Tesla Model 3 gets new Track Mode
A new over-the-air update is said to unlock more agility and - more importantly - enables flagrant drifting
Tesla has provided Model 3 owners with a new over-the-air update which is said to increase the on-track agility of their car and - if an accompanying video is anything to go by - provide them with the means to get really quite sideways on its surfeit of usable torque. Using the car's existing hardware, the new software essentially ups the reactivity of the the car's twin-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain, which, as you'll know, is really rather reactive to start with.
In Track Mode, if the driver asks for more steering angle while accelerating hard - aka they want to slide - the car can shuffle more drive to the rear motor, making the Model 3 temporarily rear-wheel drive. Unlike the on-off style switch of the BMW M5's all-wheel drive system, the Model 3 chooses to control the distribution of torque at the front and rear constantly, so after you've straightened up from a drift drive is reintroduced to the front axle.
Additionally, the brakes also come into play more often through the bends, enhancing the 3's ability to push more torque to the loaded side by applying even more braking force on the inside. This obviously simulates the effects of a limited-slip diff and is therefore primarily an aid to traction - unless, of course, you tell the car you want to get sideways again. Then it abandons this plan entirely.
Also turned up in Track Mode is the car's regenerative braking capability, as Tesla reckons you'll want maximum deceleration on track when the anchors are on. Thus you get improved stopping performance, and the car claws back as much battery life as possible (handy when it will be evaporating at huge rate from everywhere else).
Of course, electric powertrains have a habit of getting quite hot when you ask so much from them. So to preventing your Model 3 going into meltdown, Tesla's new software update enables the cooling systems to work overtime. Tesla said the system will also work for longer when the car's parked to bring the temperatures lower than it normally would, leaving you with more time before things start to overheat. In line with this, Track Mode also allows the powertrain to get hotter than normal. Cue "never been in Track Mode" lines on used Model 3 adverts...
Although I’m not so sure the author understands what an LSD does/how it works. The braking of the inside wheel is primarily a cheap way to get torque vectoring. Additional traction gained through limiting unloaded tyre slip by braking that wheel is the secondary function. This is a simulated LSD function, however it’s more similar to just plain old traction control.
This is just answering a pointless question. If you actually drive it like this you will over heat the battery and shag the range in 10 minutes.
Mine over heated on the way home today because I went the long way home and lost 20% in 11 miles.
"And has this car the latest software sir?"
"Eh, no, it's as I bought it.."
Of course you'll be able to "catch up" with the software updates, for a few hundred quid.
Personally I find the whole idea of constant updates tedious. It's a car. Build it properly and fk off thank you very much.
Essentially it boils down to the existing manufacturers being... Well... Manufacturers. All they want to do is 'nail' a load of stuff together, push it out of the door and leave the after sales support to their dealer network. They don't get modern tech, the issues around 'systems integration', 'security', 'patching', etc... They simply don't want to put the investment into supporting the products once they go out the door and are trying to apply a manufacturing mentality to modern day IT Systems... Which just isn't working.
FWIW - If you've not already done it, do a quick search for "car hacking" - You might find it a little alarming!!
Meanwhile, Tesla have taken the opposite approach, started with a load of IT geeks (he has recruited some big names) and got them to redesign from the ground up. They have built in mechanisms for updating systems securely, they understand software life cycles, testing, security, etc... etc... They 'Get it'.
Musk also understands the need for infrastructure to keep the things moving too, hence the 'Supercharger Network', solar roof panels, domestic batteries, etc...
Having worked in both industries, I'm not surprised in the slightest.
M
I don't doubt that this is the way the industry will go, but I think it's a little cynical to incrementally improve a car in this way. It's making it as good as it could have been in the first place.
Basically the same as remapping a 535d, or what Mountune do to a Focus ST.
As we're in the very early stages of EV adoption, when the car is released, they don't actually know the limits and the longevity of the parts. It wouldn't surprise me to find (especially with the US 'litigation culture') that some of the systems configurations are erring on the side of caution. It isn't until the cars have been in use and have fed back the telemetry, that they are able to analyse the results and figure they can 'tweak' things a little.
e.g. To begin with, Tesla may have would down the power output from the batteries, to prevent the wiring from melting something, shorting and then catching fire!! After looking at the figures, they may have decided they can dial things up by 5%...
I Dunno... But I don't think it's cynical.
M
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