What is the introduction to Tesla gear positions?
4 Answers
Tesla gear positions are steering column-mounted shifters, which include P (Park), R (Reverse), N (Neutral), and S (Sport). Below is the relevant introduction: 1. Tesla: Tesla is an American electric vehicle and clean energy company that manufactures and sells electric cars, solar panels, and energy storage systems. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, it was founded on July 1, 2003, by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. The founders named the company "Tesla Motors" in honor of the physicist Nikola Tesla. 2. Automatic transmission: As the name suggests, an automatic transmission does not require the driver to manually shift gears. The vehicle automatically selects the appropriate gear based on driving speed and traffic conditions. Typically, automatic transmission cars have six gear positions, arranged from top to bottom as: P, R, N, D, S, L.
Tesla's gear design is particularly minimalist, and those accustomed to gasoline cars might need some time to adapt. The Model 3 and Y use the stalk on the right side of the steering wheel: push it down for Drive (D), pull it up for Reverse (R), and press the button on the top to engage Park (P). The most practical feature is that the car automatically shifts into P when you unbuckle the seatbelt while parked, and it also engages Auto Hold when you press the brake pedal firmly at a red light. The real-time gear display appears in the upper left corner of the central touchscreen—I initially kept instinctively looking for a gear lever, but now I find this design incredibly space-saving. If the screen freezes, don’t panic; there are emergency gear buttons in the overhead console, though such situations are extremely rare.
As a three-year Model 3 owner, let me share the essence of gear operation. For driving forward, gently push the right stalk all the way down; for reverse, push it all the way up—make sure the movements are decisive. When you activate parking mode at a red light, the dashboard will display a gray 'H' indicator, and you can simply press the accelerator to start moving. The most fascinating part is how it automatically shifts gears in Autopilot mode. Last week, during heavy traffic on the elevated road, the system autonomously followed the car ahead in stop-and-go mode without any need to touch the stalk. New owners must pay attention to the gear indicator, located at the edge of the small screen right above the steering wheel—it's easy to overlook at first. After the recent OTA update, the rearview camera now directly displays distance markers for nearby obstacles when reversing.
When I first got my Tesla, I was totally confused by the gear shift, but now I can operate it with my eyes closed. The key points are just three: push the right stalk on the steering wheel down to drive, up to reverse, and press the button on the end to park. The most hassle-free part is that the rearview camera automatically activates when shifting into reverse, providing a wider view than the rearview mirror. Once, when the screen suddenly went black and froze in an underground garage, I immediately pressed the emergency gear shift button next to the overhead reading light (on the 3rd-gen models), and the car could still shift and move. After driving for half a year, I find traditional gear levers cumbersome, but the minor issue of accidentally hitting the gear stalk when operating the wipers still hasn't been fixed.
