Scary experience with Telsa car and non-activating brake lights during 'braking'...
Recently I was driving around normally, and was following a Tesla car. After some freakish stops due to something further up front, I wondered why the Tesla brake lights did not operate when the car slowed down very fast! I nearly rear-ended the car and yes I had quite a distance between it and my vehicle so I was able to see the rapid slow-down with no brake lights and take evasive action. When the car was basically at a stop, they came on.
I found out via some research that (in some markets) unless the actual brakes are activated THE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT UP! This means if only regen braking is being used regardless of how much retardation the BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE! I do not know if this is an Australian market thing with Tesla's or if the vehicle was an import from another country.
It means a following vehicle if not paying proper attention will rear-end a 'braking' Tesla because the following driver will not realise the car is slowing (perhaps rapidly) because no actual braking with normal brakes is happening until it is too late to prevent a collision.
The car I was following basically only had brake lights on a or near a full when the actual brakes were activated (since e-braking will not work when the car is not moving).
Be very aware of this if driving behind a Tesla vehicle! I do not know if it's a standard feature that the owner can de-activate (so the brake lights turn on even under regen braking).
I found out via some research that (in some markets) unless the actual brakes are activated THE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT UP! This means if only regen braking is being used regardless of how much retardation the BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE! I do not know if this is an Australian market thing with Tesla's or if the vehicle was an import from another country.
It means a following vehicle if not paying proper attention will rear-end a 'braking' Tesla because the following driver will not realise the car is slowing (perhaps rapidly) because no actual braking with normal brakes is happening until it is too late to prevent a collision.
The car I was following basically only had brake lights on a or near a full when the actual brakes were activated (since e-braking will not work when the car is not moving).
Be very aware of this if driving behind a Tesla vehicle! I do not know if it's a standard feature that the owner can de-activate (so the brake lights turn on even under regen braking).
