Hopefully CT has lots of software modes - vs. the current tesla's that have adjustable functionality but not pre configured ride modes

[CyberGus]

Input is error.

Cybertruck will never have L4 autonomy until it can self-select the correct "mode".

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[SolarWizard]

I know nothing about mechanics and electronics of how these cars work but I don't see why you need snow mode? If the purpose is for you to avoid locking wheels and slipping, shouldn't that be standard safety feature that is active all the time? unless you are on a tow truck or some sort of funky drift mode for fun, vehicle should not be moving when the wheels are not turning. If that is happening, computer have to adjust, power, regen and braking to control traction on snow, mud, sand or any other surface. Modes should be for when you want it to slip.

Those of you who know what you are talking about, educate me if I am missing something here.

I didn’t own my R1T long enough to see snow but what most vehicles ive owned like the Raptor and a couple Mercedes SUVs that had snow mode did was mute the throttle response so it took more pressure to break traction, to allow more slip especially in turns and adjust the suspension so it was more compliant or taller. In an EV id assume regen is reduced to avoid lockup and reduce coolant flow/deactivate active shutters

 

[tidmutt]

I hear you, my daughter likes to leave my truck in 4x4 when the snow is gone...not good for drive train. But in the end you cant fix human mistakes and 99% of the time people get it right. If the modes are created well you should notice...eg ride height, throttle response, regain - should be obvious..and im not opposed to also adding an Auto Mode (like you kind of describe).

The only thing about “Modes” is it is very easy to forget you are in a mode and drive around in the wrong one. When I’m mountain biking, shocks often have Climbing and Descending toggles and I frequently end up going up or down in the wrong one. The difference is not so big and obvious that you can’t go down when in up mode, but it’s not great either.

One way around this is if it resets every time your start the truck, then your wrong-mode only lasts for one trip. It would be interesting if the cameras picked up on certain things. With mapping data and the visuals, maybe it could pick which mode you are in dynamically.

The car should be able to figure much of it out pretty reliably... As Elon likes to say, "all input is error". The car should be able to say, "am I going up a hill or down a hill?". What's the temp? Is there snowfall predicted today? Is it winter? Are the conditions suggesting snow/ice is likely? What are the traction characteristics of the surface I'm on? Is it wet? Does the human usually engage a different mode here?

All of this with the option for the human to override.

My Model Y already suggests destinations pretty effectively based on time on of day and my current location, I suspect. That's just a small example of what it should be able to do.

 

[Ogre]

The car should be able to figure much of it out pretty reliably... As Elon likes to say, "all input is error". The car should be able to say, "am I going up a hill or down a hill?". What's the temp? Is there snowfall predicted today? Is it winter? Are the conditions suggesting snow/ice is likely? What are the traction characteristics of the surface I'm on? Is it wet? Does the human usually engage a different mode here?

All of this with the option for the human to override.

My Model Y already suggests destinations pretty effectively based on time on of day and my current location, I suspect. That's just a small example of what it should be able to do.

YES.

It’s not that it shouldn’t have adaptation for snow, it’s that it shouldn’t need to be manually activated. On a bike, it’s expected, it’s a dumb machine. My Tesla has the ability to spot a dog crossing the road and makes a reasonably accurate prediction of where it’s going. It should be able to figure out there is a layer of white ice covering the entire ground and drive appropriately.

“Snow Mode” is for dumb cars which can’t figure this out on their own what the weather is like.

Likewise, Fog Mode, City Mode, Bumper to Bumper traffic Mode, and Car Wars mode.

 

[SentinelOne]

Tough Crowd - I'll hold my breath for the all seeing, situationally aware, semi sentient CT! Do I bend my exoskeleton before it realizes I want Baja mode and stiffens / raises the suspension? Agree with the theory, just think you all will be disappointed on the timing and limitations but guess will be something to look forward to with Holiday OTA updates.

 

[Ogre]

Tough Crowd - I'll hold my breath for the all seeing, situationally aware, semi sentient CT! Do I bend my exoskeleton before it realizes I want Baja mode and stiffens / raises the suspension? Agree with the theory, just think you all will be disappointed on the timing and limitations but guess will be something to look forward to with Holiday OTA updates.

I (and I suspect most) would be fine with a dedicated off-road mode. Just not one for relatively normal, common, and predictable things like snow.

 

[Crissa]

I want a snow mode.

I'd really like for it to know when there's snow, too.

-Crissa

 

[tidmutt]

Tough Crowd - I'll hold my breath for the all seeing, situationally aware, semi sentient CT! Do I bend my exoskeleton before it realizes I want Baja mode and stiffens / raises the suspension? Agree with the theory, just think you all will be disappointed on the timing and limitations but guess will be something to look forward to with Holiday OTA updates.

I'm not expecting it to do all of that, just talking about the ideal, aspirational concepts.

The really interesting thing about the Tesla vehicles to a software guy like me is that they are essentially a software platform. They can evolve in some pretty impressive ways over time. It might be a while before those capabilities evolve but they all seem quite feasible. I could see many years from now when the market is different that Tesla and other manufacturers will sell these software upgrades much like how Tesla sells performance upgrade software.

 

[tidmutt]

I want a snow mode.

I'd really like for it to know when there's snow, too.

-Crissa

I (and I suspect most) would be fine with a dedicated off-road mode. Just not one for relatively normal, common, and predictable things like snow.

I want the car to use it's potentially superior access to data, processing speed, and sensors to protect as many of us walking meatbags as possible. Things like icy conditions are not so obvious. What if other Tesla's share their data on driving conditions in real time. Crowd sourced driving conditions, we already do it with traffic and road work etc. Three vehicles in this same area noted icy conditions over the last 30 minutes, so all other vehicles in the area can caution the driver, engage appropriate driving mode, slow down if in FSD/Autopilot.

Also, not everyone is savvy enough to realize the conditions are started to change. I often think of my mum, LOL, she wouldn't notice, or she would notice the snow but wouldn't know to press the snow button. We end up back at the "all input is error" concept and I think vehicles will evolve in this direction.

Actually, she's told me she is too afraid to drive my Tesla, so she wouldn't be driving anyway. LOL But you get the point.

 

[scottf200]

I know nothing about mechanics and electronics of how these cars work but I don't see why you need snow mode? If the purpose is for you to avoid locking wheels and slipping, shouldn't that be standard safety feature that is active all the time? unless you are on a tow truck or some sort of funky drift mode for fun, vehicle should not be moving when the wheels are not turning. If that is happening, computer have to adjust, power, regen and braking to control traction on snow, mud, sand or any other surface. Modes should be for when you want it to slip.

Those of you who know what you are talking about, educate me if I am missing something here.

They do a good job of describing it. It has some smarts on when to suggest (nudge) it to be used.

https://stories.rivian.com/software-update-snow-mode

From above page:

With Snow mode engaged, your R1T and R1S are optimized to handle snowy, slushy and icy on-road conditions. In addition to softening the pedal response for smoother acceleration, our tenth dedicated drive mode also helps prevent slip and wheel lock when decelerating by using a new ‘Low’ default Brake Regeneration setting and a more seamless transition to the vehicles’ Auto Hold functionality for more controlled stops in slippery conditions.​

What it does to the vehicle:

Once selected, the new drive mode relaxes the accelerator pedal response for smoother, more gradual acceleration and deceleration in wintery on-road conditions. Snow mode also introduces a new low Regenerative Brake setting, which is exclusive to this mode.​

When to use it:

Rivian drivers are encouraged to use Snow mode any time they want an added boost of confidence and control when driving in active winter weather conditions. The vehicle will automatically nudge you to switch to the new mode if you’re in Conserve and it detects wheel slip and an ambient outdoor temperature of 34 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. ​

While our All-Purpose drive mode and 20-inch All-Terrain tires* are still capable of handling a variety of winter road conditions, Snow mode was developed specifically for those who want a little more driver-focused control.​

 

[Ogre]

I want the car to use it's potentially superior access to data, processing speed, and sensors to protect as many of us walking meatbags as possible. Things like icy conditions are not so obvious. What if other Tesla's share their data on driving conditions in real time. Crowd sourced driving conditions, we already do it with traffic and road work etc. Three vehicles in this same area noted icy conditions over the last 30 minutes, so all other vehicles in the area can caution the driver, engage appropriate driving mode, slow down if in FSD/Autopilot.

Also, not everyone is savvy enough to realize the conditions are started to change. I often think of my mum, LOL, she wouldn't notice, or she would notice the snow but wouldn't know to press the snow button. We end up back at the "all input is error" concept and I think vehicles will evolve in this direction.

Actually, she's told me she is too afraid to drive my Tesla, so she wouldn't be driving anyway. LOL But you get the point.

As someone else mentioned. Maximum performance is needed in snow in order for Autopilot and FSD to perform safely.

 

[scottf200]

I ended up creating a driver profile for "Snow Mode" that has chill, lower regeneration, etc - it works but it's not going to cut it for the CT

And Tesla removed the ability to change the regen in ~June 2020 AFAIK.

https://electrek.co/2020/10/27/tesla-removes-regenerative-braking-strenght-option-new-cars/

_ However, new Tesla buyers are now reporting that the automaker has removed the option of choosing the regenerative braking strength.​

_ Owners of new Tesla vehicles built in the last few months are reporting on the forums (Reddit and TMC) that they don’t see the option in the settings anymore and some of them are being told by Tesla service centers that it is not a bug.​

_ Tesla is now delivering new cars with the regen strength being standard without the option to put it to ‘low’.​

_ The automaker is not taking away the option for vehicles who had it before even with the latest software updates.​

_ It appears to only affect new vehicles delivered since around June 2020.​

 

[Crissa]

I dislike not being able to modify UI to my preference, especially physical inputs.

-Crissa

 

[SentinelOne]

And Tesla removed the ability to change the regen in ~June 2022 AFAIK.

https://electrek.co/2020/10/27/tesla-removes-regenerative-braking-strenght-option-new-cars/

_ However, new Tesla buyers are now reporting that the automaker has removed the option of choosing the regenerative braking strength.​

_ Owners of new Tesla vehicles built in the last few months are reporting on the forums (Reddit and TMC) that they don’t see the option in the settings anymore and some of them are being told by Tesla service centers that it is not a bug.​

_ Tesla is now delivering new cars with the regen strength being standard without the option to put it to ‘low’.​

_ The automaker is not taking away the option for vehicles who had it before even with the latest software updates.​

_ It appears to only affect new vehicles delivered since around June 2020.​

Agree, that was kind of my challenge with the comments - what should occur and what is actually available today is a wide gap....so was thinking modes (for advanced capabilities like off-road + basic capabilities like snow) could be solved short term while they work on the "way it should be" to get the most out of their computer on wheels!

so I agree with everyone, just want a capable truck day 1 (I live in CO) and if the current tesla's are a barometer then we're not there yet and won't be late next year (but I hope we are)!

 

[Ogre]

Rivian drivers are encouraged to use Snow mode any time they want an added boost of confidence and control when driving in active winter weather conditions. The vehicle will automatically nudge you to switch to the new mode if you’re in Conserve and it detects wheel slip and an ambient outdoor temperature of 34 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

This is the way to do it.

Though if the brakes are as amazing as I’ve heard maybe some of this won’t be needed? Regardless, leaving half or more of the planet unprotected when the truck should be able to figure out this is needed is just bad form.

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