of the highway, causing a car pileup on the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. Investigation revealed that the driver activated FSD seconds before the crash.
Taking Tesla’s claims with a grain of salt is always a wise thing to do. This is certainly true with the videos promoting Tesla’s Track Mode and its baked-in regenerative braking feature. Tesla’s videos explain that Track Mode, available on the Model S Plaid and Model 3/Y Performance, lets drivers experience “instant response and motor torque to feel superhuman on the track.” The Track Mode also shifts power front to rear and side to side for better turn-in response and maximum control. The best thing is that all these features are customizable, including traction control, stability control, and regenerative braking.
When it comes to the latter, Tesla claims that “increased regenerative braking unlocks longer track sessions so you can push harder, lap after lap.” This claim was challenged by Craig Coker, who races a Tesla Model S Plaid Unplug Performance on the most demanding racetracks in the U.S. Craig has set several track records, including at Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, and Buttonwillow, so he knows what he’s talking about.
“This is not true in my experience. Regenerative braking increases thermals in the system and ultimately reduces power output,” explains Craig. “For a longer track session and to minimize power cut, I suggest reducing regen in Track Mode. A race-spec Tesla will spike thermals, but many will experience depleted power around 2-3 laps. Reducing regen will mitigate the problem and extend longer sessions.”
This is mostly a problem for those pushing the car harder, which sounds much like what Tesla says, but it’s different. When your driving techniques improve and you achieve faster laps, the thermals in the drivetrain are likely to be the wall. Reduce regen and ease the strain on the drive units and you can go further, is what Craig recommends. If you’re a casual driver, it’s more likely that the battery depletion is your wall. In that case, high regen will recoup more energy and allow you to go further. This is what Tesla recommends. What you choose depends on your skills and what you want to achieve.
Everybody knows that Tesla’s build quality is not always top-notch, but people tend to overlook misaligned body panels when the basic functions of the car work. Nevertheless, things are not always working properly, and many have started complaining about mundane things. Intriguingly, there are countless complaints about the exact heat pumps promoted in Tesla’s video. Being left with no heat in the winter is not fun, but numerous other issues annoy Tesla owners. We’ve covered everything from automatic wipers not working in the rain to fast-degrading batteries to dead drive units.
Even when considering safety, Teslas may withstand a crash better than other cars, but their automated driving features have also caused many crashes. Recently, a Tesla Model S braked suddenly in the middle of the highway, causing a car pileup on the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. Investigation revealed that the driver activated FSD seconds before the crash.
Taking Tesla’s claims with a grain of salt is always a wise thing to do. This is certainly true with the videos promoting Tesla’s Track Mode and its baked-in regenerative braking feature. Tesla’s videos explain that Track Mode, available on the Model S Plaid and Model 3/Y Performance, lets drivers experience “instant response and motor torque to feel superhuman on the track.” The Track Mode also shifts power front to rear and side to side for better turn-in response and maximum control. The best thing is that all these features are customizable, including traction control, stability control, and regenerative braking.
When it comes to the latter, Tesla claims that “increased regenerative braking unlocks longer track sessions so you can push harder, lap after lap.” This claim was challenged by Craig Coker, who races a Tesla Model S Plaid Unplug Performance on the most demanding racetracks in the U.S. Craig has set several track records, including at Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, and Buttonwillow, so he knows what he’s talking about.
“This is not true in my experience. Regenerative braking increases thermals in the system and ultimately reduces power output,” explains Craig. “For a longer track session and to minimize power cut, I suggest reducing regen in Track Mode. A race-spec Tesla will spike thermals, but many will experience depleted power around 2-3 laps. Reducing regen will mitigate the problem and extend longer sessions.”
This is mostly a problem for those pushing the car harder, which sounds much like what Tesla says, but it’s different. When your driving techniques improve and you achieve faster laps, the thermals in the drivetrain are likely to be the wall. Reduce regen and ease the strain on the drive units and you can go further, is what Craig recommends. If you’re a casual driver, it’s more likely that the battery depletion is your wall. In that case, high regen will recoup more energy and allow you to go further. This is what Tesla recommends. What you choose depends on your skills and what you want to achieve.
This is not true in my experience. Regenerative braking increases thermals in the system and ultimately reduces power output. For a longer track session and to minimize power cut I suggest reducing regen in Track Mode https://t.co/pt58iO4kwH
— Craig Coker (@FromWhereICHG) January 20, 2023
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