PSA: What Happens When Start/Stop Button is Accidentally Pushed While Driving

[ctenidae]

Sure, although you're now changing the pressure on the brake as you wait, assuming you're able to comfortably use the brake at all with the seat in the back position.

Also, this assumes park = the driver is getting out of the car. However, in an EV, it's perfectly reasonable to have the car in "Ready" ("started"), but in Park, while waiting for a passenger to get in or get out of one of the other seats. (that's actually reasonable in an ICE vehicle as well, but that's sort of irrelevant here.)

These are vaguely edge case, but they are all solved with the current setup.

In an EV, once you stop you can take your foot off the brake, so passengers can get out without putting it in park. The only real reason to put an EV in park is to stop driving.

Just providing a "sane" way to use easy entry/exit without a start/stop button.

 

[SnBGC]

In an EV, once you stop you can take your foot off the brake, so passengers can get out without putting it in park. The only real reason to put an EV in park is to stop driving.

Just providing a "sane" way to use easy entry/exit without a start/stop button.

Um...nope. if I take my foot off the brake once I come to a stop then the car will start moving again.

I put my EV in Park all the time without wanting it to turn off. Picking up my prescription at the drive thru, setting the alarm at the office, checking the mailbox, loading/unloading my cargo etc. There are literally dozens and dozens of reasons to place the vehicle in Park without shutting it down.

 

[BigMach-E]

Hmmm, I'm at 20k miles, never even thought about this. I also have never needed to change the orientation of the vent while driving, or thought to do that. Button placement is fine for me. I would think that putting the button in a hard to get position would be bad, and not to be able to turn the car off while moving is bad. While I understand the OPs issue, I just don't think any of the proposed solutions make anything better.

 

[mkhuffman]

Oh riiiiight, I forgot about that. I should make sure I set that up also

I love it, use it all the time.

So do I. I use it practically every day. Ford has been putting these on their cars for years, and I wish all cars had it. It is so, so convenient.

 

[JamesStew71]

This is absolutely a scary situation and agree the start/stop button placement is "unfortunate" but I would suggest that this same situation could happen in other cars as well. Had a similar incident in my Jaguar F-Pace SVR when trying to change HVAC settings (hit a bump and accidentally pressed start/stop button). Manufacturers should take better care of placement but IMHO, not being able to turn the car off even if in drive would be a bigger safety risk.

same thing happens if you turn off key and steering may lock, pay attention your in a car - not a recliner

 

[Ming]

Why do we even need a Start/Stop button there are other EV's out there that have done away with the start/stop button

I'm so used to Tesla that now I often forget pushing the button when exit MME.

 

[ctenidae]

Um...nope. if I take my foot off the brake once I come to a stop then the car will start moving again.

I put my EV in Park all the time without wanting it to turn off. Picking up my prescription at the drive thru, setting the alarm at the office, checking the mailbox, loading/unloading my cargo etc. There are literally dozens and dozens of reasons to place the vehicle in Park without shutting it down.

Interesting. I never need to do that. Ever. Unless I'm actually getting out of the car, of course. In which case activating easy exit by putting it in park serves its purpose.

 

[Mach1E]

Interesting. I never need to do that. Ever. Unless I'm actually getting out of the car, of course. In which case activating easy exit by putting it in park serves its purpose.

Really? Never?

We live very different lives.

Just thinking of my driving yesterday. On the way home from a theme park with the family. Had to drop off my kids friends. Wasn’t in the Mach E but the same concept applies. Get to stop 1. Our car in park. Kid gets out. Wave good bye to the parents, back into drive and drive away. Repeat for kid 2. A\C running the whole time (Florida), radio on, easy exit not engaged.

Pretty much any time I would pick someone up or drop someone off, the car will go into park without me getting out at some point.

In an EV, once you stop you can take your foot off the brake, so passengers can get out without putting it in park. The only real reason to put an EV in park is to stop driving.

Just providing a "sane" way to use easy entry/exit without a start/stop button.

Only if you use 1PD (which I don’t.).

Also doesn’t solve the times you need to get out of the car for a short amount of time but want to leave the AC on or radio on (for your passengers or just because it’s hot).

On off button is an easy solution.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I'm so used to Tesla that now I often forget pushing the button when exit MME.

Be extra careful you don’t disable auto-shutdown when the warning pops up, otherwise you could completely drain your HV battery and become stranded if you park and forget to turn it off. The Mach-E does not have any additional auto shutdown failsafes even if the HV battery is down to 1%. It will drain all the way to 0% / Stop Safely Now. This is an issue for Tesla drivers because they aren’t used to switching vehicles off and it’s easy to forget when driving a different brand of EV.

 

[Motomax]

Very disconcerting event: I accidently touched, (brushed) the Start/Stop Button while adjusting the air vent above the start/stop button. The car turned off the motor and put a emergency message on the small screen in front of me stating pull over immediately, shift to neutral, hold the foot brake on and re-start using the start/stop button to start the car again. Needless to say, this was very disconcerting at 60 MPH and a scary situation in heavy traffic. Luckily I was able to do this safely and we continued our journey.

My question is how is this possible while actively driving a car? With the vent directly above the Start/Stop switch and needing only a very light touch on the switch, I feel this is a very unsafe situation! Admittedly I've put on ~5500 miles on the car and this is the only time I've had this happen. I would think you would need to push and hold the switch for a few seconds, if the car is moving to ensure you want to shut the motor(s) off. The steering and brakes continued to operate normally.

First time driving a car? Lol it’s considered a safety feature (whether you think it has merit or not), just like cutting power with both pedals pressed, and the emergency brake. I’m not sure why this surprises you, it acts the same way it would if your turned a key.

 

[ctenidae]

Really? Never?

We live very different lives.

Just thinking of my driving yesterday. On the way home from a theme park with the family. Had to drop off my kids friends. Wasn’t in the Mach E but the same concept applies. Get to stop 1. Our car in park. Kid gets out. Wave good bye to the parents, back into drive and drive away. Repeat for kid 2. A\C running the whole time (Florida), radio on, easy exit not engaged.

Pretty much any time I would pick someone up or drop someone off, the car will go into park without me getting out at some point.




Only if you use 1PD (which I don’t.).

Also doesn’t solve the times you need to get out of the car for a short amount of time but want to leave the AC on or radio on (for your passengers or just because it’s hot).

On off button is an easy solution.

All true. The specific request I was responding to was for a "sane" way to activate easy entry/exit without a start/stop button. That's what I (think I) provided. In your specific use case, as cited, yes, moving the seat every time you put it in park would be a hassle.

I don't put the car in park to load/unloading passengers, unless I'm getting out of the car. YMMV. I have rarely ever needed to leave AC running when not in the car- never yet in the MME, and the Tesla could stay on without using an on/off button. Again, YMMV.

/man, didn't expect to be pilloried for suggesting a fix for something

 

[Mach1E]

All true. The specific request I was responding to was for a "sane" way to activate easy entry/exit without a start/stop button. That's what I (think I) provided. In your specific use case, as cited, yes, moving the seat every time you put it in park would be a hassle.

I don't put the car in park to load/unloading passengers, unless I'm getting out of the car. YMMV. I have rarely ever needed to leave AC running when not in the car- never yet in the MME, and the Tesla could stay on without using an on/off button. Again, YMMV.

/man, didn't expect to be pilloried for suggesting a fix for something

You must be new to the internet then!

It seems most of us don’t want you to take our start/stop buttons away (or give Ford the idea that they should).

On the Ford subject, I think they (rightfully so) wanted to make the Mach E look like, and drive like, the ICE cars people are used to.

Apple computers really didn’t go mainstream until they made them work more like PCs. People are more likely to change when they don’t have to change much.

 

[Satisfiend]

maybe get something like this to cover it lol.

I sincerely want something like this

 

[GrayWolf]

I sincerely want something like this

This is The Mandalorian version:

https://ev-vida.store/products/mando-push-button-cover

 

[Satisfiend]

This is The Mandalorian version:

https://ev-vida.store/products/mando-push-button-cover

that's pretty sick where can I find more of these?