How Regenerative Braking Works? Good article

[evpaddie]

A good article to read for new Tesla drivers

How Tesla's Regenerative Braking Works

Regenerative Braking may be the most significant change for drivers new to EVs. What it is and why it's important.

www.notateslaapp.com

 

[bingbung00]

I love regen. It's one of the things you might not immediately think as a benefit when you get an EV.

When you are city driving you might often find yourself in a situation with an ICE car where you have significant momentum taking you over the speed limit. Using your break results in increased wear and also inefficiency. This problem is completely resolved in an EV. You can literally max acceleration up the the speed limit and then fully recover the momentum energy when you arrive at the speed you need without wearing your breaks.

I find it hilarious that anyone would not use max regen so that they can make it feel more like an ICE. These cars with regen paddles are a joke.

 

[OzVic]

I love regen. It's one of the things you might not immediately think as a benefit when you get an EV.

When you are city driving you might often find yourself in a situation with an ICE car where you have significant momentum taking you over the speed limit. Using your break results in increased wear and also inefficiency. This problem is completely resolved in an EV. You can literally max acceleration up the the speed limit and then fully recover the momentum energy when you arrive at the speed you need without wearing your breaks.

I find it hilarious that anyone would not use max regen so that they can make it feel more like an ICE. These cars with regen paddles are a joke.

I wouldn't mind a 'paddle' or equivalent that you constantly hold which puts it in Neutral until released. Sometimes I don't want to waste putting energy back into the battery whilst going downhill and would rather let the car coast .. particularly when there is an uphill at the bottom. I do this manually sometimes by putting it into Neutral and back into Drive when required, but a 'paddle' would be easier. I know .. very niche case.

 

[Hairyman]

That’s a fair point. You’ll get more mileage with coasting rather than suffering the round trip losses of charging and discharging the battery. My Audi PHEV would not regen until you decided to brake, and then it would do the usual regen up to max rate, after which the friction brakes would engage.

I must say the one foot driving with the Tesla is something I quite like. Sometimes I ghost the throttle to get the car to coast, but mostly as an amusement rather than trying to hypermile.

 

[paulp]

I love regen. It's one of the things you might not immediately think as a benefit when you get an EV.

When you are city driving you might often find yourself in a situation with an ICE car where you have significant momentum taking you over the speed limit. Using your break results in increased wear and also inefficiency. This problem is completely resolved in an EV. You can literally max acceleration up the the speed limit and then fully recover the momentum energy when you arrive at the speed you need without wearing your breaks.

I find it hilarious that anyone would not use max regen so that they can make it feel more like an ICE. These cars with regen paddles are a joke.

As far as I know, all ev’s with regen have a user choice on strength, including tesla. Its just a question of how you make the choice, paddles or switch on the screen.

 

[[Zombie]]

As far as I know, all ev’s with regen have a user choice on strength, including tesla.

Tesla removed that choice from new cars in 2020. It's in the article this thread is about.

Personally I want all of the regen available to me all of the time, so the lack of choice doesn't concern me. I can always modulate my right foot.

 

[BreatheSafe]

I wouldn't mind a 'paddle' or equivalent that you constantly hold which puts it in Neutral until released. Sometimes I don't want to waste putting energy back into the battery whilst going downhill and would rather let the car coast .. particularly when there is an uphill at the bottom. I do this manually sometimes by putting it into Neutral and back into Drive when required, but a 'paddle' would be easier. I know .. very niche case.

When I have done this I find the car picks up too much speed.

 

[Vostok]

These cars with regen paddles are a joke.

Agree 100%. In my book, regen should have one setting - “maximum”. The rest you can do with the accelerator pedal.

The amount of energy you can save by coasting for a few seconds vs using your accelerator pedal to control your speed is tiny. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

 

[rx80]

In my book, regen should have one setting - “maximum”.

Just thinking out loud here, but if driving in the snow wouldn’t we want the regen to be minimal or none at all?

 

[drtimhill]

A good article to read for new Tesla drivers

How Tesla's Regenerative Braking Works

Regenerative Braking may be the most significant change for drivers new to EVs. What it is and why it's important.

www.notateslaapp.com

Generally yes, but this is a rather confusing statement: "In addition to slowing the vehicle down without the use of brakes, the motor running in reverse acts as a generator and captures the kinetic energy that would typically be lost as heat and converts it into electrical energy, thereby increasing your vehicle's range."

In fact, of course, the motor is NOT turning backwards (it isnt mechanically reversed). What is happening is the energy conversion process is flipped around. Instead of the using electrical energy to generate mechanical (kinetic) energy, the system uses mecahanical energy (from the momentum of the car) to generate electrical energy.

 

[dachshund]

The single-pedal driving is such a fantastic feature. I have so much more control over speed. I feel much more confident driving on the winding roads in my area, which I used to avoid. I borrowed my daughter's car briefly and the difference was alarming. Yikes.

The other day I washed my new Model Y for the first time and absentmindedly thought, wow the wheels are so clean and shiny... Later I realized, duh, I don't use the brakes, so there's no brake dust. I used to spend a good half hour washing my Audi wheels.

 

[evpaddie]

In fact, of course, the motor is NOT turning backwards (it isnt mechanically reversed). What is happening is the energy conversion process is flipped around. Instead of the using electrical energy to generate mechanical (kinetic) energy, the system uses mecahanical energy (from the momentum of the car) to generate electrical energy.

I hadn't noticed this as an error, but of course you are correct. Maybe you should send a note to the author who wrote the article for notateslaapp.com and get him to correct it.

 

[Maximillan]

Just thinking out loud here, but if driving in the snow wouldn’t we want the regen to be minimal or none at all?

You're on the right track, and Tesla is one step ahead of you.

That said I have noticed with the MY RWD in the right conditions the rears will lock up under regen. In the wet, down hill, and then coming across a tram track, it momentarily gets caught out.

 

[bingbung00]

You’ll get more mileage with coasting rather than suffering the round trip losses of charging and discharging the battery.

the car will automatically coast. you dont need to worry about that. You just keep pedal depressed to the speed you want to maintain.

 

[rx80]

You're on the right track, and Tesla is one step ahead of you.

Thank you. I just remembered I've watched this! Perhaps I should re watch it again.

On the other hand, I also just remember for MYP track mode it allows more granular settings on the regen, I think in the increment of 10%. Obviously still needs to be tested on how this translates to real world driving on normal (icy/snowy) roads.