[Laryngologist]

Hi folks,

Does anyone know how to set the S panel Drive to be automatically on when the car starts? I initially found it a bit clunky but have grown to like it. I wish I didn’t have to turn it on every time.

I’d appreciate any insights.

 

[poodlemaster]

I have gotten used to using the buttons, as you almost need to, to do many things. As for S Pedal, I would like to use it, but it does shut down quite easily when used at all hard. So I just pull on the left paddle a few times til the 4 bars are lit beside the D and use that. Works the same but not quite as strong. Always works.

 

[R P]

Sure don't know what you guys are talking about with S pedal not working?? Mine works all the time, except when fully charged which is normal.

But I agree with the OP, wish it would stay on until I shut it off (with paddles). Ideally there should be a setting for each drive mode to the level you want, and the highest should be stronger than what we have now.

 

[poodlemaster]

I can crash the S Pedal in just a few strong uses of it. Now I am talking strong usage, so our areas and driving may be different. I have hills.

 

[R P]

I can crash the S Pedal in just a few strong uses of it. Now I am talking strong usage, so our areas and driving may be different. I have hills.

What do you mean by crash? IE it is not strong enough to hold you back on a steeper hill?

 

[poodlemaster]

Crash means the S Pedal quits working. It will with a reasonable state of charge, work well a few times, but if you don't let it recover and keep using it strongly, mine will crash every time. Other people have had the same problem, so I think its how it works now. If they fix it so it does not crash I will use it, but 4 regen arrows from the paddle works just fine for now.

Gotta go load garbage, its dump day.

 

[R P]

Well, I can say that mine does not crash,... ever. It does not work after a full charge but that is expected. I just wish the regen was stronger like my old Kona EV used to be.

 

[md.]

Well, I can say that mine does not crash,... ever. It does not work after a full charge but that is expected. I just wish the regen was stronger like my old Kona EV used to be.

What's the coldest temperature that it's worked in for you? That could be the missing variable in this. Or, as @poodlemaster mentioned, it could be how hard you use it. In my test drives, it was right around 30F and S-Pedal would activate, but it would quit working after a second or two.

 

[R P]

What's the coldest temperature that it's worked in for you? That could be the missing variable in this. Or, as @poodlemaster mentioned, it could be how hard you use it. In my test drives, it was right around 30F and S-Pedal would activate, but it would quit working after a second or two.

We've had some cold spells where it was maybe down to -5C in the mornings, but have not had it out in really cold weather. Not sure why that should make a difference. Not sure what you mean by how hard I use it, as while driving and slowing down, incl some hills where I live, I will very often release my foot all the way on the throttle invoking maximum regen. But it has never turned off on me.

Where Poodlemaster lives is in the same coast area here, so his weather would be about the same.

 

[poodlemaster]

I live in the country, and as the Solterra is just so much fun to drive, I may, possibly, zoom around more than I should. I'm not talking real speed, but 70 Km/h in our 60 zones is pretty normal. Dumping the throttle pedal with the S Pedal on, from 70+ a few times is what kills mine off. In town, you might never see this kind of usage.

 

[R P]

I actually drive about 10 kms to a park pretty well every morning for a 7.5 km hike. It is all country roads with some hills, speed limit 60 kph but I go 80 - 90 most of the time (I use Waze). So maybe I will try what you describe. I will do it where/when there are no other people or cars around, or they will think I am a nutcase driver and maybe report me.

 

[poodlemaster]

I am going to the bottom of my hill tomorrow probably. My standard walk up to the hydro line, is a little shorter, maybe 7 km but there is 250 meters of up involved.

Yeah if using it hard 6 or 7 times does not kill it off, you may have a gem there.

 

[R P]

Mine goes up and down following ravines and creeks through the forest. It is a circle route, very scenic, and I do my best planning and solving tough problems on that walk. Have been doing it for many years.

 

[md.]

We've had some cold spells where it was maybe down to -5C in the mornings, but have not had it out in really cold weather. Not sure why that should make a difference. Not sure what you mean by how hard I use it, as while driving and slowing down, incl some hills where I live, I will very often release my foot all the way on the throttle invoking maximum regen. But it has never turned off on me.

Where Poodlemaster lives is in the same coast area here, so his weather would be about the same.

Just trying to figure out why it works for some and not others. Toyota apparently increases the buffer at the bottom of the battery State of Charge when it's colder out, so it wouldn't be crazy for them to also not want to charge the battery with regen when it's cold. Using it repeatedly could also cause Toyota to disable it since regen can charge the battery and fast as DCFC.

 

[OregonSubi]

I also have come to like using the S-Pedal drive, and in my vehicle it often just stops working, sometimes even early in a drive (2-3 minutes in). It works for a moment then says "S-Pedal Drive not available" and emits a chime. Not clear what causes it to dis-engage by itself. Our temps have been between the 30-40s. I, too, would like to see a permanent setting for it.

 

[R P]

I actually drive about 10 kms to a park pretty well every morning for a 7.5 km hike. It is all country roads with some hills, speed limit 60 kph but I go 80 - 90 most of the time (I use Waze). So maybe I will try what you describe. I will do it where/when there are no other people or cars around, or they will think I am a nutcase driver and maybe report me.

OK, on my drive to my morning walk today, I tried everything to try to disengage the S-Pedal, but it stayed on. I did the sudden unloading of the throttle at different speeds, probably 20 times or more incl some going downhill. But it never disengaged.

The outside temps were +9C and my SOC was around 50%. Also I always drive in ECO mode. So have no idea why it sometimes doesn't work for you guys. It would help if you gave the same info, temp, SOC and Drive Mode for when it fails for you.

Only thing I can guess is that maybe you have higher SOCs at the time, and repeated full strength regens pushed it up too much, too fast. Remember, regen is direct DC to your battery at possibly pretty high kW which may be too much at high SOC causing it to disengage. Just a theory...

 

[poodlemaster]

Ah ha. It must be Eco Mode, I'll have to try that. I have just left it in Normal Mode, well I did hit Power for the Acceleration tests, with my son in the car. It is real quick, but more importantly its real quick from any speed, not like an ICE car.

 

[FelineFreddie]

OK, on my drive to my morning walk today, I tried everything to try to disengage the S-Pedal, but it stayed on. I did the sudden unloading of the throttle at different speeds, probably 20 times or more incl some going downhill. But it never disengaged.

The outside temps were +9C and my SOC was around 50%. Also I always drive in ECO mode. So have no idea why it sometimes doesn't work for you guys. It would help if you gave the same info, temp, SOC and Drive Mode for when it fails for you.

Only thing I can guess is that maybe you have higher SOCs at the time, and repeated full strength regens pushed it up too much, too fast. Remember, regen is direct DC to your battery at possibly pretty high kW which may be too much at high SOC causing it to disengage. Just a theory...

This has been my experience as well. I always drive in Eco mode, and S-pedal never dis-engages.

 

[poodlemaster]

Yes indeed. Does not crash the S Pedal in Eco Mode. It seems to hit a little harder in Normal Mode, but more testing is needed.

 

[Whoabear]

This has been my experience as well. I always drive in Eco mode, and S-pedal never dis-engages.

It has never made sense to me that S Pedal would stop working and regen level 1-4 would still work. Sure sometimes the battery is too full, but if the battery was too full all of them shouldn't work for that window. So interesting to see that maybe it is an interplay between S Pedal and and the drive mode - which sounds more like a software bug than any intentional fail safes or battery protections.