How to drive a Mach E in suburban city traffic

[dbsb3233]

What the hell is low mode

The "L" button on the gear shift dial.

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[jlamarca73]

I stand by my recommendation to eschew the one pedal mode for anyone who hasn't previously driven an electric vehicle - particularly if they are trying to master the Copilot 360 features. The "Low" mode provides a very natural, intuitive transition to one pedal. It provides introduction/experience with the use of regenerative braking, without trying to simultaneously attempt to become proficient in both dominatrix regenerative braking and adaptive cruise control and lane assist.

Just begin with driving in "Low," while you become an expert in the nifty drive assist features. One pedal driving is the least useful skill to master. Save it to the end. Then think of it as a cherry on top.

I wish we had the option to generate an instant poll, as is popular on Twitter. How many people brake with the Right foot? How many with the Left? I spent decades of training my right foot to be the accelerator foot and the left to be the auxillary foot. The accelerator foot was constantly engaged with the accelerator. Removing and repositioning it in an emergency wasted precious milliseconds. The left foot was always primed and ready to go. In a stick shift car, I'd have it engaged above the clutch. In an automatic, primed above the brake. To this day, I'm sure I'd do a faster emergency stop with my left foot than my right.

Maybe I'm one in a thousand. I'd be curious to take a survey.

- Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach

You are one in a thousand! Left foot is for the clutch only!

 

[eltonlin]

I hope the Mach E doesn't become the EV with the largest number of owners with aol.com email addresses

What’s email?

 

[Woeo]

Removing and repositioning it in an emergency wasted precious milliseconds.

But it also removes it from the vicinity of the accelerator helping ensure fewer instances of accidental acceleration.

 

[Woeo]

Other than when I have passengers in the car, in which case I'll use whisper unless I get really good at OPD.

Whisper and OPD can co-exist.

 

[Woeo]

As someone who has never owned an EV before, what makes the 1PD better?

It uses regenerative braking to bring the car to a stop [with a small bit of ‘brakes’ at the end] recapturing the max energy possible from the cars momentum, returning max energy to the battery, extending the range on your trip as compared to a stop only using friction brakes. Less use of friction brakes will extend brake pad life and reduce per mile maintenance cost.

Con: many drivers are accustomed to coasting to slow down. Lifting off the accelerator in OPD engages regeneration fully—abruptly reducing the vehicle speed. You must learn to feather your foot lifting to slow the car smoothly, otherwise your passengers may become carsick. Quick lifting of your foot may also lead to more slowing than you desired, inviting you to re-accelerate, thus negating the energy savings you are hoping to achieve. OPD can not recover all the energy used to accelerate the vehicle.

Disengaging/canceling from cruise control is similar to lifting your foot off the accelerator. When using OPD you will need to move your foot to the accelerator and smoothly find the right amount of pressure to avoid application of full regenerative braking when canceling cruise control, e.g. when approaching a traffic signal or stop sign without a lead car, turning at an intersection, etc.

 

[Stang68]

I hope the Mach E doesn't become the EV with the largest number of owners with aol.com email addresses

As much as I despise the Tesla crowd, you may be right haha

 

[JamieGeek]

It uses regenerative braking to bring the car to a stop [with a small bit of ‘brakes’ at the end] recapturing the max energy possible from the cars momentum, returning max energy to the battery, extending the range on your trip as compared to a stop only using friction brakes. Less use of friction brakes will extend brake pad life and reduce per mile maintenance cost.

Con: many drivers are accustomed to coasting to slow down. Lifting off the accelerator in OPD engages regeneration fully—abruptly reducing the vehicle speed. You must learn to feather your foot lifting to slow the car smoothly, otherwise your passengers may become carsick. Quick lifting of your foot may also lead to more slowing than you desired, inviting you to re-accelerate, thus negating the energy savings you are hoping to achieve. OPD can not recover all the energy used to accelerate the vehicle.

Disengaging/canceling from cruise control is similar to lifting your foot off the accelerator. When using OPD you will need to move your foot to the accelerator and smoothly find the right amount of pressure to avoid application of full regenerative braking when canceling cruise control, e.g. when approaching a traffic signal or stop sign without a lead car, turning at an intersection, etc.

The 1-P "uses regen" argument doesn't really fly on the Mach-E due to the blended brake.

Watch the brake coach: You can achieve 100% regen using the brake pedal or 1-P mode thanks to the Mach-E's blended brake.

This reduces the 1-P argument to "its my preference". I like using 1-P mode simply because I don't have to move my foot from accelerator to brake. I've been driving 1-P now long enough that I don't get "foot fatigue" from it.


There is a corner case advantage to 1-P: If the driver becomes incapacitated for some reason in 1-P the car will come to a stop faster.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I’m sorry you have had the car for one day and your recommending how people should drive the car? How about you drive the car for a few weeks and try all the options before giving recommendations. At this time you are just not very believable.

Remember, this advise is coming from someone who drives two-footed in an automatic transmission ICE car. That pretty much says it all.

 

[ChasingCoral]

O.K. I'll make this short.

Most Mach E reviews have to do with stuff like range, 0 - 60, general Mustang-nish, open road, mountains, winter weather, etc etc etc.

This is about taking your kids to soccer practice. Or just driving into work.

Here's the Executive Summary:

You want the drive mode to be "Low." One pedal is a gimmick. Kind of novel. Perhaps useful for some people with a personal issue. But otherwise, just messes with real driving, especially integrating Co-Pilot 360 features with the real world of American suburbia. "Low" is the perfect compromise between freestyle and dominatrix - regenerative braking wise. Your friction brake pads get 90% of the benefit, while you maintain ultimate control. Trust me on this, if you are new to this. Start out with driving in "Low" mode. After awhile, experiment with one pedal, if you are curious, or if you just were born to be a one pedal driver.

Set your adaptive cruise control to "Intelligent" mode. Thereafter, for most driving situations (exceptions would be late for work or going to the Emergency Room), turn on adaptive cruise control and lane centering. What you want to achieve is a state in which you and your Mach-E do a Vulcan mind meld. You don't drive the car. Spock (the MME) doesn't drive itself. It's more like Spock is a 3rd year resident in surgery. She does most of the operation, but you watch her like the proverbial hawk. The two of you make a great team.

What Spock does is most of the actual work. She keeps you in your lane. Adjusts your speed. Maintains proper distance (I suggest going with the "4 Avatar" car distance to begin -- the maximum separation between you and any leading (or cutting into your lane) car. I also suggest just setting the "Intelligent" cruise speed to the exact speed limit of the street on which you are traveling. Later on, if you want to dial it up to speed limit plus 7 or whatever, you can do it. But I advise against it. If you aren't late for work, just chill and listen to some good music or an interesting podcast. You'll arrive at your destination much more relaxed (and with less body odor).

Spock's job will be to keep you centered in your lane and adjust your speed and separation between the vehicle in front of you. Your job is to make sure that Spock doesn't accidentally sever the aorta. Plus you have to do the braking when you approach red lights or stop signs. Then, after you've stopped, you'll usually have to press on the accelerator to give Spock a little wake up call, as well as pressing the "resume" button in the center of your cruise control cluster on the left side of your steering wheel.

I've owned this car now a bit more than a day. Yesterday, I did a 130 mile drive on SoCal freeways. Today, a bunch of suburban driving in a wide variety of typical traffic conditions. Car has, to date, totally blown me away. As I wrote elsewhere, my expectations were sky high, and Spock (Premium trim, RWD, standard battery) has just melted (and melded) my mind. Awesome car. Just awesome.

Pro tip on lane centering: It won't work unless you have adaptive cruise control engaged. Also, when you change lanes, you have to turn your turn signal on in the direction of the lane change. The instant you do that, you control the direction of driving, not Spock. And until you turn the turn signal off, you are 100% in charge, not Spock. So be sure to turn the darn blinker off, once you are in the new lane of travel.

More, I'm sure, as time passes.

- Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach

It just dawned on me that you are a genius. Most two-footed drivers lazily rest their left foot on the brake. That usually drives drivers behind them nuts because they are always "braking" and it is bad for the brakes. However, if you rest your foot on the brake a little, you will always regenerate. You can drive forever without ever stopping. Drivers behind you will still go nuts but you've created perpetual motion!

 

[Maquis]

Essentially - if the OP wants to drive with both feet - more power to him. It's a (mostly) free country)

I could dispute every one of his points about advantages of being a two-footer, but it's not worth it and he isn't going to change.

I'll only add that when I took driver's ed in high school, we had a final driving test that you had to pass in order to get your "green slip". A green slip was required to take to the DMV in order to get your license. If your left foot touched the brake, it was an automatic fail.

 

[timbop]

The 1-P "uses regen" argument doesn't really fly on the Mach-E due to the blended brake.

Watch the brake coach: You can achieve 100% regen using the brake pedal or 1-P mode thanks to the Mach-E's blended brake.

This reduces the 1-P argument to "its my preference". I like using 1-P mode simply because I don't have to move my foot from accelerator to brake. I've been driving 1-P now long enough that I don't get "foot fatigue" from it.


There is a corner case advantage to 1-P: If the driver becomes incapacitated for some reason in 1-P the car will come to a stop faster.

Remember, this advise is coming from someone who drives two-footed in an automatic transmission ICE car. That pretty much says it all.

The tone of the OP is certainly uncalled for, and a 2 footed style without a clutch is extremely unusual and nt a habit to be encouraged. Separating the 2 points, I find my preference for 1PD off which in the Mach E still gives regeneration while at the same time finer control over when I come to a stop. If the Mach E didn't have blended brakes I would have kept 1PD on.

 

[mixduptransistor]

Remember, this advise is coming from someone who drives two-footed in an automatic transmission ICE car. That pretty much says it all.

maybe he has a lot of stock in brake pad companies

 

[Tpaguy]

After about 600 miles so far, I have found that Unbridled Mode gives me the best M/kWh rating with my Mach E (right now at about 3.7). I think it’s the increased regenerative braking that is contributing to it. I have found myself driving the car virtually in one pedal mode, right up until that last couple of seconds before a full stop.

 

[Maquis]

After about 600 miles so far, I have found that Unbridled Mode gives me the best M/kWh rating with my Mach E (right now at about 3.7). I think it’s the increased regenerative braking that is contributing to it. I have found myself driving the car virtually in one pedal mode, right up until that last couple of seconds before a full stop.

I've found that if I pay proper attention, that I never need to touch the brake pedal.

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