Have you noticed this phenomenon: whether it’s an electric car or a gasoline car, whether it’s an automatic or manual transmission, as long as you shift into gear and release the brake, the car will move slowly even if you don’t step on the gas pedal. What’s the principle behind this? Can it be stopped?
Let’s first look at gasoline cars: “Idle creep” is a physical characteristic
A gasoline car can move slowly without stepping on the gas pedal, which is called “idle running” in the industry and commonly known as “idle creep”. This is not a feature deliberately designed by car manufacturers but is determined by the physical structure of the gasoline engine.
Unlike an electric motor, which can rotate as soon as it is powered, a gasoline engine needs to maintain a certain speed to keep running, which is called “idle speed”. Once a gear is engaged, the engine and the transmission are connected, and the power is transmitted to the wheels through the transmission, causing the car to move slowly on its own.
During idling, the engine speed is generally between 600 and 800 revolutions per minute, so the creep speed is about 5 to 8 kilometers per hour, similar to the speed of a person walking. This creep is an inherent characteristic of the engine structure and essentially cannot be “turned off”.
However, there is now an “automatic hold” function that can lock the vehicle in D gear, which to some extent “pauses” the idle running. Now let’s look at electric cars: “Creep mode” is a humanized design
Electric cars do not have engines, transmissions, or idle speed, so in theory, they should not be able to move on their own. But most electric cars will also move slowly when shifted into D or R gear and the brake is released. This is because of the “creep mode”.
The development of this function is, on the one hand, to continue the driving habits of gasoline cars. If an experienced driver just switches to an electric car and the car doesn’t move when the brake is released, and they are unsure about how much to press the accelerator when starting, they may panic or even cause the car to lurch forward. With the creep mode, the learning cost can be reduced, allowing gasoline car users to switch to electric cars seamlessly.
On the other hand, the creep mode is indeed very practical:
- When reversing, it allows the car to move backward at an extremely slow speed. The driver only needs to focus on the road conditions and doesn’t have to worry about how much to press the accelerator, making it more stable and safe. Please provide the text you would like translated.
When there’s a traffic jam, it can make the car follow slowly without the need to frequently press the accelerator, nor will it rush forward when you do. Driving for a long time won’t be as tiring. For instance, during the Spring Festival travel rush, when the highway is jammed and the car moves at a low speed for over ten kilometers, if you have to control it with your foot all the time, your right leg would be numb long before. So in my opinion, whether it’s the natural idle creep of a gasoline car or the added creep mode of an electric car, they are both humanized designs that fit driving habits. However, some people think that the creep mode of an electric car is unnecessary. What’s your take on this?
