Shifting

How to Shift

When Model S is in Park, you must press the brake pedal to shift.

Move the drive stalk up or down to shift into different drive modes. A chime sounds whenever you shift gears.

Gear stalk with arrow, line, arrow line pointing up and repeating pointing down

If you try to shift when it is prohibited by the current driving speed, a chime sounds and the drive mode does not change.

If you want to disable chime sounds when you shift gears, touch Controls > Safety > Gear Chimes.

Reverse

Push the drive stalk all the way up and release. You can only shift into Reverse when Model S is stopped or moving less than 5 mph (8 km/h).

Neutral

Neutral allows Model S to roll freely when you are not pressing the brake pedal:

When in Park, shift into Neutral by briefly pushing the drive stalk either up or down to the first position.
When in Drive, shift into Neutral by briefly pushing the drive stalk up to the first position. If Autosteer or Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (if equipped) is active, you must push the drive stalk up to the first position and hold it there for more than 1 second. In doing so, Autosteer or Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is disabled.
When in Reverse, shift into Neutral by briefly pushing the drive stalk down to the first position.

Note

You must press the brake pedal to shift out of Neutral if driving slower than approximately 5 mph (8 km/h).

If Model S is in Park and you use the touchscreen to release the parking brake (Controls > Safety > Parking Brake), Model S shifts into Neutral (see Parking Brake).

Drive

Push the drive stalk all the way down and release. You can shift into Drive when Model S is stopped or moving less than 5 mph (8 km/h) in Reverse.

Park

Press the end of the drive stalk while Model S is stopped.

Arrow pointing to button at end of stalk

Model S automatically shifts into Park to prevent roll-away while driving in low speeds. This happens whenever you connect a charge cable, unbuckle your seat belt, or open the door while in Drive or Neutral. Ensure the charge cable is removed, buckle your seat belt, and close the door before shifting out of Park.

To make it convenient to pick up passengers, you can also unlock all doors and/or extend the door handles at any time by shifting into Park then pressing the Park button a second time.

Note

You must press the brake pedal to shift out of Park.

Note

The above conditions do not reflect a comprehensive list of reasons why Model S may or may not automatically shift into Park and, in certain scenarios, it is possible for your vehicle to shift into Park when only one of the above conditions is true.

CAUTION

In emergency situations, if the brakes are not functioning properly, press and hold the Park button on the drive stalk to bring Model S to a stop. Do not use this method to stop the vehicle unless absolutely necessary.

Warning

It is the driver's responsibility to always ensure the vehicle is in Park before exiting. Never rely on Model S to automatically shift into Park for you; it might not work in all circumstances (for example, if Creep or a slope causes the vehicle to travel greater than approximately 1.5 mph (2 km/h)).