Cruise control in your Tesla Model Y is a fantastic feature that can significantly enhance your driving comfort, especially on long journeys or in consistent traffic. It's not just a simple "set-and-forget" system; Tesla's approach, primarily through Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC), uses advanced technology to adapt to real-time traffic conditions.
Step 1: Understanding Tesla's Cruise Control - It's More Than Just Speed!
Before we dive into the "how-to," let's understand what cruise control means in a Tesla Model Y. Unlike traditional cruise control that just maintains a set speed, your Model Y comes equipped with Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) as part of its Autopilot suite. This means your car will not only maintain a set speed but also automatically adjust its speed to keep a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of you. Pretty neat, right?
Think of it like this: Instead of you constantly pressing the brake and accelerator in stop-and-go traffic, your Tesla takes on that burden, making your drive less fatiguing.
Step 2: Getting Ready to Engage TACC
To ensure a smooth and safe experience with TACC, a few prerequisites are important:
Sub-heading: Environmental and Vehicle Conditions
Clear Visibility: Ensure your cameras are clean and free from obstructions (dirt, snow, ice, etc.). Tesla's system heavily relies on these cameras for accurate detection of lane markings, vehicles, and other objects.
Minimum Speed: TACC generally requires your Model Y to be moving at a certain speed to engage, typically at least 18 mph (30 km/h), though it can activate at lower speeds if a vehicle is detected ahead.
Driver Awareness: Remember, TACC is a driver-assistance feature, not a self-driving system. You must remain attentive, keep your hands on the steering wheel, and be prepared to take control at any moment.
Step 3: Engaging Traffic-Aware Cruise Control
There are a couple of ways to activate TACC in your Model Y, depending on your preferred method:
Sub-heading: Using the Right Steering Wheel Scroll Button
This is often the most intuitive method for many Tesla owners.
Ensure Vehicle is in Motion: Your Model Y needs to be moving.
Press the Right Scroll Button: Briefly press the top of the right scroll button on your steering wheel.
Release the Accelerator: Once activated, release the accelerator pedal, and your Model Y will begin to maintain the current cruising speed.
Chime Confirmation: You'll hear a chime, and the set cruising speed will be displayed in blue text on your touchscreen to indicate TACC is active. If it's available but not engaged, the speed will show in gray.
Sub-heading: Using the Autopilot Stalk (If Applicable)
Some older Model Ys or specific software configurations might still primarily use the stalk.
Single Push Down: For some configurations, a single push down on the cruise control stalk (located on the right side of the steering column) will engage TACC.
Pull Towards You (for Speed Limit engagement): If you want TACC to set your speed to the currently detected speed limit, you can pull the Autopilot stalk towards you once.
Note: If your "Autopilot Activation" setting is configured for "Single Pull" to activate Autosteer, you might need to adjust this setting to use TACC independently with the stalk. You can find this under
Controls > Autopilot > Autopilot Activation. Choose "Double Pull" to separate TACC and Autosteer activation.
Step 4: Adjusting Your Cruising Speed and Following Distance ✈️
Once TACC is engaged, you have precise control over your speed and how closely your Tesla follows the car in front.
Sub-heading: Changing the Set Speed
Right Scroll Wheel: To increase or decrease your set speed, simply roll the right scroll wheel up (to increase) or down (to decrease).
Quick adjustments: Roll the wheel slightly for 1 mph (1 km/h) increments.
Larger adjustments: Roll the wheel and hold it for larger increments (e.g., to the closest 5 mph/km/h).
Sub-heading: Adjusting Following Distance
Your Tesla's TACC lets you customize how far your vehicle stays behind the car in front.
Access Controls: On your touchscreen, navigate to
Controls > Autopilot.Following Distance: You'll see an option to adjust the following distance. This is usually represented by a number (1 to 7), with 1 being the shortest distance and 7 being the longest.
Tap to Adjust: Tap the desired number to set your preferred following distance. This allows you to tailor the experience to your comfort and current traffic conditions.
Step 5: Understanding Autosteer and Full Self-Driving (FSD) (Supervised)
While TACC handles speed and following distance, your Model Y also offers more advanced driver-assistance features.
Sub-heading: Autosteer
Autosteer builds upon TACC by actively keeping your Model Y centered within its lane. When Autosteer is active, you'll see blue lines on your touchscreen visualizing the lane markings.
Activation: To engage Autosteer, if your Autopilot Activation setting is "Double Pull," you'd typically pull the Autopilot stalk twice towards you. If it's set to "Single Pull," one pull activates Autosteer directly.
Hands-On Requirement: Crucially, Autosteer is a hands-on feature. Your Tesla will periodically remind you to apply slight torque to the steering wheel to confirm your attentiveness. Failure to do so will result in warnings and eventual disengagement.
Sub-heading: Full Self-Driving (Supervised)
FSD (Supervised) is Tesla's most advanced driver-assistance package, offering more extensive capabilities beyond TACC and Autosteer. This includes navigating city streets, stopping at traffic lights and stop signs, making turns, and more.
Enabling FSD (Supervised): You typically enable this through
Controls > Autopilot > Full Self-Driving (Supervised). You'll need to acknowledge warnings about remaining attentive.Still Supervised: The "Supervised" in FSD (Supervised) is key. It means you are still the driver and are responsible for the vehicle's operation at all times. It is not fully autonomous.
Step 6: Disengaging Cruise Control
Knowing how to disengage cruise control is just as important as knowing how to engage it.
Brake Pedal: The simplest and most common method is to gently press the brake pedal. This will immediately disengage TACC and any active Autopilot features.
Right Scroll Button: You can also press the right scroll button on the steering wheel to cancel TACC.
Shifting Gears: Shifting into Park, Reverse, or Neutral will also disengage TACC.
Driver Intervention: Taking manual control of the steering wheel (especially with Autosteer active) can also disengage the system if significant input is detected.
Automatic Disengagement: TACC can disengage automatically in certain situations, such as if a door is opened, the driver's seatbelt is unbuckled, or if an Automatic Emergency Braking event occurs. Always be prepared for this.
Important Considerations and Limitations
While Tesla's cruise control system is incredibly advanced, it's vital to understand its limitations:
Not a Collision Avoidance System: TACC is designed for convenience, not to prevent collisions in all scenarios. Always be vigilant.
Road Conditions: TACC may not operate optimally on winding roads with sharp curves, icy or slippery surfaces, or in adverse weather conditions (heavy rain, snow, fog).
Sensor Limitations: Obstructions to cameras or sensors (dirt, heavy rain, bright sunlight) can affect performance.
Hills and Speed Control: On steep downhill grades, TACC may have limited braking capability and your Model Y might exceed the set speed.
False Braking: Occasionally, TACC might apply brakes unnecessarily due to misinterpreting objects or closely following vehicles.
Speed Limit Detection: While TACC can adjust to speed limits, it's your responsibility to ensure you are driving at a safe and legal speed. Don't solely rely on the system for speed limit adherence.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to activate cruise control on my Tesla Model Y?
You can activate Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) by briefly pressing the top of the right scroll button on your steering wheel and then releasing the accelerator pedal.
How to adjust the set speed in Tesla Model Y cruise control?
Roll the right scroll wheel up to increase the speed or down to decrease it. A slight roll changes it by 1 mph/km/h, while holding it changes it by larger increments.
How to change the following distance in Tesla Model Y TACC?
On your touchscreen, navigate to Controls > Autopilot and select the desired following distance (usually a number from 1 to 7).
How to disengage cruise control in my Tesla Model Y?
The easiest way is to press the brake pedal. You can also press the right scroll button on the steering wheel, or shift into Park, Reverse, or Neutral.
How to know if Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is active?
When TACC is actively cruising, the set speed will be displayed in blue text on your touchscreen. If it's available but not engaged, it will be in gray.
How to use Autosteer with cruise control on my Model Y?
If your Autopilot Activation is set to "Double Pull," pull the Autopilot stalk twice towards you to engage Autosteer (which includes TACC). Remember to keep your hands on the wheel.
How to manage Autopilot activation settings?
Go to Controls > Autopilot > Autopilot Activation on your touchscreen to choose between "Single Pull" (for Autosteer directly) or "Double Pull" (for TACC with a single pull, and Autosteer with a double pull).
How to use cruise control in stop-and-go traffic?
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is designed for this! It will automatically slow down, stop, and accelerate with the flow of traffic, maintaining your set following distance.
How to ensure safe usage of Tesla's cruise control features?
Always remain attentive, keep your hands on the steering wheel, be prepared to take manual control at any moment, and be aware of environmental and road conditions that might limit the system's performance.
How to understand the difference between Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised)?
Autopilot (standard) includes Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer (lane keeping). Full Self-Driving (Supervised) adds more advanced capabilities like navigating city streets, recognizing traffic lights/stop signs, and automatic lane changes, but still requires constant driver supervision.
For a visual guide on Tesla's features, check out this video:
