If you own a Tesla or any other electric vehicle model, chances are you’ve seen a message saying ‘Limited Deceleration When Accelerator Is Released.’ Depending on how familiar you are with the features of your Tesla, you may already know about regenerative braking. We’ll be discussing the regenerative braking feature in full in this article, and it relates to the limited acceleration when the accelerator is released. Here we go.
Tesla Limited Declaration When Accelerator Is Released is a message by Tesla software that notifies drivers that the regenerative braking feature is no longer functional.
Whenever you see this message, you should use the brake pedal more, as your Tesla won’t automatically decelerate whenever you take your foot off the pedal. Continue reading to learn more about the regenerative braking feature, how it works, and what to do whenever it stops working. Here we go.
Regenerative Braking Feature Explained
If you own or are interested in buying an electric or hybrid car, chances are you are familiar with or have encountered the regenerative feature in your research. The entire concept of the regenerative braking feature is to convert the car’s kinetic energy into electricity which can then be used to charge the battery. This results in increased efficiency of the automobile.
The usual way of slowing a petrol or diesel-powered vehicle involves stepping on the brake pedal, resulting in hydraulic fluid pressure from the brake pads against the brake discs. The friction generated by this process slows down the vehicle but wears out the brake pads and discs.
So, what’s regenerative braking like in action? Whenever you are driving and take your foot off the accelerator pedal, the car automatically starts to decelerate, and the motors are changed from a power-generating mode to a power-saving mode with any excess energy generated as a result of the switch stored in the battery.
Tesla Limited Deceleration When Accelerator Is Released
The Tesla Limited Deceleration When Accelerator Is Released is a message that pops up on a Tesla when the regenerative braking feature is turned off. It’s a warning to drivers that the regenerative braking feature is no longer functional, and they should endeavor to use the brake pedal.
Since the regenerative braking feature automatically decelerates the vehicle whenever the driver takes their foot off the acceleration pedal, the driver will have to use the brake pedal more when it isn’t active.
Two main reasons are why your electric or hybrid vehicle may disable the regenerative braking feature. These are:
• When the battery is too cold. The vehicle software will want the battery to warm up a bit before activating the regenerative braking feature and using excess energy to charge the battery.
• When the battery is fully charged since there’s no way the battery can store more electricity.
How the message notifies you of the regenerative braking’s deactivation appears on your dashboard depends on the model and manufacturer of your vehicle. Usually, you can expect to see any one of the following variations depending on the model of your vehicle:
- Regenerative Braking Temporarily Reduced
- Regenerative Braking Features Temporarily Limited
- Limited Deceleration When Accelerator Is Reduced
Why You Are Getting The Limited Deceleration When Accelerator Is Released Message
We already explained the two situations where regenerative braking might be limited above, but we’ll like to discuss them in more detail under this heading. As you already know, regenerative braking will be limited when the battery is cold, something that’s a common occurrence in cold climates.
So, when you start your car, and the battery is too cold, your vehicle’s computer will limit the amount of energy available for the regenerative braking feature. The reason for this is to conserve the battery, and as you drive around, the battery will get progressively warmer, and the regenerative braking feature will slowly return until it is fully operational.
If you want to be able to use the regenerative feature right at the beginning, you can recondition your car battery based on your schedule. The car battery will preheat itself before you start it, allowing you instant access to a wide range of features, including the regenerative braking feature.
The other instance when the regenerative braking feature will be limited is when the vehicle battery is full. There’s no more room for the battery to store any charges when it’s fully charged. So, the vehicle’s system disables regenerative braking for some time.
What Does It Feel Like To Lose Regenerative Braking?
You’ll be notified of any reduction or limitation in regenerative braking when the feature isn’t fully operational. You’ll also notice changes in how the vehicle operates. Whenever you remove your foot from the accelerator pedal, your vehicle won’t decelerate as it would if the feature was active, and you’ll need to apply the brakes more to slow down.
What Should You Do If You Get The Limited Deceleration When Accelerator Is Released Message
Whenever you get any variation of the message that informs you that regenerative braking has been limited, continue driving normally. You only need to be prepared to use the brake pedal more often than before until the feature returns to complete functionality.
Tesla also allows you to activate a feature that makes your vehicles apply regular brakes for you whenever regenerative braking isn’t fully operational. You can activate this feature to allow your vehicle to slow down more predictably and conveniently.
Getting Familiar With The Regenerative Braking Feature
You may need a bit of time to get familiar with the regenerative braking feature, but once you are comfortable using it, you’ll never want to drive without using the feature. So, test how regenerative braking works whenever you get a new electric or hybrid vehicle. Ideally, you should practice in the lot of the auto shop where you bought the car if there’s enough space for it.
