Best Regen for long downhills.

[david_quick]

I get these weird questions pop into my head from time to time. I was thinking about my upcoming road trip. I have to cross the continental divide both directions and my brain says what is the best way to get the most out of regen on the downhill leg.

1. Just use one pedal and let the car sort it out.
2. Turn off OP and use low range.
3 other suggestions?

Edit: Plan to use BC as much as possible.

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[RickMachE]

I get these weird questions pop into my head from time to time. I was thinking about my upcoming road trip. I have to cross the continental divide both directions and my brain says what is the best way to get the most out of regen on the downhill leg.

1. Just use one pedal and let the car sort it out.
2. Turn off OP and use low range.
3 other suggestions?

Drive the car. It doesn't matter. You're going 70mph uphill, downhill. Car regens when you let off the accelerator in all modes.

 

[dtbaker61]

I get these weird questions pop into my head from time to time. I was thinking about my upcoming road trip. I have to cross the continental divide both directions and my brain says what is the best way to get the most out of regen on the downhill leg.

1. Just use one pedal and let the car sort it out.
2. Turn off OP and use low range.
3 other suggestions?

use adaptive cruise control.
doesn't matter what mode, or 1-p or 2-p

 

[david_quick]

use adaptive cruise control.
doesn't matter what mode, or 1-p or 2-p

I’m using BC as much as possible.

 

[AtomicInternet]

I'd say use cruise control and let the car sort it out. I use BlueCruise on every road trip I possibly can and have the GT power meter enabled. I can confirm it goes into "green" (regen) on any significant downhill.

If you're talking about slow, backroads I'd stick to the 1-pedal. "Low range" is just software, there's no actual gear change happening.

 

[dtbaker61]

I’m using BC as much as possible.

I don't have BC....
... adaptive cruise control will maintain your speed and capture regen on long downhills regardless of mode. I use 1-p unbridled all the time... even on twisty mountain roads up and down if I am in traffic. adaptive does a good job maintaining distance to the car in front of you, and even 'sees' sharp corners and slows for them most of the time if there is a guard rail.

 

[Travlcub]

I get these weird questions pop into my head from time to time. I was thinking about my upcoming road trip. I have to cross the continental divide both directions and my brain says what is the best way to get the most out of regen on the downhill leg.

1. Just use one pedal and let the car sort it out.
2. Turn off OP and use low range.
3 other suggestions?

Edit: Plan to use BC as much as possible.

I just went over the cascades (Seattle to Yakima) and I was in Engaged lost going up gained it coming down. Flare roads I was in BC and went to whisper.

 

[jeffMachE]

I drive down (and then up) 3,000 ft every day. Both of the automated systems (BC and Adaptive Cruise Control) as well as 1 PD will regen coming down and you'll achieve as close to max regen as is possible. The only way you'll not get max regen is by hitting the brakes hard, or by coasting down in N (not recommended!)

 

[Homestead]

I drive down (and then up) 3,000 ft every day. Both of the automated systems (BC and Adaptive Cruise Control) as well as 1 PD will regen coming down and you'll achieve as close to max regen as is possible. The only way you'll not get max regen is by hitting the brakes hard, or by coasting down in N (not recommended!)

What is the efficiency of these trips compared to flat-land travel?

 

[jeffMachE]

What is the efficiency of these trips compared to flat-land travel?

I typically charge to 90%. I arrive at my office (25 miles) with 86% or 87%. But I arrive back home around 70%. Call it 5-ish mi/kWh to get to work and under 2 to get home. I average around 3 mi/kWh in the summer, less in the winter.

 

[Thunderbuck]

About the only strategy I can think of that might be useful would be to reduce speed as much as you can tolerate going UP long grades, then let BC take the car down. But the time you save by extending your range would likely be outweighed by the extra time you'd spend going up those grades.

 

[2021-MMEx-RT1]

Use the 'L' on the gear knob for downhills for a touch of extra regen (not in 1 pedal mode)

Using L for regen

 

[Mach1E]

This seems to be a popular subject recently and people keep finding different ways to ask the same question and it all comes down to how our car uses blended braking.

The same question asked different ways-
Is the car more efficient in X mode?

Answer- no, they’re all the same.


For the OP’s specific question, cruise control should do a better job than a human at maintaining speed, but a human can get the same efficiency in any mode as cruise control.

The real “what’s the most efficient way to drive downhill” answer is to put the car in neutral and never hit the brakes.

But that wouldn’t be safe nor practical unless the downhill is perfectly straight and just the right angle to keep you at a safe speed.

 

[SlicerOnSteam]

The real “what’s the most efficient way to drive downhill” answer is to put the car in neutral and never hit the brakes.

That is simply false unless you assume everyone ceases to exist at the bottom of the hill. Whatever out of control insane speed you reach on the free fall down hill you must bring to a safe stop somehow.

EV's coming down a mountain road gain charge the whole way, now that is maximum efficiency - helped by the assumption that they began their existence on top of the hill .

 

[Mach1E]

That is simply false unless you assume everyone ceases to exist at the bottom of the hill. Whatever out of control insane speed you reach on the free fall down hill you must bring to a safe stop somehow.

EV's coming down a mountain road gain charge the whole way, now that is maximum efficiency - helped by the assumption that they began their existence on top of the hill .

No, they would just coast to a stop at the bottom of the hill (no brakes).

Coasting is the most efficient way to go downhill.

But it’s not a safe way to drive.

The reason why is simple- regeneration doesn’t recapture 100% of the energy. There are losses.

Now how much more efficient would be determined by the speed that coasting sends you downhill.

If you coast at 70 mph rather than cruising at 50 mph (using regenerative braking), it’s possible that the added wind resistance would overcome any gains and coasting would actually be less efficient.

It’s basically just a physics and math problem.

Either way, because it’s not safe, I wouldn’t recommend it.

But the “hypermiler” drivers do this stuff all the time. Including tailgating tractor trailers and shutting their cars off.

Crazy stuff, but it is more efficient.

Ford makes it easy for us with its blended braking system. Just drive normal and the car figures out the most efficient way to get you from point A to B safely.

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