L button on shifter

[Kamuelaflyer]

How does the L mode work when driving down long long descents?
In a traditional ice vehicle you can down shift to 3 or 2 or what ever your next gear is and you can drive down a long mountain pass without having to touch the brakes.

I’m curious if the regen and L setting will kinda operate the same way?

I drove down from the Visitor’s Center on Maunakea to the main Highway. A drop of about 5,000 feet in a pretty short time. I used engage mode and 1 pedal drive. Never hit the brakes even once.

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[uncle_0gre]

I drove down from the Visitor’s Center on Maunakea to the main Highway. A drop of about 5,000 feet in a pretty short time. I used engage snd 1 pedal drive. Never hit the brakes even once.

Good to know. Thanks

 

[generaltso]

I drove down from the Visitor’s Center on Maunakea to the main Highway. A drop of about 5,000 feet in a pretty short time. I used engage mode and 1 pedal drive. Never hit the brakes even once.

I assume you had to keep the accelerator pressed some to prevent the car from coming to a stop? When going down a long descent, L mode without 1PD should allow you to keep your speed down without your foot on the accelerator. I’m glad the MME gives us lots of options.

 

[Carmel Mach E Auto]

I assume you had to keep the accelerator pressed some to prevent the car from coming to a stop?

It sounds like it was a pretty steep grade, so possibly not.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...g-question-for-going-downhill.2899/post-91565

I’m glad the MME gives us lots of options.

Me too, although it doesn't have the option I'd like to see more automakers offer for EVs: glide on accelerator pedal lift. I believe only Porsche currently supports this (perhaps Audi as well).

This allows the vehicle to continue traveling at its maximum possible speed from inertia with nothing in the drivetrain slowing it other than what is inherently present in the bearings / gearing. In other words, no regeneration at all. In many circumstances, this is the most efficient way to operate the vehicle. The reason for this is that you generally want to slow the vehicle over the longest distance possible, because that yields the longest time window over which you are not using battery power (and, for an EV, may in fact be regenerating battery power). One situation where this comes up frequently is driving on an open highway (not freeway) where you have visibility of intersections far ahead of time, and you either know you will have to stop (stop sign or blinking red signal) or believe you will have to stop (know the duty cycle of the traffic signal from experience and can predict it reliably). In such cases, you only want the vehicle to begin regeneration once you are suitably close to the point at which you will bring it to a halt. Otherwise, you will be forced to add more energy (apply the accelerator) to reach that point, thereby canceling any benefit of regeneration for the quantum of over which you have it applied multiplied by the inverse of the regeneration factor.

(I should add the standard disclaimer here that you should not do this with another vehicle close behind since they will not know you are slowing down. Alternatively, you can apply a tiny amount of brake pedal pressure to light the brake lights.)

Because of the above, I often shift my Focus Electric into neutral when I lift my foot from the accelerator. Sometime later I shift it back into D to being regeneration. And then finally I shift it into L to maximize regeneration until I reach the stopping point. This is very effective at maximizing the range of the vehicle. It's true that I could probably use the brake pedal instead of shifting to L, but I have found that in practice it is not always easy to feel the point at which you've crossed over from regeneration to using the friction brakes. Perhaps the Mach-E will make this more apparent, but from my test drive it wasn't necessarily the case. So I expect, at least at first, I will be grabbing for the dial to go to L. And that aside, I am certain that I will be shifting into neutral often upon accelerator lift just like I do in the Focus.

 

[WFU03]

So is there a definitive answer to the question? I saw the references for the Kuga/Escape posted, but has anyone confirmed what L does in the Mach E?

 

[Carmel Mach E Auto]

So is there a definitive answer to the question? I saw the references for the Kuga/Escape posted, but has anyone confirmed what L does in the Mach E?

It sets regeneration to the maximum possible regardless of driving mode and irrespective of whether you have one pedal driving enabled.

Edit: revised as the result of follow-up discussion:

L either sets the vehicle to a prescribed level of regeneration that is fairly aggressive but is not the maximum, or it does nothing if the combination of the vehicle's current Driving Mode and One Pedal Driving selection result in a level of regeneration that already meets or exceeds that level.

 

[ChasingCoral]

How does the L mode work when driving down long long descents?
In a traditional ice vehicle you can down shift to 3 or 2 or what ever your next gear is and you can drive down a long mountain pass without having to touch the brakes.

I’m curious if the regen and L setting will kinda operate the same way?

L is regneration. The Mach E has one gear. L applies a stronger regeneration than D when operating with One Pedal Drive off. If you turn on OPD in Unbridled, L does nothing -- not sure if it increases regeneration in OPD Whisper but doubt it. You can also get the same impact using cruise down long descents as the cruise will kick in the regeneration to keep you at your set speed while using the most regeneration possible to save energy. All of these will strongly favor regeneration over friction braking.

 

[ChasingCoral]

It sets regeneration to the maximum possible regardless of driving mode and irrespective of whether you have one pedal driving enabled.

Actually, I think it is the other way around. Try this on a downhill:

1. With OPD off, shift in and out of L
2. With OPD and Unbridled on, shift in and out of L
3. With OPD and Whisper on, shift in and out of L

I think you will immediately feel the change in (1) but won't feel a change in (2). I haven't tried (3) yet and will have to run that test to be sure. My guess is L won't change your regeneration in (3).

 

[Carmel Mach E Auto]

Actually, I think it is the other way around. Try this on a downhill:

I don't have my Mach-E yet, so I can't test it myself unfortunately. My reply was based on reading I'd done in other threads on this forum. I may have misunderstood, and if so I apologize.

I think you will immediately feel the change in (1) but won't feel a change in (2).

I think that supports my claim, right? In Unbridled mode, regeneration is already set to its maximum level so you will notice no difference. In Engage mode, regeneration is set to its medium level so you would notice the difference.

I haven't tried (3) yet and will have to run that test to be sure. My guess is L won't change your regeneration in (3).

I sure hope it does because that would be the simplest and most intuitive way for it to work. I.e. "Ignore my driving mode, and go straight to maximum regeneration".

 

[ChasingCoral]

3. With OPD and Whisper on, shift in and out of L

I haven't tried (3) yet and will have to run that test to be sure. My guess is L won't change your regeneration in (3).

I sure hope it does because that would be the simplest and most intuitive way for it to work. I.e. "Ignore my driving mode, and go straight to maximum regeneration".

Agreed on one condition: is the regeneration in L more than the regeneration in Whisper OPD? I usually drive Unbridled OPD and find it has more regneration than L. I suspect putting the car in L with OPD off is the same regeneration level as OPD Whisper. That's why I think L won't change the regneration in (3). However, I don't think I've tried it (yet). I'll have to remember to play around with these soon to see where L falls in the cars regeneration range.

 

[Carmel Mach E Auto]

I usually drive Unbridled OPD and find it has more regneration than L.

If this is true then my initial statement is actually false either way.

Assuming you are correct (and I assume you are since you own the vehicle and operate it on a daily basis ), then I should revise my statement like this:

L either sets the vehicle to a prescribed level of regeneration that is fairly aggressive but is not the maximum, or it does nothing if the combination of the vehicle's current Driving Mode and One Pedal Driving selection result in a level of regeneration that already meets or exceeds that level.

If that's the case (and it sound like it is), I think that's a major missed opportunity. I think the ability to tell the car you want maximum regeneration "right now" would be a useful feature. Being able to tell the car you want "a lot" of regeneration "right now" but not the maximum (for some reason) isn't useful to me at all. But I'm sure someone loves it so I won't rain on your parade (whoever you are).

 

[ChasingCoral]

If this is true then my initial statement is actually false either way.

Assuming you are correct (and I assume you are since you own the vehicle and operate it on a daily basis ), then I should revise my statement like this:

L either sets the vehicle to a set level of regeneration that is fairly aggressive but is not the maximum, or it does nothing if the combination fo the vehicle's current Driving Mode and One Pedal Driving selection result in a level of regeneration that already meets or exceeds that level.

If that's the case (and it sound like it is), I think that's a major missed opportunity. I think the ability to tell the car you want maximum regeneration "right now" would be a useful feature. Being able to tell the car you want "a lot" of regeneration "right now" but not the maximum (for some reason) isn't useful to me at all. But I'm sure someone loves it so I won't rain on your parade (whoever you are).

Agreed. I really wish Ford had put regeneration paddles on the steering wheel to make it easy to shift this on the fly like some BEVs can.

 

[TheVirtualTim]

Me too, although it doesn't have the option I'd like to see more automakers offer for EVs: glide on accelerator pedal lift. I believe only Porsche currently supports this (perhaps Audi as well).

This allows the vehicle to continue traveling at its maximum possible speed from inertia with nothing in the drivetrain slowing it other than what is inherently present in the bearings / gearing.

It has this. Switch the car to 'Whisper' mode and don't use 1-Pedal mode. In that mode the car wont apply regen when you take your foot off the accelerator ... it will just coast.

 

[Carmel Mach E Auto]

Agreed. I really wish Ford had put regeneration paddles on the steering wheel to make it easy to shift this on the fly like some BEVs can.

Those are an innovative idea, but I'm actually glad that Ford didn't go that route. An EV is mechanically simpler than a combustion vehicle so my KISS intuition says it does not need to have additional mechanical controls as compared to such a vehicle.

Instead, I wish the standard would just be what Porsche does (or so I understand it - Haven't driven a Taycan).

That is:

- The accelerator always accelerates (or not, if you don't touch it)
- The brake pedal always brakes (or not, if you don't touch it)
- If the car is moving, it continues unabated if you touch neither pedal
- if the car is not moving, it stays put if you touch neither pedal
- When you do touch the brake pedal, regeneration is used as eagerly as possible and as warranted by pedal pressure, then friction brakes are applied as necessary
- When yo do touch the accelerator, the vehicle's current inertia is used as eagerly as possible and as warranted by pedal pressure, then the motor applies force as necessary (so on a suitably steep hill, lightly engaging the accelerator might do nothing because the vehicle is already slowly accelerating)

That's how it would be if I ruled the world anyway. ?

 

[Carmel Mach E Auto]

It has this. Switch the car to 'Whisper' mode and don't use 1-Pedal mode. In that mode the car wont apply regen when you take your foot off the accelerator ... it will just coast.

That's good to know, thanks. Unfortunately, that mode also changes the throttle mapping to the least aggressive (unless I'm remembering incorrectly) which I don't think will be my preferred setting.

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