Is Low Range Gone in 2025?

[Kamuelaflyer]

I couldn’t have told you what it does. I have a ‘21, and read the whole manual. I even tried it.

But after 4 years of not using it since it’s not very useful I had totally forgotten it was even there, let alone what it did.

There are reasons for folks to use it, plus if they're 2PD drivers, they really ought to know what it does. I do know 2 people who use 2pd drive and Whisper mode exclusively. Both also have L engaged for the regen profile. The second has been touched on in this thread a couple of times: descents. I drove to the end of the road on Mauna Loa back before the late 2022 eruption severed the road. The road ended at roughly the 11,000 ft level. It's a steep drive back down. I used 1pd, one of the other MMEs used L. It's the same on the long descent from Maunakea, where the summit parking area is above 13000 ft. The state brake check at the low end of the summit road always has mme brakes at or around ambient temperatures (When they let us up there), ice cars often end up in the 9000 ft parking lot until they can pass the temp check.

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[Holy Driver]

Just to be clear, the regeneration (read as efficiency) is the same in all modes if you accelerate and decelerate at the same pace.

The difference is how aggressive the regen is (how quickly you slow down) when you let off the accelerator.

And yes, L mode is more aggressive than engage.
The modes are more about driving feel than efficiency.

Understand, yes.
Tested it today on my commute (40 miles one way) and it's definitely noticeable with L

 

[MBCook]

There are reasons for folks to use it, plus if they're 2PD drivers, they really ought to know what it does. I do know 2 people who use 2pd drive and Whisper mode exclusively. Both also have L engaged for the regen profile. The second has been touched on in this thread a couple of times: descents. I drove to the end of the road on Mauna Loa back before the late 2022 eruption severed the road. The road ended at roughly the 11,000 ft level. It's a steep drive back down. I used 1pd, one of the other MMEs used L. It's the same on the long descent from Maunakea, where the summit parking area is above 13000 ft. The state brake check at the low end of the summit road always has mme brakes at or around ambient temperatures (When they let us up there), ice cars often end up in the 9000 ft parking lot until they can pass the temp check.

I think that’s it. I drive 2 pedal, but L is just way too strong for me. And since I don’t live in a mountainous place where it would really be useful it’s just superfluous for me.

 

[E90alex]

Using it for descent is curious because the MME doesn’t really allow the speed to increase much when coasting downhill, so it already uses regen to control speed downhill without the brake pedal and without using L mode.

 

[RickMachE]

Using it for descent is curious because the MME doesn’t really allow the speed to increase much when coasting downhill, so it already uses regen to control speed downhill without the brake pedal and without using L mode.

Curious? In Engage mode, if you push L you get much stronger regeneration than you do if you don't push it, whether you're flat or going downhill. I use it to exit the highway.

 

[E90alex]

Curious? In Engage mode, if you push L you get much stronger regeneration than you do if you don't push it, whether you're flat or going downhill. I use it to exit the highway.

Curious because the Mach-E will essentially maintain downhill speed already in 2PD without touching the pedals.

Putting it in L downhill will induce extra regen and slow you down which then requires you to modulate speed with the throttle, at which point it’s just the same as driving in 1PD….

 

[HuntingPudel]

Curious because the Mach-E will essentially maintain downhill speed already in 2PD without touching the pedals.
<SNIP>

I'm not so sure about this. Under cruise control, sure the car will maintain speed going downhill. In 2PD/Whisper without CC on a hill with enough slope, the car should increase its speed if traveling at a moderate speed with foot off of the go pedal, just like an ICE car will do with an automatic. All gravity needs to do is exceed the force of aerodynamic drag plus the functional drag of the drivetrain (including any regenerative drag).

 

[E90alex]

I'm not so sure about this. Under cruise control, sure the car will maintain speed going downhill. In 2PD/Whisper without CC on a hill with enough slope, the car should increase its speed if traveling at a moderate speed with foot off of the go pedal, just like an ICE car will do with an automatic. All gravity needs to do is exceed the force of aerodynamic drag plus the functional drag of the drivetrain (including any regenerative drag).

I live on a hill and in 2PD/whisper the car will not go faster than 2-3 mph more than when I initially let off the pedal. The power meter shows regen when holding this speed.

 

[Mach1E]

Curious because the Mach-E will essentially maintain downhill speed already in 2PD without touching the pedals.

Putting it in L downhill will induce extra regen and slow you down which then requires you to modulate speed with the throttle, at which point it’s just the same as driving in 1PD….

Going downhill isn’t about maintaining speed though if there are curves.

Mountain roads downhill you actually want the car to slow down (not maintain speed) for the curves or you’re spending all your time going back and forth between the accelerator and the brake pedal.

 

[HuntingPudel]

I live on a hill and in 2PD/whisper the car will not go faster than 2-3 mph more than when I initially let off the pedal. The power meter shows regen when holding this speed.

So speed is actually not maintained. It's been increased by 2-3 MPH. The car has gained equanimity between drag and gravity after it's accelerated from your let off point. Once it gains this equanimity, it doesn't change velocity unless acted upon by another outside force (change in slope, wind, etc.).

 

[Mach-Lee]

I live on a hill and in 2PD/whisper the car will not go faster than 2-3 mph more than when I initially let off the pedal. The power meter shows regen when holding this speed.

FYI for those that didn’t know, this is a recent addition to the powertrain software. Most people won’t notice it unless they look at the regen bar. The behavior going down hills has changed to limit speed increase.

Also, L doesn’t do anything additional if you are in 1PD. You’re already getting full regen.

Mountain roads downhill you actually want the car to slow down (not maintain speed) for the curves or you’re spending all your time going back and forth between the accelerator and the brake pedal.

This is actually a perfect use case for 1PD. You can do the descent all with your right foot.

L mode/2PD and 1PD are exactly the same when it comes to descending hills. So take your pick, but on a 2025 you will have to use 1PD.

 

[YeOldeTraveller]

Also, L doesn’t do anything additional if you are in 1PD. You’re already getting full regen.

I find that I have to touch the brake in Whisper without L in 1PD to stop how I want on level ground. In Engage, I don't find I have to do this on the same route I take daily.
Whisper with L seems to work to the point I have to push a bit on the accelerator to stop where I want, which is preferred to needing to move to the brake.

Your statement seems to indicate this is entirely placebo effect.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I find that I have to touch the brake in Whisper without L in 1PD to stop how I want on level ground. In Engage, I don't find I have to do this on the same route I take daily.
Whisper with L seems to work to the point I have to push a bit on the accelerator to stop where I want, which is preferred to needing to move to the brake.

Your statement seems to indicate this is entirely placebo effect.

The ramp into the regen is slower in whisper vs. engage, but the peak regen is the same. This only has a small effect on stopping distance, so if you let off like a second earlier in whisper it will stop. I don’t think L affects the ramp rate, not that I could notice. So probably mostly placebo effect with only a minor difference. We’re getting into the weeds here…

 

[Mach1E]

FYI for those that didn’t know, this is a recent addition to the powertrain software. Most people won’t notice it unless they look at the regen bar. The behavior going down hills has changed to limit speed increase.

Also, L doesn’t do anything additional if you are in 1PD. You’re already getting full regen.



This is actually a perfect use case for 1PD. You can do the descent all with your right foot.

L mode/2PD and 1PD are exactly the same when it comes to descending hills. So take your pick, but on a 2025 you will have to use 1PD.

Functionally they work the same downhill, but from a button perspective, the L physical button is way more convenient than going through multiple screens on the display.

Super easy to turn L on and off. Don’t even have to look down because you can feel the button.

 

[McQueen]

I'm always sad when I see a post like this. Spend a lot of money on a vehicle, and learn about features it has years later by reading about them on social media.

Kinda like election campaigns.

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