Tesla owners, I have a question
 

OK, you are driving 55 to 60 MPH on 44 and someone pulls out in front of you, and your car has ONE PEDAL operation, how do you slam on the brakes to avoid the crash? Follow-up question, since the car has one pedal operation does it have hydraulic brakes, I am sure regenerative braking cannot lock the wheels. I can more or less understand one pedal operation for normal driving, but i fail to see how this operates in an emergency situation.

ONE PEDAL? Crap! I want to hear/read the answers.

What model Tesla? I don’t own one but follow their online forums and know you normally do not have to hit the brake pedal like when approaching a stop light because once you let off the accelerator pedal (regenerative braking) it has regenerative braking to stop you. Looking online, the model 3 has two pedals, accelerator (regenerative braking they call it) and brake pedal so your question intrigues me. Also looking on their site it says in emergency braking to hit the brake pedal? Saying this I am wondering what your driving that has one pedal?
Edit, looking online it’s called “one pedal driving” even though it does have a brake pedal.

Yes, it has a brake pedal. Even has ABS braking as required on all US cars.

Kindof a game to not use the brake pedal, but some users don't want to think when they drive.
(I'm sure with some it becomes intuitive - but could cause issues when driving an ICE rental or such.)
And, regen is user adjustable - again even some Tesla people prefer a usual/normal drive.

They have a brake pedal and hydraulic brakes. Stomping on the brake pedal, however, will not lock the wheels as they have ABS. The regenerative braking is adjustable. In the most aggressive setting, you can easily drive for a substantial distance without touching the brake pedal.

We have a newer Tesla Model 3. It is fantastic, our first EV.
The top Two features that we LOVE about it is:
- one pedal driving. Around town you very seldom need to use the brake pedal, raise the accelerator and the regen braking slows the car, even to a stop and actuates brake lights warning cars in back that you’re slowing down. And if it’s timed right you may may not need to brake even coming to a stop at a sign or light. It’s wonderful, relaxing, safe, and recharged for free. Brakes will last a lifetime. Must drive to appreciate. Of course the actual brake pedal is like any other vehicle.
- Over the air updates. Over WiFi typically in the middle of the night in your garage. Provides updated features, some major some minor. Some are fixes… as some feel are recalls. But seamless. So even if you have a 5 year old Tesla, updates are free to all. Almost like getting a new car all the time.

We love the Tesla so much that we bought a great lithium golf cart. All EV family. Charge right in the garage and have a full tank everytime.

I purchase a new Tesla 2024 Model 3 in October of last year for $34,000 to test out the supervised FSD. I now drive about 80% of the time using FSD. FSD will brake for me when needed. It takes a little bit of time to get use to the regen brake to then very, very seldom need to use the brake pedal to stop when not using FSD. With every software update, the FSD gets better and new features are added. Using supervised FSD, it's like two sets of eyes watching the road. If you get a chance, ride in a Tesla being driven under FSD.

Good question. I have owned 2 Teslas. M3 (2018) and MYP (2023). They all HAVE two pedals--but you normally only use one-pedal (the "gas" pedal) for routine driving. The regenerative braking slows the vehicle (sometimes pretty dramatically) when you let off of the "gas". It is a balancing act with your right foot only--and it takes some time to get used to it. There's no real "coasting" in the EV. When you back off the 'gas" then the regenerative braking immediately starts to slow the vehicle as if you are applying the brakes. Rarely do I use the regular brakes.

There is a hydraulic rectangular brake pedal that uses the "regular" brakes. I might use the "real" brake once or twice a day during under normal driving. It is not uncommon for me to drive a week and never need to use the hydraulic brake.

The vehicle WILL start to auto-brake if someone cuts out in front of you. If someone going the opposite direction is making a left turn in front of you and they cut it close the car WILL automatically (and possibly harshly) slow to avoid collision. In that case both the regenerative braking and the hydraulics slow you down.

So little brake use means cleaner wheels :-) Owned the M3 for over 5 years and never had the brakes serviced.

Saves tires, which incidentally does not have spare tires

Sales and Market Share:
Tesla sales have been declining worldwide…..
In the US, Tesla vehicle registrations in the US dipped to 43,411 in January, an 11% dip compared to a year ago.
In Europe, Tesla vehicle registrations in the European Union and several other European countries dropped by about 45% between January 2024 and 2025.
Tesla's Share of US Electric Car Market Falls Below 50%
Tesla's market capitalization has declined by nearly $700 billion

I wouldn’t buy a Tesla if you ever plan on selling it.

My son has two newer Teslas and I have drove them both. They both have two pedals just like any other car. One is a brake pedal, which you rarely need to use.

Is this a serious question? Naw. Can’t be.

Never been in a Tesla but no car I've driven over the last 35 years (at least) could lock the wheels when doing an emergency stop and jamming the brake pedal since they all had ABS.

Chevy EV
 

The Equinox has regenerative braking coupled with hydraulic. Don't know about tesla.

Recharged for free? You must have a roof full of solar panels

I own an EV not a Tesla.
The breaks override whatever mode you in.
Equivalent to being on a train, the engine and the engineer are up front, but a passenger can pull the emergency break at any time.

I would just add that FSD will use the brakes as needed when the car needs to slow down fast. Think coming up to a stoplight and it turns yellow just before you can make it thru the intersection. In (literally) microseconds the car will determine if you're going thru or not and either brake to a stop or continue on.

But, yeah, the car has a brake pedal like any other car. Shoot me a note if you want to drive mine and try it out for yourself :)

Joe

VT

We bought a Tesla Y in August 2023….waited for a Texas made with new version of hardware (4.0) and 4680 structural battery pack. Tesla has 4 wheel disc brakes that are always active but 1 pedal driving is amazing.

About a year ago my wife was in Inverness on RT 44 going East around 60mph. A woman with 3 kids in the car pulled out in front of her to take a left and stop dead in her lane. Before she could react the car locked the brakes and stopped a few car lengths from T-boning the car. She probably would have avoided the accident, but it would have been much closer.

Phantom braking. Friend and neighbor just before I moved here a few years ago; very too often had phantom braking in his Tesla. Hard lock going down 4 lane highways and such. Not fun.

His first Tesla was totaled from a not so bad hit to the right rear (tail-gater of course). Very slight dent in battery pack.
Second Tesla, just this past Christmas holiday phantom braking in the right lane of I-95.
Scary. Pretty hard jab of the brakes three times in about 3 minutes. Says he thinks it is seeing pedestrians. I saw nothing for 10 feet off the road (twilight, but good visibility - no fog).

So two Teslas in six years. Obviously he likes them. I won't ask him about insurance.

side story: When he first got it, we were driving right lane - divided highway. He insisted on showing me how he could adjust something on his big screen.
"David please don't do this now, you can show me later."
Few seconds later - Off the side of the road. Very lucky, it was one of the few side spots with extra space. Mostly ditch or river right next to the highway.

Tesla are as advanced as golf cars. And just like golf cars, they have 2 pedals. And drive like golf cars, electric golf cars anyhow.
Still the 2 pedals. Getting off the gas, er, acceleration pedal will give you some regenerative braking. But the second pedal will also apply the fully functional hydraulic brakes. A good thing since ev cars weigh on average 1000 pounds more than a gas car.
But unlike a golf car, Tesla also has accident avoidance braking. If the cars radar sees an object coming that you will hit, it can emergency brake on its own.

They don't always stop. Check out some of these crashes. All Reported Tesla Fires 🔥 | Tesla Fire

So sounds like you don’t have to do anything just point it in the right direction and take a nap.
Apparently it can tell how far away the stop sign is and can tell if the light is red or green.

Just because you apparently were born knowing all about Tesla's braking system, not all of us were....I am finding this very enlightening.

My Tesla has an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal, but I rarely use the brake pedal. Over 130,000 miles, never replaced the brakes or pads.

We are thinking about getting a lithium golf cart. What golf cart did you go with?

Well said. One of the more informative non gas v electric threads for a while, and very interesting.

A Custom Drive - solely sold by Villages Discount Carts - on 466 next to Birdie Golf and up on 441 in Summerfield. Lithium - 90 mile range, power steering, Regen braking, all the bells whistles. Has a screen just like Tesla with all data/info. Has a Frunk like Tesla too. IMO only downside is a bit of choppy ride due to low profile tires. And seats do not adjust. But looks great.

All Teslas have two pedals, a brake and accelerator regenerator

We drive a Lyriq EV. I love the one pedal drive, particularly with our round abouts. My wife has never tried one pedal driving, she simply pushes a button on the display and drives like she has for the last 50 years. Emergency braking works in either mode, very safe car.

But it does make it a great time to buy a Tesla.

All, thank you for the comments and information. I have never been in a Tesla or any other EV, and I was taking the "one pedal driving" literally. The clarification on having a brake pedal and hydraulics for applying the brakes manually is appreciated. Yes, I used the term "locking the wheels" and yes you are correct the ABS will override causing the brakes to rapidly go on and off. I have had this happen once, interesting experience. In any case this was an interesting discussion.

You mean like the Village resident who drove her tesla out of her driveway and right into the wall of her neighbor's house? Fun times.

The pedal that you push with your foot to make the EV go isn't called a gas pedal, since there's no gas in an EV. Instead, it's called a regenerative accelerator. It's called that, because when you take your foot off of it to slow down, it engages a battery-charging (regenerating) process.

The "full tank" reference is to the batteries, comparing them to a gas tank. While you're home, NOT using your car which is plugged into the wall socket somewhere, your vehicle is charging up. By the time you wake up in the morning it's "full" and ready to use. You never have to worry about waking up in the morning with a need to go to the gas station. Your "tank" (battery) is already full (fully charged).

I thought it curious that part of the periodic maintenance is to actuate and lubricate the brake system. Since you can actually drive it without touching the brakes, they need exercised periodically.

I've had performance cars my entire life. I've enjoyed the sound, the crisp sensation of shifting gears, speed and the feeling of being mechanically involved with the car. For me it makes driving somewhere fun, but I realize this is not for everyone. I feel a level of boredom when driving a car with an automatic transmission (not much choice these days) and really dislike CVT. My current car is supercharged with a dual clutch transmission, very fast but gets 30 mpg on highway. My son has a model Y. I drove it and have to say it was a good experience. It has great acceleration (0-60 in under 5 sec). It took me about two miles to get comfortable with one pedal driving, but the brake pedal worked perfectly when needed. I was also impressed with the usable interior space and with minimal conversion the car has impressive cargo space. It can transport his family of five with luggage to the airport for a cross-country flight and he has used it to go to Home Depot for building and garden supplies. I think EVs like this are an excellent choice for a local vehicle that is driven not much more than 200 miles in a day. For most people this probably covers 95% of their driving. But the infrastructure is not there to support convenient use of these vehicles across the country, and they have serious limitations in cold weather. I rented a plug-in hybrid in California recently. I expected keeping it charged would have been easy in that state. I had to hunt to find a charger. They were amazingly sparse, many where inoperable or occupied. I was glad I had a hybrid so I get gas to keep going and this was in California where no ICE vehicles will be sold in 10 yrs. Hard to see how that's going to work out.

It's not going to work out. Not without major changes to infrastructure (ha!) and battery technology (maybe). But that doesn't seem to concern them.

I own 2 Teslas and I love them. But I have a garage where I can plug in overnight and I rarely drive more than 50 miles in a day. Good luck if you live in an apartment in a crowded city and have to commute 100 miles each way.

That incident made me much more aware of who is driving what in local parking lots. We are always careful, but I want no part of being in front or behind an electric vehicle when they are starting to move, or ready to back up.

We've been telling family and friends for over 10 years... NEVER stand in any area behind or in front of an old person when they are moving their car to leave or arriving! It's Russian roulette to do so, particularly in a cloistered community for old people.:22yikes:

One thing I don’t like about most new ICE cars no manual emergency brake lever. You flip or push a button. I always felt the manual emergency brake was for when you have brake failure so you can control manually apply brakes to rear wheels. I guess I’m too old fashioned, if something not broke why fix it? Just like fuel injection, why squirt fuel below valves knowing it going to cause carbon build up on intake valve at more rapid pace? For what? .03 more miles per gallon? I remember in early 90s when automatic locking doors was introduced, not long before people couldn’t escape vehicle when something happened like engine fuel injector leak fire?

As for electric car I doubt at my age I will ever own one. My 12 year old Honda still runs like new.

Funny thing about old? we? well most all of us may get there and they won’t be standing in front of us? :wine: