Does Chill Mode reduce energy consumption?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Many people claim that Chill Mode will save energy. Is that really true? I did some tests to find out.
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I love chill mode, so smooth.
Haven't noticed any change in consumption though.
Great part is when you turn it off after a couple weeks the car feels crazy fast!
You should test it in city driving. That’s where chill mode should have an advantage.
Wouldn't chill mode be more effective around town rather than highway use?
There's no reason Chill Mode would save any energy on the highway. Steady-state driving is going to use the same amount of energy regardless of throttle response. It would only make a difference where there is lots of acceleration from a dead stop to the speed limit. I have a Zero SR motorcycle and its "Eco" mode, roughly the same as Tesla's Chill Mode, does make a significant difference in range in the city. I don't think the people claiming no difference in the city are doing realistic or scientific tests. Compare modes where there are lots of traffic lights and the traffic isn't heavy enough to slow you down below the speed limit. Strong/moderate acceleration from a dead stop versus weak acceleration with everything else being relatively normal should give you more of a difference. Stop & go and crawling in a traffic jam won't make a difference for the same reasons that it won't make a difference on the highway.
If you're used to leaving it in Ludicrous Mode but feathering the throttle in order to maximize range, you're basically just doing a manual Chill mode. Comparing that with an official Chill mode isn't a fair test. On the other hand, it does point to Chill Mode not really being a very useful addition. I Think it might be more useful for, say, Valet Mode or Teenager Mode, not so much for energy savings as to minimize temptation/risk.
I've tested ECO with my Leaf, all it does is dull the go-faster-pedal, so I guess it will be pretty much the same as chill mode and ECO on your Zero bike. I found no difference in my tests.
I do however believe that there might be a difference for some drivers, in some situations, and you describe one of them. Ruffly how big of a difference do you see? 10%, 30%..?
Anyways, the reason why you would see a difference is the interesting part of it. I believe that you can see lower consumption in ECO mainly because your average speed is lower, and that the general speed is smoother. Without eco, you might be harder on the accelerator, meaning harder stops at the end. I've done quite a few tests showing that steady speed is better than to vary the speed "all the time".
What's your view on this? WHY do you see lower consumption in ECO..?
Actually not surprising, since you have been driving Tesla's for a long time and naturally have been leaving it in Ludicrous all the time, your muscle memory has gotten used to the responsive accelerator pedal so you already know how to drive most efficiently, the Chill mode was made for people who are used to petrol or diesel cars that have a severe throttle lag, sometimes this is apparent in CVT transmission vehicles and other automatics, It is also good for older drivers who may have trouble with very slight movements of the pedal to adjust speed, so Chill mode softens out sudden movements and creates artificial lag to help. Personally wouldn't use it but it is there. :)
Also to note I know Chill mode also makes other acceleration changes in terms of Autopilot responsiveness and power restrictions, but one of the main reasons it was added was because of people wanting a more relaxed throttle response.
:}
I concur 99.9%. Perhaps Chill is also intended for new/un experienced drivers?
I admit to only being a "Tesla Wanna Bee". That said, I feel Ludicrous mode probably
was also designed into the controller box as a "Self Advertising" function for
Tesla Inc. The adveretinsing department knew owners would always inadvertantly
be talking and show videos of how fast their new EV accelerated, thus more sales in
the long one possibly.
:}
UTubeGlennAR Haha yeah Ludicrous Mode was always going to be one of the "selling points" of the car, and yeah new/unexperienced drivers will find it difficult at first to adjust to the throttle input, I know when i went for a test drive of the Model S 100D the throttle took a little getting used to, i mean it was amazing! But also i was trying to be very cautious and very soft footed but it still responded very quickly and that wasnt even the performance version!
Chill mode was developed for drivers who do not feel confident manuevering a powerful car on secondary roads or who expect a smoother ride whilst being fully aware they will be sacrificing performance. Driving style will always be the main factor in energy consumption regardless of whether you have Chill mode enabled or not.
Yes . Please do a test in heavy city driving ... that might show different results
Feature Request: allow the driver to modify the throttle map mode to include a combination of chill/sport/insane/ludi ... e.g. "chill" for the first 25% of throttle, "sport" for the middle 50% and either insane or ludicrous for the top 25% to "wide open" throttle.
Gotta use Chill mode, that way Man's not getting hot
Thanks for the Test, it's just as aspected.
At least in my AP1 car, accelerating while in Autopilot-Mode is the same with or without Chill-Mode. I wish it would be smoother (if you have passengers in the car).
I tried Chill mode for a week and I preferred it until I needed full acceleration which I then discovered was not as strong when the accelerator pedal is pushed to its limit. I now drive with Chill mode off, shame because I liked the smoother feel for 99% of the time but getting caught out when I did need full acceleration is too unsafe for me to leave it turned on.
Hei Bjørn
Chill mode is great with children, passengers that get easily carsick and passengers like my wife that gets unwell with the hard acceleration.
+Per S. Jørgensen Just learn how to use the foot.
Bjørn Nyland That's sounds advice. You can use the foot either to accelerate more gently or to kick out the passengers! 😂 (I'm actually one of the people who will appreciate the chill mode option though)
Maybe you haven't used the inbetweeners called sport mode it's like ludicrous almost but it's kinda chill like chill mode you can right me if u want :3
I don't have a tesla yet.. soon.. but I have noticed that unless you are constantly squashing the pedal to accelerate, the consumption on my Volt really doesn't change.. the range (because it is so low) will drop if I always race away from stop signs and lights. I always keep my car in "sport mode" and "L for full regen" the normal mode is chill mode for a volt.. and while it slows me down.. it doesn't really make a difference.
Chill mode works great in the snow. I get better traction from a standing stop, traction control rarely kick in if ever.
Thanks for the study :). Can't wait to get home and drive Frank Moses again. Lots of Model X's and S's here in Shangahi.
Physics is physics. To drive with one stable speed you need one amount of energy. It does not matter if your motor can deliver + 300 hp or + 500 hp. You need 50 or 70 hp to maintain speed and then - this costs exactly same amount of energy in all modes. Maybe if your driving will be in city rush or at least - changing over time, chill mode may help. This is same way "TeslaChip" range extender works - adds gliding/coasting and a bit more regen - but with one constant speed - it will give no help with range.
You should try this test in the heavy city traffic when you do plenty of start stop.
My wife likes chill mode as I often like to stomp accelerate, and in chill mode it just seems like her normal crazy husband.
We can always count on this TH-camr for Tesla facts
Chill mode is a speed ticket preventer. The chance to overshoot the acceleration after a traffic light start is lower in city limits. Autopilot is a bit smoother. Energy consumption does not drop. I can confirm. :)
Volker Blume or maybe not everyone wants to be thrown back when they accelerate
Alasdair White You mean Tesla wanted to tackle a new group of customer??;)
Chill mode will likely reduce tire wear due to reduced acceleration and it makes for a smoother ride.
I would say the only reason to use chill mode is a nicer pedal mapping. Thats why i use eco in my Zoe, the mapping is better and more precise.
I never thought Chill mode would reduce consumption, but tire wear on the other hand...
I had wondered about this and your tests were spotbon for answering this for me. Thank you for reporting. I live in S.F. bay area and during commute heavy traffic I use chill to remove that jack rabbit feeling. But like one of the responces here when you go back to ludicrous its really super fun again and reminds you why you would have picked this option. Fun.
Chill is a "throttle map" -- it reduces the power at any given throttle position, but at any given static speed, the net energy is not "programmable" (other than optimisation of front/rear motor bias, regen scavenging and terrain gliding.)
Chill also means cold.
I think its made for snow/ ice road conditons?
Typical Tesla style with hidden meaning.;)
Thank you for your test. Lately, in Québec, Canada, we had extreme cold weather. I would like to suggest a test to evaluate the potential on cold weather operation (range, charging speed, comfort, etc.) of insulating the lower part of the battery pack. I feel that that large conductive aluminum surface freeze the battery cells.
Pierre Champoux But remember there's a titanium plate over the aluminum, and titanium doesn't conduct heat nearly as well as aluminum. And using the two metals together decreases that even further.
Admittedly not as much as insulation could, but that insulation would be battery death in hot weather, and it needs to be able to function well in both. Generally, the consumption from driving and keeping passengers warm is enough to maintain a reasonable battery pack temperature.
I think it´s not made for energy consumption.....i´ll compare it with the "Housewife-Mode" in a Corvette ZR. This gives only the half of Power for the Driver. Sometimes it´s very important to do that ;-)
Does acceleration is the same for full battery and empty battery
Does chill mode also reduces the maximum speed?
Try chill mode vs. ludicrous with passengers and ask them what they think. Not on a highway at constant speed but either in a city or anywhere you accelerate and break a lot.
Thank You for the test! How Long was the route on wich you tested the consumption? Greetings Nora
And we use chillmode for my mother in law ;)
Energy (kWh) = power (kW) * time (h) , so if you always accelerate to the same speed (slower in chill mode), there will be no difference in used kWh's. Only if you have battery heat loss as you say, or have wheel spin in ludicrus mode. And cruising at 62 mph does not require 200kW power.
City driving have more variables but will probably give the same result, unless your top speed between stops is different. Test chill mode first and then accelerate to the same top speed in ludicrus.
Your best hope for a difference will be in long stretches on the Autobahn where your full power is in the 200-450kW range.
If you're cruising then of course it doesn't matter what mode you are using because the same power is needed to cruise at a certain speed.
I haven’t seen a noticeable difference in chill mode. It MUST be more efficient though. If you’re drawing less power from the battery then there are slightly less losses so it must be slightly more efficient.
It makes sense if you want reduce wear
Does the chill mode affect the power consumption for the climate system? Many other EV's limit the power output for climate when using these "power saving" modes.
st3ff3n87 no, "range mode" limits the climate control though.
I'm an older gentleman - dislike the use of the word "chill" - feel it should be more mature - why not "tranquil" ? I think it reflects the drive style better.
Martin Bronsdon, Gothenburg, Sweden
+Martin Bronsdon Chill, Ludicrous, Insane, BAMF Performance, S3X... Just get used to it.
You need this app to do more accurate measurements: th-cam.com/video/DErKC5S0bMc/w-d-xo.html
Just chill.. mode! 🦅🦅🇺🇸😃
You are driving with AP 😂 The sense of reduced energy consumption is that in Chillmode the fine foot movements are evened out and reduce unnecessary accelerations all the time. When you drive in AP or TACC sure it makes no difference 😉
Does chill mode includes some gras, good music, food and a nice woman?