Do you use parking brake?

Maybe that's the habit you should 'brake'. Or rather, just form the habit of releasing the brake before driving.

Even if I'm in some other car that hasn't got a parking brake pedal over there, my foot will usually slam the floorboard in that corner before I drive away.

 

With electric parking brakes, the car might auto disengage it when the accelerator is pushed.

 

Anybody else tuck their foot under the pedal, to verify it’s released?

 

Not with Toyota's push again to release pedals. Maybe once on cars with a separate pull release, but those were cars before I regularly used the parking brake. The Chevies had a hand brake, and the Subaru is a switch.

 

My Bolts automatically set the parking brake on a steep enough incline, when you hit the park button. If you forget to release them (I rarely do) they will release when you move.

 

Yep I seldom use it , only when parking in a steep incline in above freezing temp. Not to crazy about the push again to release pedal. Never in winter with slushy salted roads.

 

Starting with the 2005 Prius, I've always used the parking brake. Felt like its Park gear had a wider range of roll to it than my previous cars. Just been a habit ever since.

 

In the six years I have owned my car the only time I used it was to disengage it when picking up the car after a dealer service. Not that I am against parking brakes. I often use the hand parking brake on my 4Runner when parked on an incline.

 

... and while this is a 2017–2022 forum, as long as Gen 2 is mentioned, if you have a Gen 1 or Gen 2 you had better use the parking brake regularly; that's what keeps the rear drum brakes adjusted.

 

Nearly always. For decades.

 

My Model 3 sets/release its electric parking brakes by itself. Only thing is, being a RWD, only the rear wheels are locked. I've seen videos of Model 3 sliding down a slippery driveway because of that.

 

AFAIK that’s typical, regardless of vehicle drive type.

 

Yes, but with a FWD with an automatic transmission (like the Prius), the transmission locks the front wheel so with a parking brake, all wheels are locked. In case someone mention this, with a manual transmission, the engine becomes the "brake" when in first or reverse gear.

 

Ah ok. I was differentiating "locked by parking brake" vs "restrained by transmission", but I see your point.

I'm honour-bound to always set the parking brake: my missus does not like that queasy back-and-forth shift of a car just held by the transmission.

 

Lol, just like my wife doesn't like when I press the park button on the Models 3 and the car still have some momentum. Dead stop in a few inches.

 

While cost was is big reason, the parking brake is another reason for drums in the rear. Parking is one of the few things disc brakes aren't better at, and many rear discs have a small drum build into them for that reason. Others have additional clamping mechanisms for the pads. Perhaps these are no longer needed with electric parking brakes.

Does Tesla, or any EV, have a parking pawl or similar in the drive unit?

 

I was replacing the the rear (disc brake) pads on our son’s CX-5, has electronic parking brake, and getting nowhere trying to retract the caliper pistons. Finally googled and found there’s a chicken-dance involved, and then they just push in.

 

The Bolt has a pawl.

 

Coming from a line of mostly manual transmissions, I've experienced an old engine having not quite enough compression and friction to hold on some hills, and a transmission that would pop out of first gear in certain conditions. And a relative distracted by unexpected visitors so not immediately noticing a flubbed shift on a 4WD transfer case, causing it to pop into neutral after stepping out.

Still having multiple manual transmissions around, the parking brake is one of my ingrained habits.

 

Not Tesla. They have electric motors pushing the pads against the discs.