Trailer brake assist

PRPerison

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I have been unable to find if the cybertruck comes with a towing trailer brake assist. Does anyone know if this is a confirmed feature or not available. Any links on the subject
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rodmacpherson

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No one but Elon and the Cybertruck team knows that answer yet.
 

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I have been unable to find if the cybertruck comes with a towing trailer brake assist. Does anyone know if this is a confirmed feature or not available. Any links on the subject
I think that we need a pinned page that has everything we know (we kind of have one but it isn't maintained to my knowledge) AND everything we don't know, both with URLs showing where we got the information. Right now the list of things we don't know is quite long, including this one.
 

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...comes with a towing trailer brake assist?
What does this mean? (I'm not a towing person, I don't know the terms.)

Are you asking if the Cybertruck will be able to control a trailer's brakes?

If that's the question, the answer is, 'The Model Y does that."

-Crissa
 

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I would bet it will come with a trailer brake controller, maybe as an option. If for some reason it doesn't come with the Cybertruck, you can always add an aftermarket brake controller, there are many different brake controllers available in the aftermarket.
 


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I would bet it will come with a trailer brake controller, maybe as an option. If for some reason it doesn't come with the Cybertruck, you can always add an aftermarket brake controller, there are many different brake controllers available in the aftermarket.
The brake assist is in the wiring, and just relays the vehicle's brake signal to the trailer. So as long as you have the trailer wire harness hooked up properly it should work fine (any vehicle). If the question is really about something in software and hardware (i.e., more elaborate than simply conveying the brake signal), then maybe @Crissa's answer is the right one.
 

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The brake assist is in the wiring, and just relays the vehicle's brake signal to the trailer. So as long as you have the trailer wire harness hooked up properly it should work fine (any vehicle). If the question is really about something in software and hardware (i.e., more elaborate than simply conveying the brake signal), then maybe @Crissa's answer is the right one.
A brake controller is required for (most) trailer brakes. "Any vehicle" with just wiring/relays will not activate the trailer brakes on most trailers. The wiring/relays alone, will activate the brakes lights and turn signals, but a brake controller is required to activate the actual brakes on most trailers. The brake controller activates the brakes and uses sensors to determine how hard you are braking and activates the trailer brakes at the appropriate level. It also has a manual override so you can apply the trailer brakes independently.
A factory brake controller option usually also has a safety sway control option.
 
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you can always add an aftermarket brake controller,
I don't think (someone correct me if I'm wrong) a typical aftermarket brake controller will work with a Tesla. The way I remember it, the aftermarket controller had a sensor or connection to the brake pedal. The harder you press the brake pedal the harder the controller would tell the trailer to brake. With a Tesla the brake pedal isn't the only way (or even the main way) you command the vehicle to decelerate. With the aftermarket brake controllers I remember, the trailer brake would not be activated when decelerating by letting off on the accelerator pedal on a Tesla vehicle.
 

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I don't think (someone correct me if I'm wrong) a typical aftermarket brake controller will work with a Tesla. The way I remember it, the aftermarket controller had a sensor or connection to the brake pedal. The harder you press the brake pedal the harder the controller would tell the trailer to brake. With a Tesla the brake pedal isn't the only way (or even the main way) you command the vehicle to decelerate. With the aftermarket brake controllers I remember, the trailer brake would not be activated when decelerating by letting off on the accelerator pedal on a Tesla vehicle.
You should be able to use an aftermarket brake controller, unless modified, it wouldn't activate except when you apply the brakes. Aftermarket controllers just get a signal that brakes are activated (brake pedal switch), then the pendulum (older controllers) or accelerometer are used to determine how hard you are braking and send the signal to the trailer brakes on how hard to apply trailer brakes.

While this may not work with "one pedal" EV driving, one could choose to drive "conventionally".

Actually, some EVs activate brake lights when "one pedal" driving, so with some modification, if one tied into that signal, the trailer brakes could be used with "one pedal" driving.
 

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Ah, I was wondering if some controllers use a pendulum or other type of acceleration detection. The one I remember as a kid (installed in my uncles 1978 Chevy Pickup) worked even when parked and the engine off, the manual lever on the device would move depending on how hard you pressed on the brake pedal. It seemed to have a mechanical connection to the brake pedal.
The pendulum/accelerometer idea would need to be setup correctly for a specific vehicle and trailer brake otherwise I could see that system going unstable. As you start to decelerate, the controller would tell the trailer to brake, causing more deceleration telling the trailer to brake harder causing more deceleration... I think you get were I'm going. I'm assuming the systems that use this method have adjustments or other control functions to prevent this.
 


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I'm not sure about Model Y, but Model X that come with towing upgrade have a connector under the driver dash that goes to control the trailer brakes. You connect your own trailer brake controller to that connector. I'm sure Cybertruck will at least have this, where you use your own brake controller plugged into it. But it could possibly come with a controller built in.

Edit: just looked it up and Model Y is exactly the same as Model X. You can see what the connector looks like here https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/model-y-brake-controller.204627/#fc-post-4944780
 

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Ah, I was wondering if some controllers use a pendulum or other type of acceleration detection. The one I remember as a kid (installed in my uncles 1978 Chevy Pickup) worked even when parked and the engine off, the manual lever on the device would move depending on how hard you pressed on the brake pedal. It seemed to have a mechanical connection to the brake pedal.
The pendulum/accelerometer idea would need to be setup correctly for a specific vehicle and trailer brake otherwise I could see that system going unstable. As you start to decelerate, the controller would tell the trailer to brake, causing more deceleration telling the trailer to brake harder causing more deceleration... I think you get were I'm going. I'm assuming the systems that use this method have adjustments or other control functions to prevent this.
The pendulums have been in use for decades and the accelerometers for at least a decade. They still have knob or sliding switch to activate the trailer brakes independently if needed, and have a "gain" function to dial in the strength of brake activation. They are very reliable and every travel trailer, fifth wheel and utility trailer over a couple thousand pounds, uses these systems to activate their brakes. Over the last 10-15 years, many truck and SUV manufacturers have started adding OEM integrated brake controllers as an option, they usually have a sway control feature as well (apply trailer brakes if sway detected).
 

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The pendulums have been in use for decades and the accelerometers for at least a decade. They still have knob or sliding switch to activate the trailer brakes independently if needed, and have a "gain" function to dial in the strength of brake activation. They are very reliable and every travel trailer, fifth wheel and utility trailer over a couple thousand pounds, uses these systems to activate their brakes. Over the last 10-15 years, many truck and SUV manufacturers have started adding OEM integrated brake controllers as an option, they usually have a sway control feature as well (apply trailer brakes if sway detected).
Euro:

The 13-pin plug on my Model 3 is for «normal» trailers, also with brakes but without EBS (electronic brake system). Although pin 12 is reserved for future use according to the ISO-standard.

But I would hope the CT would come with the 7-pin trailer connector (ISO 7638-2) for heavy-duty trailers. Pin 6 and 7 are for CAN-BUS communication (incl ABS/EBS) so it can control the brakes.
 

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I have been unable to find if the cybertruck comes with a towing trailer brake assist. Does anyone know if this is a confirmed feature or not available. Any links on the subject
Asthe owner of a travel trailer....good question.
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