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Optimal braking


Hardp
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Welcome to the forum!

 

Best way I can describe in terms of driving the car efficiently is to act like you're driving the car during a snowstorm ALL the time.  Increase your stopping distance and brake a bit more gently than you normally would, acelerate more gently, and cruise more slowly (speed limit driving is more efficient).

 

Riding the brakes used to be a bad thing, but with regen, you're not relying on friction, so you can ride the brakes all day long and not worry about anything.

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I was thinking about this today.  In a scenario where you don't have enough distance to achieve 100%, I think you'd be better served to break a little heavy up front then have more distance and time to max charge via brakes.  

I've never been able to get 100% when I had to stop quickly for an unexpected stop light no matter what strategy I used.

 

ChuckJ

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Sorry I wasn't clear.  My point was if you braked hard in the beginning, you could maximize the situation you're given.  Say if you braked lightly for 5 seconds then heavy braked to a stop gives you "x" amount of energi vs heavy brake for a second or two then 10 seconds of light braking gives you X+n.  I'm thinking you'd net more regen that way.

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The best you get is 100% of the 95% (iirc) that you can regenerate. I get 100% all the time in stop and go freeway traffic. As others have said, be as light as possible for as long as possible, but you can get heavier on the peddle once you learn the feel for your stopping distance.

 

The harder you press, the more regen you get, to a point, then the physical brakes kick in and you get what you can out of the electrical regen. I loose it on light changes to yellow mostly since I didn't prepare to stop.

 

Anything above 90% consider yourself doing a great job.

 

EDIT: grammar police

Edited by shaggy314
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Yeah quick yellows and panic stops drive me just a little wacky. If at all possible I try to start braking a quarter mile from the Stop sign or light. This gives me slow consistent recharge with a good chance at 100%. It is an art to get the max regen, I am still working towards that art.

 

Peace,

 

Father Bill

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  • 3 weeks later...

Trying to receive a good brake score is definitely beneficial in adding more regen back into the battery. The downside to this is how fanatical you can become. My driving now makes people even more upset than it did before. They punch the gas, blow their horn, and fly around me. I now only go the speed limit, and maintain as much space infront of me from others as possible so I can begin braking smoothly over a longer distance. I have found that by applying lighter foot pressure at first, and then gradually pressing the brake more till the vehicle come to a stop will give me 100 brake score. Now if I could use the "Force" and control the traffic lights I could get a perfect score all the time.

Edited by FusionEnergi
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  • 4 weeks later...

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