Frigid weather wreaking havoc on my Batteries!!!!

[Pg3ibew]

Damn, it is colder than a Witch's t!t here in NYC. 13 degrees when I went out this morning. I couldn't get my GO TIMES to sync, to warm the car. A story for another thread. 

Anyway, I got in the car to make a 9.3 mile, ONE WAY trip. Which I can usually make THE ROUND TRIP without using the ICE. The car told me my battery life was FULL but only had a 12 mile range. I start the car and IMMEDIATELY, the ICE kicked in for a few minutes. 

Before I finished my 9.3 miles, the batteries were GONE and I was using the ICE. 

I didn't use any seat heaters or raise the vehicle's heat too high. I am not a big heat guy. Just enough to make it comfortable. 

 

Just sayin'

 

Have a great day all. Go Steelers!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

[murphy]

You would have had better luck if you used the seat heater and left the main heat off. 

In those temperatures I would use EV Later and run the engine to keep me warm.

[Pg3ibew]

You would have had better luck if you used the seat heater and left the main heat off. 

In those temperatures I would use EV Later and run the engine to keep me warm.

Is the seat heater a better option? I need to learn these things. Thanks!!

[murphy]

Is the seat heater a better option? I need to learn these things. Thanks!!

The seat heater and the steering wheel heater, if you have it, take far less power from the HVB than the 5 kW electric heater does.  A warm coat also helps if you want to run electric.  I stopped doing that a long time ago and now use the engine to keep me comfortable when it is that cold.  Cold doesn't hurt the battery but the charging and discharging efficiency is severely impacted by low temperatures.

[Pg3ibew]

The seat heater and the steering wheel heater, if you have it, take far less power from the HVB than the 5 kW electric heater does.  A warm coat also helps if you want to run electric.  I stopped doing that a long time ago and now use the engine to keep me comfortable when it is that cold.  Cold doesn't hurt the battery but the charging and discharging efficiency is severely impacted by low temperatures.

Copy THAT. I thought just the opposite!! Live and learn!!. I don't have the steering wheel heater. I didn't get that option. 

DO you have any other tips? 

What about the use of L to slow the car? Good or bad for REGEN? I have played with it. It slows the car DRASTICALLY when you release the gas!!

The HILL Option? Good or bad? Use on Downhills? UPHILL? 

[murphy]

Copy THAT. I thought just the opposite!! Live and learn!!. I don't have the steering wheel heater. I didn't get that option. 

DO you have any other tips? 

What about the use of L to slow the car? Good or bad for REGEN? I have played with it. It slows the car DRASTICALLY when you release the gas!!

The HILL Option? Good or bad? Use on Downhills? UPHILL? 

Without the steering wheel heater, it was not available on my 2013, really warm gloves come in handy.

 

When it is not super cold I drive all of the time in L.  It puts regeneration on the accelerator pedal.  You can learn to modulate the regen braking with the accelerator pedal since it is not an all or nothing situation.  It also makes the Energi drive like my other car.

 

I use the hill button on steep down hills in concert with ACC to maintain my selected speed.  Note that if the HVB is completely full the engine will spin up to provide the braking since regen is not possible with a full HVB.  No gasoline is fed to the engine in this case so it acts like a big air compressor to provide the back pressure.  It makes a lot of noise when this is happening.

[Pg3ibew]

Without the steering wheel heater, it was not available on my 2013, really warm gloves come in handy.

 

When it is not super cold I drive all of the time in L. It puts regeneration on the accelerator pedal. You can learn to modulate the regen braking with the accelerator pedal since it is not an all or nothing situation. It also makes the Energi drive like my other car.

 

I use the hill button on steep down hills in concert with ACC to maintain my selected speed. Note that if the HVB is completely full the engine will spin up to provide the braking since regen is not possible with a full HVB. No gasoline is fed to the engine in this case so it acts like a big air compressor to provide the back pressure. It makes a lot of noise when this is happening.

I was reading the owners manual last night. They reccomend NOT to use the L. Saying it compromises mileage. Your thoughts?

What is ACC?

Thanks

[murphy]

I was reading the owners manual last night. They reccomend NOT to use the L. Saying it compromises mileage. Your thoughts?

What is ACC?

Thanks

Adaptive Cruse Control (ACC).

 

As long as I am running full electric I see no way it can do anything but help mileage.  I am braking without touching the brake pedal.  If the engine spools up then yes it is wasting energy.  My engine only runs in the winter time.  I used 18.1 gallons of gasoline in 2016.  I do not use the Energi for trips.  It is a local driving car that runs electric only spring through fall.

[Pg3ibew]

Adaptive Cruse Control (ACC).

 

As long as I am running full electric I see no way it can do anything but help mileage. I am braking without touching the brake pedal. If the engine spools up then yes it is wasting energy. My engine only runs in the winter time. I used 18.1 gallons of gasoline in 2016. I do not use the Energi for trips. It is a local driving car that runs electric only spring through fall.

Thanks. I will definitely give it a shot. Much appreciated

[rbort]

Don't drive in L all the time, you waste energy if you over slow down and you have to use the accelerator again to get to where you're going, i.e. the stop light for example or stop sign.

 

Use L to slow down when needed, example going down a steep hill or getting off the highway on the ramp, or when a light suddenly turns on you and you need to brake the hardest but not sure how much brake you can press before you use the pads.  Also good on the highway when traffic is slowing ahead of you I shift into L to slow down so I don't bump into the guy in front of me and once slow enough shift back to D.  Using the brake at highway speeds to do this almost always ends up in overbraking and using the pads, shows up in the brake score bar.

 

Going down an incline use hill descent to hold you speed.  If you find that you are too fast, go to L to slow down a bit, and then when the speed is right go back to D with hill descent still engaged.  Once the hill is leveling off turn off hill descent and maintain your speed.  Try not to overslow and then have to speed back up, worse on energy efficiency.  Its all about the timing of turning on hill descent and taking it back off, plus re-engaging cruise control if you are using it.

 

Use the heated seats if needed, forget about climate control in EV power, it just burns the battery down with 5000W to heat the antifreeze.  If you have a problem with windows wanting to fog up, just crack open both left and right front windos 1/4 inch, that should take care of fogging issues.  Wear your jacket as if you are walking outside in NYC with your gloves and drive.  You will find that its not so bad at all and you really don't need heat.  Plus if its snowing for example, the snow won't even melt on your windshield and you can drive drive and it will blow off.  

 

Even in the winter, with a full battery you should be able to go 9.3 miles round trip, total 18.6 miles at speeds of 45 mph or less 100% EV.  The faster you go, the higher the wind drag, the less the EV range and engine MPG.  However, when running the engine, your minimum speed should be 45mph as the engine makes power while running at 1500 rpms, and going slower than 45mph wastes that power.  You want to use at least all the power out of the engine, so save it for 45mph and faster.  Up to 66 mph on the highway it works really well, going faster than that you are on the other side of the bell curve and starting to lose mpg due to excess wind drag.  

 

When you start the engine, it wants to idle at 1500 rpms locked until it warms up.  Due to this never start the engine when there is a stop light ahead.  You will be wasting gas warming up and being stationary or if you are in stop and go traffic or slow traffic, same thing.  Wait until there is an open stretch of road at least 3 miles long to start the engine so you can warm it up at 45-50mph (not faster) until it takes the load (rpm is free to go above 1500) and then you can speed up to 65mph if you want to.  Trying to start the engine and going 65mph right away on the highway for example will waste the HVB, as it will supply 2/3'rd of the power while the engine will supply 1/3rd locked at 1500 rpms (you can see this in the engage screen) and drain the HVB.  If it drained down then the engine had to recharge it back up all the way to the starting EV later point and then 2% more before it will become efficient.  All the time you're charging it back up the engine will be making 20 mpg, after its charged up you will go north of 40 mpg.  There is alot to learn on this car.

 

So what do I do?  Drive in EV mode at 40mph or less until I get to the highway, once on the highway I start the engine and remain in the right lane at 45-50mph until the engine warms up.  Once its warm I wait for a downhill section (never accelerate uphill) and then speed up slowly to 66 mph.  Once at that speed then I turn on cruise control, or if I had it on at 45-50mph I reset it to 66mph.  The speed you want on cruise is what will give you 1/2 a blue cruise bar and never go into the yellow, if going downhill you are overspeeding to 67 mph then click it 1 click down so that its 1/2 blue downhill.  You speed should vary between 64 and 66 mph, 64 uphill and 66 downhill.

 

Any time you encounter traffic switch back to battery and use it for all the slow speed driving.  Then once clear reignite the ICE and accelerate slowly back to 65mph and then engage cruise.  Do not engage cruise at 45 and let the car take you to 65, it accelerates too aggressively and its more of an energy waste.  If you're trying to make a 500 mile trip and net 48mpg with the car, you need to do the above to succeed.  I do it all the time, drive from Boston to VA on 1 charge, use that charge selectively on the GW bridge, in traffic, elsewhere, and burn about 10 gallons getting there.  If the engine is warm already, do not climb hills at 40mph with the battery, use the engine instead just for the hill and go back to battery.  You battery will last alot longer going on flats and downhills which are free anyways.  If the engine is cold and it needs to warm up, do not start it to climb a hill and go back to battery.  Counter intuitive.  When I say its warm already, it means when you start it to climb the hill, as soon as the hill is over the engine will shut off right away when you lay off the power.

 

The ice will always kick in if you turn on the heat, especially at 13F.  You're telling the car you want heat, the electric heat comes on, but the car realizes its not enough to warm the cabin quickly, so it will start the ice just to warm the antifreeze and assist the electric heater to get you warm.  If its over 32 degrees then you might make it on electric heat only (warming the cabin), but it also depends on the fan speed.  Faster fan speed more power draw.  I refrain from using any heat in the car unless the ice is running already.  I find it to be a huge waste of energy to warm up the car with EV power.  Rather dress like I'm walking downtown NYC and save the battery for more range in miles, not to make heat.

 

Heated seats use very little power, on the order of about 150w or so, feel free to use those when needed.

 

So you understand properly:

 

D has low regen, like a regular car with your foot off the gas, to make the car seem the same, it slowly slows down.

Hill Descent is VARIABLE regen, it goes anyways from D to L in intensity, increasing as the hill incline increases.  Its purpose is to hold the speed steady.

L is about 90% regen, always at this almost max rate.

Your brake is MANUAL variable regen, you can go anywhere from D to 100% regen, when you go past 100% the friction pads kick in.

 

If you want max regen using L, go to L, and then put your foot on the brake LIGHTLY until you just see the circles going around on the battery.  This will be 100% braking regen, you brake lights will be ON (L no brake lights) and you will slow as much as possible without using the brakes (friction) and/or damaging your braking score.

 

Remember that especially in NYC if you use L there are no brake lights, so you might want to use the brake yourself to alert people who are in a rush behind you that you're slowing down.  Where there is no traffic or no-one close to you behind you, feel free to use L to slow down if you want to, just be carefully to watch your surroundings, you see someone on your tail light up the brake lights for them.

 

Hope this helps, oh and one more thing:

 

L doesn't light up the brake lights, braking does.  Lights take power from the battery.  In most cases its not an issue, but, in some extreme cases where you're trying to make it home on battery, you may want to avoid using the brake and use L, say for example late at night when no-one is around.  Over the entire battery pack the brake lights might make a difference of a mile in range,  Its not much, but if you're trying to go home 9.3 miles and you got 8 miles worth of battery, might be something to think about.  If you have 12 miles worth of range, then don't worry about it.  Also remember that driving at night takes more power from the battery (headlights, etc) than during the day.  So if you drive 9.3 miles in the day to your work and get there with 60% battery left, at night when you go home you won't get there with 20% battery left, it will be less due to the lights.  You always need more battery for night time, and you want to go around 38mph if you can to maximize your range, as going 25 mph time is not on your side, the lights are always burning the battery whether you're moving or not, so keep moving and get there quicker.

 

-=>Raja.

Edited January 9, 2017 at 04:14 PM by rbort

[Pg3ibew]

Don't drive in L all the time, you waste energy if you over slow down and you have to use the accelerator again to get to where you're going, i.e. the stop light for example or stop sign.

 

Use L to slow down when needed, example going down a steep hill or getting off the highway on the ramp, or when a light suddenly turns on you and you need to brake the hardest but not sure how much brake you can press before you use the pads.  Also good on the highway when traffic is slowing ahead of you I shift into L to slow down so I don't bump into the guy in front of me and once slow enough shift back to D.  Using the brake at highway speeds to do this almost always ends up in overbraking and using the pads, shows up in the brake score bar.

 

Going down an incline use hill descent to hold you speed.  If you find that you are too fast, go to L to slow down a bit, and then when the speed is right go back to D with hill descent still engaged.  Once the hill is leveling off turn off hill descent and maintain your speed.  Try not to overslow and then have to speed back up, worse on energy efficiency.  Its all about the timing of turning on hill descent and taking it back off, plus re-engaging cruise control if you are using it.

 

Use the heated seats if needed, forget about climate control in EV power, it just burns the battery down with 5000W to heat the antifreeze.  If you have a problem with windows wanting to fog up, just crack open both left and right front windos 1/4 inch, that should take care of fogging issues.  Wear your jacket as if you are walking outside in NYC with your gloves and drive.  You will find that its not so bad at all and you really don't need heat.  Plus if its snowing for example, the snow won't even melt on your windshield and you can drive drive and it will blow off.  

 

Even in the winter, with a full battery you should be able to go 9.3 miles round trip, total 18.6 miles at speeds of 45 mph or less 100% EV.  The faster you go, the higher the wind drag, the less the EV range and engine MPG.  However, when running the engine, your minimum speed should be 45mph as the engine makes power while running at 1500 rpms, and going slower than 45mph wastes that power.  You want to use at least all the power out of the engine, so save it for 45mph and faster.  Up to 66 mph on the highway it works really well, going faster than that you are on the other side of the bell curve and starting to lose mpg due to excess wind drag.  

 

When you start the engine, it wants to idle at 1500 rpms locked until it warms up.  Due to this never start the engine when there is a stop light ahead.  You will be wasting gas warming up and being stationary or if you are in stop and go traffic or slow traffic, same thing.  Wait until there is an open stretch of road at least 3 miles long to start the engine so you can warm it up at 45-50mph (not faster) until it takes the load (rpm is free to go above 1500) and then you can speed up to 65mph if you want to.  Trying to start the engine and going 65mph right away on the highway for example will waste the HVB, as it will supply 2/3'rd of the power while the engine will supply 1/3rd locked at 1500 rpms (you can see this in the engage screen) and drain the HVB.  If it drained down then the engine had to recharge it back up all the way to the starting EV later point and then 2% more before it will become efficient.  All the time you're charging it back up the engine will be making 20 mpg, after its charged up you will go north of 40 mpg.  There is alot to learn on this car.

 

So what do I do?  Drive in EV mode at 40mph or less until I get to the highway, once on the highway I start the engine and remain in the right lane at 45-50mph until the engine warms up.  Once its warm I wait for a downhill section (never accelerate uphill) and then speed up slowly to 66 mph.  Once at that speed then I turn on cruise control, or if I had it on at 45-50mph I reset it to 66mph.  The speed you want on cruise is what will give you 1/2 a blue cruise bar and never go into the yellow, if going downhill you are overspeeding to 67 mph then click it 1 click down so that its 1/2 blue downhill.  You speed should vary between 64 and 66 mph, 64 uphill and 66 downhill.

 

Any time you encounter traffic switch back to battery and use it for all the slow speed driving.  Then once clear reignite the ICE and accelerate slowly back to 65mph and then engage cruise.  Do not engage cruise at 45 and let the car take you to 65, it accelerates too aggressively and its more of an energy waste.  If you're trying to make a 500 mile trip and net 48mpg with the car, you need to do the above to succeed.  I do it all the time, drive from Boston to VA on 1 charge, use that charge selectively on the GW bridge, in traffic, elsewhere, and burn about 10 gallons getting there.  If the engine is warm already, do not climb hills at 40mph with the battery, use the engine instead just for the hill and go back to battery.  You battery will last alot longer going on flats and downhills which are free anyways.  If the engine is cold and it needs to warm up, do not start it to climb a hill and go back to battery.  Counter intuitive.  When I say its warm already, it means when you start it to climb the hill, as soon as the hill is over the engine will shut off right away when you lay off the power.

 

The ice will always kick in if you turn on the heat, especially at 13F.  You're telling the car you want heat, the electric heat comes on, but the car realizes its not enough to warm the cabin quickly, so it will start the ice just to warm the antifreeze and assist the electric heater to get you warm.  If its over 32 degrees then you might make it on electric heat only (warming the cabin), but it also depends on the fan speed.  Faster fan speed more power draw.  I refrain from using any heat in the car unless the ice is running already.  I find it to be a huge waste of energy to warm up the car with EV power.  Rather dress like I'm walking downtown NYC and save the battery for more range in miles, not to make heat.

 

Heated seats use very little power, on the order of about 150w or so, feel free to use those when needed.

 

So you understand properly:

 

D has low regen, like a regular car with your foot off the gas, to make the car seem the same, it slowly slows down.

Hill Descent is VARIABLE regen, it goes anyways from D to L in intensity, increasing as the hill incline increases.  Its purpose is to hold the speed steady.

L is about 90% regen, always at this almost max rate.

Your brake is MANUAL variable regen, you can go anywhere from D to 100% regen, when you go past 100% the friction pads kick in.

 

If you want max regen using L, go to L, and then put your foot on the brake LIGHTLY until you just see the circles going around on the battery.  This will be 100% braking regen, you brake lights will be ON (L no brake lights) and you will slow as much as possible without using the brakes (friction) and/or damaging your braking score.

 

Remember that especially in NYC if you use L there are no brake lights, so you might want to use the brake yourself to alert people who are in a rush behind you that you're slowing down.  Where there is no traffic or no-one close to you behind you, feel free to use L to slow down if you want to, just be carefully to watch your surroundings, you see someone on your tail light up the brake lights for them.

 

Hope this helps, oh and one more thing:

 

L doesn't light up the brake lights, braking does.  Lights take power from the battery.  In most cases its not an issue, but, in some extreme cases where you're trying to make it home on battery, you may want to avoid using the brake and use L, say for example late at night when no-one is around.  Over the entire battery pack the brake lights might make a difference of a mile in range,  Its not much, but if you're trying to go home 9.3 miles and you got 8 miles worth of battery, might be something to think about.  If you have 12 miles worth of range, then don't worry about it.  Also remember that driving at night takes more power from the battery (headlights, etc) than during the day.  So if you drive 9.3 miles in the day to your work and get there with 60% battery left, at night when you go home you won't get there with 20% battery left, it will be less due to the lights.  You always need more battery for night time, and you want to go around 38mph if you can to maximize your range, as going 25 mph time is not on your side, the lights are always burning the battery whether you're moving or not, so keep moving and get there quicker.

 

-=>Raja.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! That was a mouthful!!!!!!!!!! BUT YET....Very very informative!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Much appreciated. Thanks!!

[My14Energi]

Or just get in....push the pedal....and enjoy your car and avoid the neurosis explained above

[rbort]

Pg3, I'm glad you saw it.  After spending the time to write that detailed explanation for you, happy to see at least you'll learn something from it.

 

My14, yeah OK but don't complain about the car not making 45mpg+ with the ICE or 30 miles range in EV  ;)

 

Best regards,

 

-=>Raja.

Edited January 10, 2017 at 12:53 AM by rbort

[Pg3ibew]

Or just get in....push the pedal....and enjoy your car and avoid the neurosis explained above

 

 

Pg3, I'm glad you saw it.  After spending the time to write that detailed explanation for you, happy to see at least you'll learn something from it.

 

My14, yeah OK but don't complain about the car not making 45mpg+ with the ICE or 30 miles range in EV  ;)

 

Best regards,

 

-=>Raja.

Coming from a guy that has an 06 GT Mustang. With massive horse power. And is a MASSIVE gas guzzler. I have this to say to you guys. I am use to MASHING the gas pedal and driving very very fast. Passing people, at will, as I down shift past them. So, I could see the point from "MY14"

But as a young man just a few months from my 50th Birthday(LOL), I could certainly appreciate the points of "rbort" . As I get older I am realizing that I have to leave this world to my children and future grand children. My 3 boys are in the young 20s. I am hoping I can lead by example and help my boys to help the environment. My sons are in love with my Energi. They are FORD drivers as well. They drive ICE cars. But all 3 of them are looking to get some sort of HYBRID/ELECTRIC as their next cars. MY next car is going to be a Tesla. I made that promise to myself. 

I still occasionally get in my MUSCLE Car and MASH the gas when I feel the need for speed and want to act like a 20 something year old But, at this point. I am driving more like an 80 year old grand ma. LMAO. I will find the happy medium!!! 

[rbort]

Hey Listen I just turned 50 in November.  I used to be like you, with a regular ICE car your only bragging rights are how fast you made it from Boston to NY, or Boston to Montreal.  You could impress people by giving them a time alot shorter than theirs.  That was the old game then, this is the new challenge now.

 

When I bought my Cmax, I went from trying to get there as fast as I could, to trying to get there as efficient as I could.  I really changed me, and I get the rewards of netting higher mpg miles and ev than the car was rated for.

 

At the end of the day, now I laugh at the stupid guy in the mustang who couldn't bear being behind me as I slowly slowed down to a red light ahead, guns it and passes me fast only to slam on the brakes and stop at the red light.  I keep coasting and sometimes I get there with 20mph speed right when the light turns green and I blow by him stopped at the light.  Not only that, but I saved 20mph speed which made me more efficient!

 

Anyway, whatever works for you.  I just gave you some high level tips on how to get more out of the car, if you want to.  Hey no worries to me, all the people who complained the car was not getting 43mpg as rated by Ford, well, they got me paid $750 from Ford and I was already netting higher than that.

 

Thank you lead footers for that  :)

 

-=>Raja.

Edited January 10, 2017 at 02:15 AM by rbort

[My14Energi]

I have put 10k miles on my Energi since July and my average is 51.1 mpg over those 10k miles. I just drive the car, listen to the radio and enjoy the drive. Way too much thought going into driving a car by some. And the car will be traded in for something new way before the battery goes bad so save that speech, perhaps the upcoming hybrid mustang.

Edited January 10, 2017 at 03:57 AM by My14Energi

[rbort]

Yeah OK that's good, I got 62k miles on mine and an average of 69mpg lifetime.  It all depends on how you drive, I take many long trips using the ICE but also do well at home with EV power for errands.

 

-=>Raja.

[Pg3ibew]

Yeah OK that's good, I got 62k miles on mine and an average of 69mpg lifetime. It all depends on how you drive, I take many long trips using the ICE but also do well at home with EV power for errands.

 

-=>Raja.

Rbort. One more question. Better to COAST to a light, using L, or braking into the light? From a pure battery efficiency point of view. Which one would regen batteries better? Thanks.

[rbort]

While both are regen, its best to coast towards a red light in D -- there is no coasting in L really, that's more like braking...  As you get close to stopping, you will need to brake, or use L to slow down and then brake to complete the stop.  Note that D slows you down to around 5 mph, L will slow you down to around 3 mph.  After that its brake with friction pads down to zero, there is no regen below 5 in D and 3 in L.  If you are in L way back, you won't make it to the light, and you have to press the gas some more to get there.  Bad for efficiency try not to press the gas at all once the light turns yellow.   If the light turns in a distance, and you want to use L to go to 3 mph before using the brake to go to zero, you need to learn, based on your speed and distance to target, exactly when to shift to L to reach 3mph  and use the brake at the end to finalize the stop, without a) being too early shifting to L and being forced to step on the gas due to traffic behind you or just to get there, or b) being too late and having to use the brake harder than regen capability and digging into your brake pads at speeds above 5 mph and not getting 100% regen on the stop.

 

There is nowhere to go anyways, so speeding up to a red light and hitting the brake harder is not going to help you.  Coasting in D and giving time for the light to change back to green is best if you save any speed its better than stopping.  In that case once green you just step on the accelerator again, slowly gain speed back to within 3 mph of your cruise speed and re-engage cruise.

 

Rule of thumb, if you don't need every last ounce of electrons from the battery to reach your destination (saving the brake lights draw) then just use the brake to stop at lights.  Might be a little bit easier then coasting in D and timing when to bang the shifter into L.  Sometimes I still use L, you can really learn when is the right moment, but just remember there are no brake lights so remind yourself of that - you don't want to get rear ended so be smart about it.  I use L when I encounter what appears to be a steep hill with a stop sign at the end, I use L early near the top especially if no-one is behind me and go down the whole hill in L.  If I see that the car is not holding up, I add slight braking for maximum regen and hope that it will slow down enough to stop at the end without using the friction pads.  Usually this is true if you don't let the car run down the hill and then try to stop it.  Going down in L at 10 to 15 mph is alot easier to stop at the end than reaching 30mph and trying to slow it all back down with regen.  Be patient down the hill and smile because you're recharging the battery.

 

Hope this helps and enjoy!

 

-=>Raja.

Edited January 12, 2017 at 05:43 AM by rbort

[murphy]

You can modulate the regen level with the accelerator pedal when in L mode.  Don't just take your foot completely off of the pedal.

[Pg3ibew]

While both are regen, its best to coast towards a red light in D -- there is no coasting in L really, that's more like braking... As you get close to stopping, you will need to brake, or use L to slow down and then brake to complete the stop. Note that D slows you down to around 5 mph, L will slow you down to around 3 mph. After that its brake with friction pads down to zero, there is no regen below 5 in D and 3 in L. If you are in L way back, you won't make it to the light, and you have to press the gas some more to get there. Bad for efficiency try not to press the gas at all once the light turns yellow. If the light turns in a distance, and you want to use L to go to 3 mph before using the brake to go to zero, you need to learn, based on your speed and distance to target, exactly when to shift to L to reach 3mph and use the brake at the end to finalize the stop, without a) being too early shifting to L and being forced to step on the gas due to traffic behind you or just to get there, or b) being too late and having to use the brake harder than regen capability and digging into your brake pads at speeds above 5 mph and not getting 100% regen on the stop.

 

There is nowhere to go anyways, so speeding up to a red light and hitting the brake harder is not going to help you. Coasting in D and giving time for the light to change back to green is best if you save any speed its better than stopping. In that case once green you just step on the accelerator again, slowly gain speed back to within 3 mph of your cruise speed and re-engage cruise.

 

Rule of thumb, if you don't need every last ounce of electrons from the battery to reach your destination (saving the brake lights draw) then just use the brake to stop at lights. Might be a little bit easier then coasting in D and timing when to bang the shifter into L. Sometimes I still use L, you can really learn when is the right moment, but just remember there are no brake lights so remind yourself of that - you don't want to get rear ended so be smart about it. I use L when I encounter what appears to be a steep hill with a stop sign at the end, I use L early near the top especially if no-one is behind me and go down the whole hill in L. If I see that the car is not holding up, I add slight braking for maximum regen and hope that it will slow down enough to stop at the end without using the friction pads. Usually this is true if you don't let the car run down the hill and then try to stop it. Going down in L at 10 to 15 mph is alot easier to stop at the end than reaching 30mph and trying to slow it all back down with regen. Be patient down the hill and smile because you're recharging the battery.

 

Hope this helps and enjoy!

 

-=>Raja.

I tried to QUOTE both of you. Not sure if it worked. Thanks for the informative posts. Much appreciated. I will play around with L and braking and see how it goes.

[rbort]

At the end of the day, every stop should be 100% brake regen.  If its not, learn to make it so.  Follow further back, anticipate stops, and don't worry about people riding your back when you're coasting to a red light or slowly braking towards that red light.  People with ICE cars always want to race to the red light and bit the brake the last minute, that's absolutely the worst efficient way.

 

Let us know how you make out, would be interesting for me to hear your feedback.

 

-=>Raja.

Edited January 12, 2017 at 04:18 PM by rbort

[Pg3ibew]

Will do.