Launch control?

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Familyguy1982
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:01 pm

Post by Familyguy1982 »

Sorry if this has already been asked, but when I tried searching for 'Launch control', it told me the words were too common?!

So does anyone know if the Cupra Born has a form of launch control? I can't find anything in the manual or online to suggest it does.

I've come from a 2020 Mk7.5 e-Golf which didn't. In the e-Golf when you were stationary in Drive and applied the brakes, then fully applied the throttle, then lifted off the brakes the car would hesitate slightly and then just set off as if you were accelerating normally from a standstill.

In comparison I have test driven a dual motor Polestar 2, and when you do the above actions in that, you can feel the car hunkering down when you press the throttle, and as soon as you lift off the brakes the car takes off.

I wondered with the Born being rear wheel drive and having more power than my e-Golf whether it might have this feature, so when I tried it I could indeed feel that the motor was engaging and being held by the brakes, but on releasing the brake the car didn't seem to 'launch' any quicker than it does from a normal standing start.

Also I'm wondering if this action may have caused the 'electric drive problem' message to appear on my dash, but that may just be a coincidence!

monkeyhanger
Posts: 565
Joined: Tue May 31, 2022 8:12 pm

Post by monkeyhanger »

Isn't launch control pretty pointless for an EV? On an ICE car you've got to sit there with the revs up to getthe engine in the sweet spot of its torque curve before you shoot off, but with an EV, you get full torque as soon as you mash the throttle.

All you really need to do with the cupra is floor it when you want to go. Ideally you'd be in the performance mode or Cupra mode (only on e-boost models) so you have the best throttle response mapping - if you floor it the car reacts as if you're in that mode anyway.
2022 V2 E-Boost L-Tech Pack - Aurora Blue
2023 Audi S3 - to avoid rapid charging on long journeys.

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Familyguy1982
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:01 pm

Post by Familyguy1982 »

monkeyhanger wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:29 am Isn't launch control pretty pointless for an EV? On an ICE car you've got to sit there with the revs up to getthe engine in the sweet spot of its torque curve before you shoot off, but with an EV, you get full torque as soon as you mash the throttle.

All you really need to do with the cupra is floor it when you want to go. Ideally you'd be in the performance mode or Cupra mode (only on e-boost models) so you have the best throttle response mapping - if you floor it the car reacts as if you're in that mode anyway.

Yes, it is far more effective in an ICE vehicle as you say, but there will still be that slight delay in applying full throttle in an EV, which Polestar, Tesla, Rimac (and probably others) seem to have addressed with launch control systems.

I just wondered really as the Born definitely reacts in a different way to how my e-Golf did, but I wouldn't want to do this if it is going to potentially damage the brakes or the electric drive.
monkeyhanger
Posts: 565
Joined: Tue May 31, 2022 8:12 pm

Post by monkeyhanger »

Familyguy1982 wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 7:35 am
monkeyhanger wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:29 am Isn't launch control pretty pointless for an EV? On an ICE car you've got to sit there with the revs up to getthe engine in the sweet spot of its torque curve before you shoot off, but with an EV, you get full torque as soon as you mash the throttle.

All you really need to do with the cupra is floor it when you want to go. Ideally you'd be in the performance mode or Cupra mode (only on e-boost models) so you have the best throttle response mapping - if you floor it the car reacts as if you're in that mode anyway.

Yes, it is far more effective in an ICE vehicle as you say, but there will still be that slight delay in applying full throttle in an EV, which Polestar, Tesla, Rimac (and probably others) seem to have addressed with launch control systems.

I just wondered really as the Born definitely reacts in a different way to how my e-Golf did, but I wouldn't want to do this if it is going to potentially damage the brakes or the electric drive.
Not entirely sure Tesla have a launch control (for the M3/MY at least), as their performance figures have a 0-62 time and a footnote that states it excludes an initial engagement time of (if I remember rightly) 0.35s.

Had plenty of hot hatches, most with launch control, but I've never used them as I've been too worried about wrecking the drivetrain and looking like a tool when sat at the lights holding 4000rpm. Just my opinion, but not for me.
2022 V2 E-Boost L-Tech Pack - Aurora Blue
2023 Audi S3 - to avoid rapid charging on long journeys.

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Familyguy1982
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:01 pm

Post by Familyguy1982 »

monkeyhanger wrote: Sun Mar 12, 2023 9:24 am
Familyguy1982 wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 7:35 am
monkeyhanger wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:29 am Isn't launch control pretty pointless for an EV? On an ICE car you've got to sit there with the revs up to getthe engine in the sweet spot of its torque curve before you shoot off, but with an EV, you get full torque as soon as you mash the throttle.

All you really need to do with the cupra is floor it when you want to go. Ideally you'd be in the performance mode or Cupra mode (only on e-boost models) so you have the best throttle response mapping - if you floor it the car reacts as if you're in that mode anyway.

Yes, it is far more effective in an ICE vehicle as you say, but there will still be that slight delay in applying full throttle in an EV, which Polestar, Tesla, Rimac (and probably others) seem to have addressed with launch control systems.

I just wondered really as the Born definitely reacts in a different way to how my e-Golf did, but I wouldn't want to do this if it is going to potentially damage the brakes or the electric drive.

Had plenty of hot hatches, most with launch control, but I've never used them as I've been too worried about wrecking the drivetrain and looking like a tool when sat at the lights holding 4000rpm. Just my opinion, but not for me.

Agreed, although having to sit there on the rev limiter isn't an issue in an EV luckily.

That was really the point of my original question, just to ask whether the Born has the feature and if using it could potentially damage the electric motor or brakes.

Personally, I've just got mine back from Cupra Southampton with a replaced onboard charger control unit and no more dash errors, so I will be avoiding doing anything that could potentially damage the drivetrain or cause the fault to reoccur.
Boxed-in
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Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2022 7:31 pm

Post by Boxed-in »

Why do you need launch control? It already does 0-99mph in first gear……

👍😁
Familyguy1982
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:01 pm

Post by Familyguy1982 »

Boxed-in wrote: Sun Mar 12, 2023 4:44 pm Why do you need launch control? It already does 0-99mph in first gear……

👍😁

Haha true.

I don't need it, I was just asking if it had it and if it was safe to use, but it doesn't sound like anyone on here can confirm either way, so I'm going to assume it doesn't. 👍🏻😁
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