regenerative braking poll

[Tam]

...I'm coming from a Prius...

I used to drive a stick shift until I found automatic transmission Prius.

I used to let my cars glide freely before applying the brake pedal for both stick shift ones and Prius.

Then I test drove an EV which was Model S for the first time and experienced regen brake for the first time and I liked it and immediately get used to it within a first block of driving!

Now I can still let my Tesla glide but with a MUCH shorter distance as Tesla does not completely stop on its own but it may slow down to 5 MPH or 3 MPH before hitting a car in front.

With that slow speed, I have had no problem of swiveling my foot to the brake pedal before it's close enough for impact.

However, now I have just got my AP2, and I have almost exclusively using it so I let the system glides on its own and brake on its own.

I just need to watch it and intervene as needed.

No more gliding for me as the robot now enjoys doing it!

 

[Skotty]

Try to get used to Standard setting. It was a little weird to me at first, but now I'm totally used to it, and honestly could handle even more regen braking if it were available.

Since Tesla doesn't try to blend regen into the brake pedal (which I think was the right call based on how I weigh the tradeoffs), you will get better efficiency with it set to Standard.

 

[busaman]

i used to have an i3 which was much stronger regen than a model s and used it almost entirely 1 pedal driving and would like a stronger regen on my MS no reason they cant provide it.

the regen on a ms is the same as any other EV you cant regen a full pack so it just coasts until there is capacity to take some energy back..

 

[FlyF4]

Keep in mind, anytime you hit the brake pedal in a Tesla, you're throwing away energy - energy that you could have kept if you had more regen enabled.

Really? Is that right? If so, that is a negative expectation on my part. I just assumed it would be like my other car with regen braking. Average pressure on the brakes (slowing down) will give regen braking until the brakes are pressed hard. I wonder why the Tesla engineers didn't do that.

Even so, I get better mileage with my setting on low than I did on the higher setting.

 

[Xenius]

Coming from a manual transmission car, I much prefer standard regen.

 

[Saghost]

Really? Is that right? If so, that is a negative expectation on my part. I just assumed it would be like my other car with regen braking. Average pressure on the brakes (slowing down) will give regen braking until the brakes are pressed hard. I wonder why the Tesla engineers didn't do that.

Even so, I get better mileage with my setting on low than I did on the higher setting.

Tesla and BMW elected to do it this way because they feel that the better brake pedal response/feel is important, and the clear separation between regen and braking so you know/can control what the car is doing at any given time.

I've driven a number of blended brake cars, and none of them have ever had great brakes - the response to brake pedal pressure varies, the timing of braking varies. Maybe someday someone will make one that's good enough I can't feel the difference, but it hasn't happened to me yet.

 

[ohmman]

Tesla and BMW elected to do it this way because they feel that the better brake pedal response/feel is important, and the clear separation between regen and braking so you know/can control what the car is doing at any given time.

I've driven a number of blended brake cars, and none of them have ever had great brakes - the response to brake pedal pressure varies, the timing of braking varies. Maybe someday someone will make one that's good enough I can't feel the difference, but it hasn't happened to me yet.

Putting all of the regen on the pedal also optimizes the one pedal driving experience.

 

[GoTzillaR]

I used about 20% more kW when I had regen at low.

 

[zer0cool]

Regen braking is the way to go, love it! All cars should have it to recover some energy... of course would require battery and that complicate things.

Really the only circumstance where regen braking is bad is when you are racing on a track since you don't want to be braking through a turn...

 

[ThosEM]

I think having "settings" is silly. There should be a slider giving infinite control between 0 and the maximum the hardware can support, modulo any safety considerations.

One possible safety consideration: If the traction control ever kicks in during regen, I might be interested in the regen value being backed off to where it was needed to regain traction, and possibly creep back up to the manual setting after a while. This is based on my experience coming down steep snowy mountain roads in a classic 2WD. 4WD drivers might not need this. (Let the flaming commence!)

Agree fully! But I suspect "standard" is in already the maximum the hardware can readily support. The Cadillac ELR reportedly has steering wheel flippers to vary the regen, but I haven't had a chance to try that out. I have also fishtailed a bit in snow when yanking foot off the accelerator to go for the brake, so there are safety issues there.

 

[Chopr147]

Once I had gotten used to standard regen I have come to love it. I see how far I can go w/o braking

 

[JHuberman]

I had trouble adjusting to the one pedal driving. It took about a month and now it is completely natural. If I were going to ask Tesla to change anything I would ask to have the slow-down use the brake when regen is limited by temperature so the one pedal slowdown would be consistent. But I'm OK the way it is.

 

[vandacca]

I think having "settings" is silly. There should be a slider giving infinite control between 0 and the maximum the hardware can support, modulo any safety considerations.

One possible safety consideration: If the traction control ever kicks in during regen, I might be interested in the regen value being backed off to where it was needed to regain traction, and possibly creep back up to the manual setting after a while. This is based on my experience coming down steep snowy mountain roads in a classic 2WD. 4WD drivers might not need this. (Let the flaming commence!)

I've driven a stick for the past 36+ years and early on have down-shifted on ice with bad results. So, I'm acutely aware of regen/braking issues in icy conditions.

This past winter has been fairly mild here, but I did have 2 occasions to drive in very slippery conditions and regen worked flawlessly. From what I can tell, when you take your foot off the accelerator, regen doesn't get "stupidly" applied, but rather it's applied within the limits of traction control. It feels like traction-control will limit regen when necessary.

I'll have to experiment more next winter, but that's my initial observation. Would be curious to hear what others have experienced.

 

[Hendry01]

I wish for stronger regen actually. Love one pedal driving

 

[smocfi]

Well, I gave standard regen a try today. I can see why people like it, you can just use one pedal most of the time. I even turned off creep mode, and went from comfort steering to sport. It's nice to have the option to vary the driving experience.

I think I'll try using standard regen for awhile, give it some more time. My passenger, however, didn't like it, said she'd rather not be pushed and pulled around. It's definitely a smoother driving experience using low.

And I turned creep mode and comfort steering back on.

 

[vandacca]

Well, I gave standard regen a try today. I can see why people like it, you can just use one pedal most of the time. I even turned off creep mode, and went from comfort steering to sport. It's nice to have the option to vary the driving experience.

I think I'll try using standard regen for awhile, give it some more time. My passenger, however, didn't like it, said she'd rather not be pushed and pulled around. It's definitely a smoother driving experience using low.

And I turned creep mode and comfort steering back on.

It can take an hour or two of driving to get good with regen so that it becomes a smooth experience. You just need to learn how to feather it rather than taking your foot completely off the accelerator.

 

[Chopr147]

My passenger, however, didn't like it, said she'd rather not be pushed and pulled around. It's definitely a smoother driving experience using low.

Interesting you say that. My wife does not like the S at all. She complains about the car when not complaining about me. I am so used to the regen but I'll change it to low next time and ask her if it helps.

 

[bxr140]

I get better mileage with my setting on low than I did on the higher setting.

I fully agree that it's 'more work' to feather the throttle, and I fully accept that some drivers simply prefer low regen. However, it is an impossibility that someone with the skill and patience to learn and implement proper one-pedal technique could get better mileage on low vs standard regen.

 

[FlyF4]

I fully agree that it's 'more work' to feather the throttle, and I fully accept that some drivers simply prefer low regen. However, it is an impossibility that someone with the skill and patience to learn and implement proper one-pedal technique could get better mileage on low vs standard regen.

Hmmm, I am not sure what you are saying. Maybe I need to read it a few more times. As a side note "impossibility" in my in my vocabulary.

 

[EV-lutioin]

Standard regen is a bit weird the first time you use it, but after a day or two you can't live without it! Occasionally I'm reminded how great regen is when I charge to 100% and have to suffer a few miles w/o regen.... icky!