Virtually impossible to brake smoothly

[Brofessional]

Nope. We've all driven cars that are new and cars with a fresh brake job. They all have a mechanical connection to the brake fluid and a tactile feel for the pressure in the system.

This is a completely different system. The MME grabs the brakes while standing still, this replaces the automatic transmission's static drag that would normally hold the car from rolling backwards on a hill.

On flat level ground in an ICE car the brakes are released on flat ground when you take your foot off the brake pedal. The MME applies them.

You get the grab and lurch no matter how gentle you are with the brake pedal.

Ok.

But it's a function of EV blended braking. You could use the EM motors which could no doubt be tuned for a more refined experience, but that would reduce efficiency and range. May be a hard sell when the calipers are just sitting there not doing anything.

My assumption is that 1PD is going to eventually become the new norm for the vast majority of drivers as we transition to electric precisely because of what you're describing. Unless we hit some major technological breakthroughs with batteries or Toyota makes hydrogen a no-brainer, I don't see cars getting much lighter in the near term. Hydraulic braking is just such a large efficiency loss.

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[Joetz]

the only solution is to use 1 pedal and never touch the brake pedal.

 

[MachEnation]

My wife gets car sick. on top of that, she’s pregnant. So, yeah, nice smooth driving means a lot when she’s in the car.

I have the best luck making the stopping sorta smooth in Whisper + L (not 1pd). Will try the bedding procedure as mentioned as I know from experience that we use MUCH less friction brakes than we think we do in EVs. Could be years before these brakes show any real wear.

 

[Ravensfan1996]

I use one pedal drive, whats the brake pedal you talk of? haha But seriously with unbridled and 1 pedal drive, and auto hold on, I come to a smooth stop just about every time.

 

[dtbaker61]

If I have one gripe with my MME it's definitely that the braking feels very unrefined. There is virtually no way of modulating the brake pressure to consistently come to a very smooth stop like a regular vehicle.

Just before coming to a final stop my brakes end up creaking, and they feel incredibly "grabby",
...

For reference I am not using one pedal driving.

I find the MME braking very effective, and quite smooth... requiring only the occasional light touch on the mechanical brake pedal once you get used to timing your deceleration distances with 1-pedal. Mechanical braking on top of 1-p is QUITE aggressive if you have a heavy foot, and does take some getting used to.

I would encourage you to 'bed-in' the brake pads to improve the smoothness, and maybe eliminate the creaking from new pad/rotor slip/stick.... After doing some moderate and hard braking you'll have a much better idea how much pedal pressure is (not) required normally Don't forget to do a good 10 minutes+ on the highway before parking to give rotors/pads time to cool evenly after bedding.

....and get to know and utilize 1-p driving to capture that braking energy to extend your range rather than throw it away as heat.

 

[dtbaker61]

I guess I can try that, but the car is not meant to be driven in L for normal day to day driving, and the manual even advises against it.

What I might try doing instead is getting used to Unbridled mode, so that the Regen is more aggressive and does more of the braking. I'll give that a shot to see how it goes.

I'm all about Unbridled mode giving max regen!
It's like a high-compression engine downshift, only smoother....

 

[Jeffvisor]

If I have one gripe with my MME it's definitely that the braking feels very unrefined. There is virtually no way of modulating the brake pressure to consistently come to a very smooth stop like a regular vehicle.

Just before coming to a final stop my brakes end up creaking, and they feel incredibly "grabby", and don't allow for a smooth friction stop. When letting off the breaks I can often hear the same creaking sounds as well.

To be honest it's actually quite embarrassing for a vehicle of this caliber to have this problem, especially when you consider the amount of attention this vehicle gets at a red light.

Wondering if this is a common problem due to how the brakes are electronically tuned which can be improved via an OTA update? Or if this is isolated to my vehicle? To me it seems like the brakes are programmed to just clamp shut at a particular speed just b4 coming to a full stop, rather than a more modulated gentle rolling friction stop.

I know EV Dave mentioned it quite a few times in his videos when talking about the brakes on his vehicle, and you could actually hear it a couple times as well, so really hoping it's not just me.

For reference I am not using one pedal driving.

Anyone else notice this with their car?

I heard this complaint from many on here. I just received my car last week and expected very touchy brakes and mine aren't touchy at all. In fact less touchy then other cars I owned. Because mine was manufactured end of June maybe they recalibrated the brakes based on complaints. But they seem ideal for the car.

 

[kulaga]

I haven't noticed any issues with smooth braking, both with and without 1PD. However, I'm coming from a 2006 Prius which was one of the first models with blended regen/friction braking, and while they did a great job, it was still 15 years ago and the transition between regen and friction is much more noticable - you can brake smoothly with practice, but you feel the system "pull" the brake pedal out from under your foot a bit which can be slightly unnerving at first.

By comparison the MME seems very smooth, with a more natural transition between modes. However, it still doesn't feel quite like a "normal" car with hydraulic only brakes.

Similar experience with me. I came from an Alfa Romeo which was my first brake by wire experience. The Alfa was very aggresive with braking and difficult to smoothly stop. I was pleasantly surprised by how much smoother the MME is when braking. I use unbridled and have quickly learned to take my foot off the gas earlier, coast to slow down and apply the brake later. Very happy with the braking.

 

[intoMME]

We keep our MME in unbridled mode with one pedal driving. It takes about 2 drives to get used to it. I almost never use my brakes. They will likely last forever. I love the one pedal driving. Once you learn it, it is totally smooth and predictable. You'll get better range and have lower operating costs.

 

[guyofthesky]

If I have one gripe with my MME it's definitely that the braking feels very unrefined. There is virtually no way of modulating the brake pressure to consistently come to a very smooth stop like a regular vehicle.

Just before coming to a final stop my brakes end up creaking, and they feel incredibly "grabby", and don't allow for a smooth friction stop. When letting off the breaks I can often hear the same creaking sounds as well.

To be honest it's actually quite embarrassing for a vehicle of this caliber to have this problem, especially when you consider the amount of attention this vehicle gets at a red light.

Wondering if this is a common problem due to how the brakes are electronically tuned which can be improved via an OTA update? Or if this is isolated to my vehicle? To me it seems like the brakes are programmed to just clamp shut at a particular speed just b4 coming to a full stop, rather than a more modulated gentle rolling friction stop.

I know EV Dave mentioned it quite a few times in his videos when talking about the brakes on his vehicle, and you could actually hear it a couple times as well, so really hoping it's not just me.

For reference I am not using one pedal driving.

Anyone else notice this with their car?

I always use OPD, but if I have to make a fast, unexpected stop, I agree with your criticism. It's not as smooth as it should be.

I'd like stronger regen braking, or at least an option to set it at a higher level, in case others like the weaker option.

 

[guyofthesky]

We keep our MME in unbridled mode with one pedal driving. It takes about 2 drives to get used to it. I almost never use my brakes. They will likely last forever. I love the one pedal driving. Once you learn it, it is totally smooth and predictable. You'll get better range and have lower operating costs.

I agree, but to be fair, when someone pulls out in front of you, and regen isn't enough, the manual braking transition is noticeably bad. 98% of the time, you can use regen without touching the pedal. But for that last 2%, or if you aren't using regen (and, like you, I much prefer that mode), it needs improved. I agree with the OP.

 

[Nav]

What about reversing while in 1PD? That's what keeps me from using this mode, as I regularly back in to spaces, need more precision to get close to a curb, etc - or most frequent, backing into my garage carefully. Hard to do with precision without the car lurching or stopping too soon.

Wish this mode didn't apply when in R, or I need to practice practice practice - without the wife and kid in the car.

 

[AlpaChino]

literally every poster saying they have issues with the brakes is because its a new car that doesn't have its brakes bedded yet.

I have 5000 miles on mine and my brakes croak Everytime when coming to a complete stop. Especially noticeable with brake hold on, and resuming after stopping regardless of the drive mode selected.

 

[BMT1071]

I have 5000 miles on mine and my brakes croak Everytime when coming to a complete stop. Especially noticeable with brake hold on, and resuming after stopping regardless of the drive mode selected.

There is a slight audible noise when starting up from a stop when using auto hold. Same noise you'll get from any car if you two foot it and wait a fraction of a second to release the brake pedal after pressing the accelerator.
As far as stopping, smooth and silent with no issues. No interest in OPD. According to Ford it's not actually more efficient than properly done regen braking. YMMV

 

[dbsb3233]

What about reversing while in 1PD? That's what keeps me from using this mode, as I regularly back in to spaces, need more precision to get close to a curb, etc - or most frequent, backing into my garage carefully. Hard to do with precision without the car lurching or stopping too soon.

Wish this mode didn't apply when in R, or I need to practice practice practice - without the wife and kid in the car.

Yep. It's the garage and parking spaces that keep me from using 1PD. If I'm stopped and want to inch forward or backward a little, you have to hit the gas and lurch a few feet. I hate that in tight spots. I want creep with my foot on the brake to inch forward or back.

Engaged + L is what I use now. I get the good regen at speeds over 3 MPH, and I get to keep creep + brake below 3 MPH.

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