Automatic descent control/regen

macchiaz-o

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From Robert Iorio:

Memories of heading up Pike's Peak in full camo. October, 2019. On the decent, the team debuted Auto Grade Assist. Mustang Mach-E wil hold and maintain your speed going downhill. No need to control either pedal, the system detects your grade and blends in regen as required to hold the target speed. Neat stuff.

This sounds really good to me. Do other EVs do this?
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jhalkias

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From Robert Iorio:

Memories of heading up Pike's Peak in full camo. October, 2019. On the decent, the team debuted Auto Grade Assist. Mustang Mach-E wil hold and maintain your speed going downhill. No need to control either pedal, the system detects your grade and blends in regen as required to hold the target speed. Neat stuff.

This sounds really good to me. Do other EVs do this?
I was thinking about how that would work as I was driving to and from Virginia this last week through West Virginia going down those five mile long 7% grade mountains. Wondered how much range I could add.
 

ajmartineau

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Yes, the cruise control will slow you down using Regen on most EV's. The Bolt can charge at 75 kW during regen. on the steep hill. going 70mph. for a very short time. until it brings you to a quick stop.
 

ChasingCoral

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Ditto with the Leaf.

Funny story: A friend in Oahu has a Leaf, lives in Kailua and works in Pearl Harbor. Up over the mountain and down on every commute. Sometimes coming home the guess-o-meter nears zero range approaching the top. The car recharges all the way down but the guess-o-meter doesn't show you the credit you earned until after you turn it off and back on, so you have to drive on faith all the way home. I'm not only looking forward to Auto Grade Assist but the Intelligent Range to go with it.
 

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I was thinking about how that would work as I was driving to and from Virginia this last week through West Virginia going down those five mile long 7% grade mountains. Wondered how much range I could add.
Last year while driving through rugged Trinity Alps mountains west of Redding, CA, I had to maximize my Tesla 3 range to safely return to I5 highway. Driving up hill like my grandmother and full costing down hill (without AC on), over 96 mi I added over 12 miles of range! It can be done.
 


MattG

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Thereā€™s no way this car will work for me in Colorado if Ford hasnā€˜t done a good job of optimizing regen on downhill slopes! Thatā€™s about 50% of my driving. ?

Nice to hear they tested it on Pikes Peak....thatā€™s a great test of this!
 
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macchiaz-o

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Thereā€™s no way this car will work for me in Colorado if Ford hasnā€˜t done a good job of optimizing regen on downhill slopes! Thatā€™s about 50% of my driving. ?

Nice to hear they tested it on Pikes Peak....thatā€™s a great test of this!
Did you see today's photo from inside the Eisenhower tunnel?
 

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My wife's 2016 MKZ Hybrid has what appears to be the Auto Grade Assist. There is a green icon on a slope that comes on while going downhill. Note the Cruise Control is NOT on.
 
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macchiaz-o

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My wife's 2016 MKZ Hybrid has what appears to be the Auto Grade Assist. There is a green icon on a slope that comes on while going downhill. Note the Cruise Control is NOT on.
I just searched for this and found the feature "Hybrid Grade Assist." Sounds like this might be what's on the 2016 MKZ. So maybe the "Auto Grade Assist" is like this except without the need for an on/off button (and still no need for cruise control, similar to your wife's car).

https://owner.ford.com/support/how-tos/electric-ev-hybrids/how-to-use-hybrid-grade-assist.html#

The more I learn about electric cars, the sooner I want to get away from my old fashioned ICE car!
 

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I just searched for this and found the feature "Hybrid Grade Assist." Sounds like this might be what's on the 2016 MKZ. So maybe the "Auto Grade Assist" is like this except without the need for an on/off button (and still no need for cruise control, similar to your wife's car).

https://owner.ford.com/support/how-tos/electric-ev-hybrids/how-to-use-hybrid-grade-assist.html#

The more I learn about electric cars, the sooner I want to get away from my old fashioned ICE car!
Yeah once you drive one you won't want an ICE ever again.
 

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Yeah once you drive one you won't want an ICE ever again.
I totally agree. This has been the progression for me and my wife:
2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid (Me)
2013 Ford Fusion Energi [Plug-in Hybrid] (Wife)
2016 Lincoln MHZ Hybrid (Wife) - Replacement for 2013 FFE bought back by Ford due to non Energi issues
2018 Chevrolet Bolt Premium (Me)
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-e (Me) - Replacement for 2018 CBP

We will keep the 2016 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid for longer trips.
For me the time required to charge and distance available for BEVs is still the drawback. We can do almost 500 miles in the MKZ without refueling (40+ MPG - 13.5Gal) and refuel in 10-15 minutes.
 

dbsb3233

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I just searched for this and found the feature "Hybrid Grade Assist." Sounds like this might be what's on the 2016 MKZ. So maybe the "Auto Grade Assist" is like this except without the need for an on/off button (and still no need for cruise control, similar to your wife's car).
So it does this without cruise control or any other setting on? What if you actually WANT to coast to speed up some going downhill? You have to actively press the accelerator down?

Sounds like it could be a little confusing. Basically "automatic cruise control kicking in only when coasting downhill but not any other time". Does it simply use the speed that you were going when you lift your foot off the accelerator?

Guess it won't make a lot of difference for me since I'm in cruise control 95% of the time on highways anyway. I get a little ankle/knee fatigue, and I've come to rely on cruise control most of the time anymore.
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