Drive Mode on Highway

[NikNad10]

Hey everyone,

I got my MME last week and have been driving Unbridled w/1pd, however I was unsure if there was a better drive mode to use on the highway or not. Will using whisper or engaged on the highway instead of Unbridled make an efficiency difference? Or will it not matter?

Sponsored

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

None of it matters except your driving style and speed. ESPECIALLY on the highway. Drive mode only changes throttle mapping and regenerative braking strength. You can achieve the same results in any mode by adjusting much you push the go pedal or how long you take to stop. Just because you’re in unbridled doesn’t mean you have to do jackrabbit starts. And just because your in whisper doesn’t mean mashing the pedal doesn’t give full power.
Once your cruising on the highway, starting and stopping are non-issues so even that little bit of difference is gone. The only thing that will effect your range then is how fast you go. Speed is the enemy of efficiency.

 

[NikNad10]

None of it matters except your driving style and speed. ESPECIALLY on the highway. Drive mode only changes throttle mapping and regenerative braking strength. You can achieve the same results in any mode by adjusting much you push the go pedal or how long you take to stop. Just because you’re in unbridled doesn’t mean you have to do jackrabbit starts. And just because your in whisper doesn’t mean mashing the pedal doesn’t give full power.
Once your cruising on the highway, starting and stopping are non-issues so even that little bit of difference is gone. The only thing that will effect your range then is how fast you go. Speed is the enemy of efficiency.

Thank you, that makes sense. It will be the first time I do extended driving on the highway from Portland ,OR to Seaside, OR and am not sure the efficiency as far as mi/kwh. That beach does not have DCFC for non-tesla and the hotel does not have any outlets..

 

[Marcel]

None of it matters except your driving style and speed. ESPECIALLY on the highway. Drive mode only changes throttle mapping and regenerative braking strength. You can achieve the same results in any mode by adjusting much you push the go pedal or how long you take to stop. Just because you’re in unbridled doesn’t mean you have to do jackrabbit starts. And just because your in whisper doesn’t mean mashing the pedal doesn’t give full power.
Once your cruising on the highway, starting and stopping are non-issues so even that little bit of difference is gone. The only thing that will effect your range then is how fast you go. Speed is the enemy of efficiency.

Agreed with one small item to complete, coasting is easier in whisper and more energy efficient.

 

[macchiaz-o]

Thank you, that makes sense. It will be the first time I do extended driving on the highway from Portland ,OR to Seaside, OR and am not sure the efficiency as far as mi/kwh. That beach does not have DCFC for non-tesla and the hotel does not have any outlets..

A Better Route Planner estimates you'll use about 72% of your battery for a round trip from Portland to Seaside, if you've got a standard range, rear wheel drive Mach-E. You can run figures for your specific situation here:

https://abetterrouteplanner.com/

Also check out PlugShare, which gives a handy map showing locations of all the public charge points that you might want to know for your trip plans. The orange placemarks are high speed (DC 50 kW or greater) charge options, while the green placemarks are "AC level 2" like you might be using at your home for overnight charges.

https://www.plugshare.com/

 

[hybrid2bev]

I use Unbridled w/1pd, in city driving. On the expressway I use whisper without 1PD for these reasons.

1. Smooth disengagement of ACC (no hard regen if you need to quickly click cancel. If you press down the accelerator until the set speed turns grey you can also disengage smoothly, but it takes planning ahead.)

2. Slower, more efficient acceleration to your set speed. It doesn’t zoom up like unbridled does.

3. Coasting is more efficient. Whisper has almost no regen without using the brakes.

 

[Mach1E]

Agreed with one small item to complete, coasting is easier in whisper and more energy efficient.

I also throw it in whisper on the highway, but not for efficiency.

It’s so it softens the suspension (GTPE), lightens the steering, makes for smoother acceleration, and shows the % charged.

 

[NikNad10]

I use Unbridled w/1pd, in city driving. On the expressway I use whisper without 1PD for these reasons.

1. Smooth disengagement of ACC (no hard regen if you need to quickly click cancel. If you press down the accelerator until the set speed turns grey you can also disengage smoothly, but it takes planning ahead.)

2. Slower, more efficient acceleration to your set speed. It doesn’t zoom up like unbridled does.

3. Coasting is more efficient. Whisper has almost no regen without using the brakes.

Thank you, I'm going to try it. What you outlined makes a lot of sense. I will feel better after doing this once and getting an idea of the efficiency. It's a pain that there is not DCFC from EA out at Seaside (probably because it sucks and no one really likes going there).

 

[Mach-E VLOG]

I use Unbridled w/1pd, in city driving. On the expressway I use whisper without 1PD for these reasons.

1. Smooth disengagement of ACC (no hard regen if you need to quickly click cancel. If you press down the accelerator until the set speed turns grey you can also disengage smoothly, but it takes planning ahead.)

2. Slower, more efficient acceleration to your set speed. It doesn’t zoom up like unbridled does.

3. Coasting is more efficient. Whisper has almost no regen without using the brakes.

I also switch to Whisper on the freeway except I usually leave on 1PD just because I'm used to it. I had a slight panic attack a couple of times when approaching an exit and the car was coasting with 1PD off. But I agree with your points. ACC and Blue Cruise seem much smoother in Whisper.

 

[NikNad10]

I also switch to Whisper on the freeway except I usually leave on 1PD just because I'm used to it. I had a slight panic attack a couple of times when approaching an exit and the car was coasting with 1PD off. But I agree with your points. ACC and Blue Cruise seem much smoother in Whisper.

I do that when I drive my wife's Highlander, it doesn't come to a stop and I have hit the brake .

 

[dbsb3233]

Agreed with one small item to complete, coasting is easier in whisper and more energy efficient.

Although there technically is no real coasting in the Mach-E since the motors are permanently engaged. Only simulated coasting. But yes, even simulated coasting (gradual slowing) is more efficient than stronger slowing when going the same total distance, because stronger slowing requires more drive power again to get back up to speed and make it the same distance.

But since most of the slowing energy is recaptured via regen, the difference should be negligible. Plus, most people use cruise control on the highway anyway, which presumably ignores all pedal mapping settings (since you're not using the pedals).

Speed and elevation change are the main factors affecting efficiency on the highway.

 

[dbsb3233]

I also switch to Whisper on the freeway except I usually leave on 1PD just because I'm used to it. I had a slight panic attack a couple of times when approaching an exit and the car was coasting with 1PD off. But I agree with your points. ACC and Blue Cruise seem much smoother in Whisper.

So the drive modes seems to affect ACC and BC too? Interesting. I thought it only affected pedal mapping. But I just use Whisper + L gear all the time so I really haven't done any drive mode compaisons with cruise control in over a year now.

 

[NikNad10]

So the drive modes seems to affect ACC and BC too? Interesting. I thought it only affected pedal mapping. But I just use Whisper + L gear all the time so I really haven't done any drive mode compaisons with cruise control in over a year now.

Is the ideal use of L, if I were heading to the coast and going through the mountain, I would put L on a downgrade? I will use Whisper for the highway and most likely turn over pedal off.

 

[dbsb3233]

Is the ideal use of L, if I were heading to the coast and going through the mountain, I would put L on a downgrade? I will use Whisper for the highway and most likely turn over pedal off.

Not really. Even though it will slow you down, it's not really the same as an ICE car where you use low gear on a steep downhill to avoid riding the breaks and wearing them out. For one thing, the brake pedal just uses regen too (unless you really press hard to slow down fast, where it also adds friction brakes). For normal slowing, it's no better or worse to use the brake pedal vs L gear (or any other stronger regen mode). Just use whichever one is easiest for you.

L gear applies a medium amount of regen in any situation as you lift up on the accelerator pedal (whether downhill, uphill, or flat). It's sort of halfway to one pedal driving. But it doesn't fully stop you like 1PD. Regen only slows you down to about 3 MPH, and friction brakes have to do the rest. L gear (and 1PD off) means you still need to use the brake pedal to fully stop. It just does a lot of the slowing for you. I often don't have to use the brake pedal until the last few feet. I usually don't even need to touch the brake pedal turning corners.

Engaged and Unbridled modes will act similarly, just with different levels of regen. But they also make the steering wheel stiffer. I prefer the easier steering wheel feel of Whisper. Overall I like the feel of Whisper, along with the regen level that L adds. It's a great combo. But it's purely a personal preference thing. Some people swear by 1PD (I don't care for it), some like Unbridled, some like Engaged. But for me it's W+L full-time.

Oh, and if you're using any cruise control mode, it just handles the uphills and downhills all on it's own. Doesn't matter if L is on or not.

 

[NikNad10]

Not really. Even though it will slow you down, it's not really the same as an ICE car where you use low gear on a steep downhill to avoid riding the breaks and wearing them out. For one thing, the brake pedal just uses regen too (unless you really press hard to slow down fast, where it also adds friction brakes). For normal slowing, it's no better or worse to use the brake pedal vs L gear (or any other stronger regen mode). Just use whichever one is easiest for you.

L gear applies a medium amount of regen in any situation as you lift up on the accelerator pedal (whether downhill, uphill, or flat). It's sort of halfway to one pedal driving. But it doesn't fully stop you like 1PD. Regen only slows you down to about 3 MPH, and friction brakes have to do the rest. L gear (and 1PD off) means you still need to use the brake pedal to fully stop. It just does a lot of the slowing for you. I often don't have to use the brake pedal until the last few feet. I usually don't even need to touch the brake pedal turning corners.

Engaged and Unbridled modes will act similarly, just with different levels of regen. But they also make the steering wheel stiffer. I prefer the easier steering wheel feel of Whisper. Overall I like the feel of Whisper, along with the regen level that L adds. It's a great combo. But it's purely a personal preference thing. Some people swear by 1PD (I don't care for it), some like Unbridled, some like Engaged. But for me it's W+L full-time.

Oh, and if you're using any cruise control mode, it just handles the uphills and downhills all on it's own. Doesn't matter if L is on or not.

Thank you, that was informative!

Sponsored