What is the Tesla Creep Mode and How Does it Work?

Whenever people talk about Tesla EVs, they immediately visualize a highly automated, technologically-advanced, and futuristic vehicle that offers benefits and features like no other car.

Fortunately, this common consumer perception of a Tesla electric car is extremely close to reality, as this battery-powered automobile truly is the epitome of superior automobile technology and unmatchable qualities.

One feature highly appreciated among all Tesla owners is the creep mode, which makes parking, controlling, and moving the electric car much more convenient for Tesla drivers.

Read: Difference Between Tesla AWD and RWD

Table of Contents

What is the Tesla Creep Mode?

While some people may only see Tesla as the global pioneer of commercial electric vehicle technology, in reality, the company and its unique concepts are much more than just that.

Although most consumers across the globe choose to invest in a Tesla electric car for its eco-friendly electrical engine and significantly low running costs, they are always pleasantly surprised by the many unique features the EV is designed to offer.

One feature many Tesla users are unaware of is the Tesla creep mode. When used correctly, this mode offers plenty of benefits and can really improve the driving experience.

However, although all Tesla electric car models come with the pre-installed creep mode, most users have no idea what this feature is, how it works, what benefits it brings, and how to turn it on.

In simple words, the creep mode feature in a Tesla electric car is designed to allow the EV to move a very small distance, either forward or backward, without pressing the accelerator.

Creep mode is one of the three stopping modes present in a Tesla electric car, and it is designed to allow better EV control, encourage careful driving and braking, and enhance user convenience.

Moreover, the creep mode feature of a Tesla electric car is extremely easy to activate and use, and it allows the battery-powered automobile to act and move in a similar way to an automatic internal combustion engine car.

To understand how to creep mode works and its role in the braking process, it is important that the user understands how the two other stopping modes of a Tesla electric work.

Hence, continue reading the article to learn about the three stopping modes present in a Tesla electric car to understand what the creep mode is, how to turn it on, and how it differs from the other modes.

Moreover, the article will also be shedding light on the common ways one can use their Tesla EV’s creep mode to enhance their driving experience, along with listing some of the benefits of enabling your Tesla’s creep mode.

Finally, the article will list and briefly elaborate on some other popular modes and features that make Tesla EVs the innovative beasts they are.

Let’s get started!

What Are the Three Stopping Modes Present in a Tesla Electric Car?

Like always, Tesla has gone above and beyond to design an EV-stopping system that enhances the safe deceleration and braking of an electric automobile.

Although the creep mode is pre-installed in all Tesla electric car models, the complete three-mode stopping system is only present in a Tesla Model 3 electric sedan and the Tesla Model Y electric SUV.

The three stopping modes are as follows:

The Tesla Hold Mode

The hold mode is a unique feature that allows users to enjoy the ‘One Pedal Driving’ system.

Since a Tesla electric car comes with only two pedals, an accelerator, and a brake, the hold mode eliminates the need to depend on the braking pedal and allows the electric vehicle’s driver to drive the entire day without ever stepping foot on the brake pedal.

This is how it works:

As the Tesla driver presses the accelerator foot pedal, the electric car moves forward or backward, depending on its settings.
However, when the driver has to stop the car, the hold mode requires that the driver simply removes their foot from the pedal.

As the accelerator is no longer pressed, the EV can come to a smooth and slow stop.
As long as the driver keeps their foot off the accelerator, the EV remains still even when it is on inclined terrain.
Once the Tesla has been in the hold mode for almost ten minutes, the EV will automatically shift to ‘park.’

Read: Charging Tesla in the Rain

What is the Benefit of Using the Hold Mode?

Since hitting the brakes of any automobile can lead to reduced energy efficiency and increased brake wear, driving the EV using only the accelerator can help enhance energy usage and reduce brake wear and depreciation.

The Tesla Creep Mode

As the name suggests, the Tesla creep mode allows the electric vehicle to move super slowly and “creep” around on the road.

As mentioned above, the creep mode allows the Tesla electric car to move around like a traditional automatic internal combustion engine vehicle.

Moreover, unlike the hold mode, which limits the brake pedal usage, the creep mode limits the usage of the EV’s accelerator.

This is how it works:

As the Tesla electric driver presses the brake pedal, the EV comes to a halt.
If the Tesla creep mode has been enabled, the driver will have to simply rest their foot on the pedal with a slight pressure to keep the EV in a stopped state.
As the driver takes a bit of pressure off the brake pedal, the Tesla electric car will automatically move forward.

This means that Tesla can move forward without the need for manual acceleration.
However, in creep mode, the EV will not actually pick up speed.

Instead, without acceleration, the EV will simply inch forward or backward or move very slowly as long as the foot is off the brake, just like an automatic ICE car.

As soon as the user disables creep mode, the driver will have to manually accelerate to move around slowly.

Tesla Rolling Mode

Finally, the last mode is the Tesla rolling mode. This mode allows the electric car to behave like a manual ICE car in neutral.

This is how it works:

Once the Tesla slows down or stops, the rolling mode will allow the EV to roll forward or backward freely.
If the Tesla is rolling down an inclined surface while in rolling mode, it will not engage the EV’s brakes or trigger its regenerative braking system.
However, if the driver does press the brakes while in rolling mode, the EV will shift to the ‘hold mode’, and come to a halt.

How to Turn on the Tesla Creep Mode

Tesla has made the enabling process quite easy to encourage its consumers to use all three unique and beneficial stopping modes.

To turn on Tesla creep mode, you need to follow the steps listed below:

Begin with shifting your Tesla electric car to park mode.

However, the EV needs to remain turned on to enable creep mode

Click the display touch screen and locate the controls tab
Once in the controls tab, locate the ‘Pedals and Steering’ section

In this section, locate and click the ‘Stopping Mode’ button
Finally, choose the ‘Creep’ mode to enable this stopping feature.

The same process needs to be repeated to either disable creep mode or switch to another stopping mode.

How to Use Creep Mode to Help You Drive Better

Apart from being the master of electric automobile innovation, Tesla is perhaps one of the very few brands that pay close attention to their consumer needs, wants, and requirements.

Hence, the creep mode has indeed been designed to serve a specific purpose. This is how to creep mode is useful to drivers:

While Parking

When one has to park their car, especially in a tight spot, one must maintain a snail’s pace and be ready to brake at a moment’s notice.

Creep mode ensures that a Tesla owner can park their vehicle without having to worry about hitting another car or bumping into a wall or the sidewalk.

In a regular ICE vehicle, the driver runs the risk of accelerating too hard, which can cause them to hit the car in front of or behind them.

However, since the creep mode does not require the accelerator to be pressed at all, this effectively negates the risk of moving the car too far forward or backward.

Hence, by using the braking pedal, the Tesla’s small and slow movements can result in smooth and safe parking.

Say goodbye to nicking your car door or hitting the curb – that’s a thing of the past when you park using creep mode.

While Moving in a Traffic Jam

This is the same situation as parking your car in a tight spot, except that you have other vehicles moving around you at the same time.

Since the creep mode will require the driver to keep their foot off the brake pedal at all times, drivers won’t need to keep an eye on the amount of pressure they’re applying when accelerating.

Moreover, since the creep mode allows the driver to move very slowly, this reduces the chances of the EV speeding up and crashing into another vehicle.

While Moving through a Drive-thru Lane

Any time one has to move through a food establishment’s drive-thru, they must control their automobile’s speed to protect the building and the other vehicles in the drive-thru lane.

By enabling the creep mode, the driver can move their EV an inch at a time, just the way it is advised.

This ensures that you move at a pace that’s beneficial to you and the drivers around you. It also means that you’ll have more control over where you stop, so you’ll never drive past the drive-thru window ever again.

The Benefits of Enabling Your Tesla Electric Car’s Creep Mode

If you are someone who truly appreciates and spends time understanding the highly advanced Tesla automobile technology, you probably already know that no feature or mode designed by Tesla comes without offering a unique benefit.

Creep mode is no different, as it has been specially designed and installed in all Tesla electric cars to enhance the driving experience.

Some of the top benefits that come from enabling the Tesla creep mode are as follows:

Accelerating too much can drain your battery quicker than normal. This means more money spent on recharging your battery and more wear and tear down the line.

Since the creep mode eliminates a driver’s dependency on the accelerator, the rate of battery depletion is reduced, and energy efficiency goes up.
As a result, the Tesla electric car’s range is improved, thus reducing the annual recharging costs.

Moreover, by enabling creep mode, drivers can reduce the chances of crashing their Tesla while parking or moving through a densely-packed road.
Furthermore, since the driver does not have to worry about controlling their acceleration when moving slowly through a drive-thru or the traffic, they do not have to be as vigilant and can relax with the enabled creep mode.

Read: Is It Possible to Jumpstart a Tesla?

Other Popular Modes and Unique Features of a Tesla Electric Car

Sentry Mode: enhances a parked Tesla electric car’s security and protection against break-ins and theft.
Camping Mode: helps maintain and regulate the cabin temperature, airflow, and lighting when camping.
Autopilot: allows the driver to sit back as the electric car moves around and drives to the designated destination on its own.
Walk-Away Door Lock: this allows the doors and cabin of the Tesla electric car to lock automatically as the driver walks away from their parked and switched-off EV.

Final Thoughts

Purchasing a Tesla electric car is not a decision you should take lightly. Hence, Tesla has gone all out to make sure that its EV’s unique features and modes offer the Tesla buyer true value for their money.

One such feature that makes a Tesla electric car superior to a majority of its competitors is the creep mode. This mode causes the battery-powered automobile to act like an automatic ICE car, allowing the EV to move tiny distances without any manually triggered acceleration.

This feature is extremely useful when the EV has to move inch by inch when parking, while waiting in traffic, or even while moving through a fully-packed drive-thru lane.

Check here:

Matthew

My name is Matthew, staying in Seattle, Washington. Electric Vehicles (Electric Cars & Electric bikes) caught my attention for the last few years and my love for electric cars and bikes is everlasting. I spend many of my weekends traveling to various places all over various cities with my electric vehicle (e-bike and electric car). Here I am sharing my expertise, experience, and invaluable information about electric cars and electric bikes. Check out more.