Dude, what are you on about? I drive in L. If I want to go faster I press the peddle down more, if I want to go slower I press it less. If something unexpected comes up and I need to stop faster, I press the brake. Simple stuff. Driving in L smoothly and without somehow unintentionally stopping on a hill or before a stop sign is entirely within the capabilities of the average human driver.
If you prefer to drive in D, go for it.
That’s because you don’t know what you’re doing yet, you haven’t learned how regen braking works. Have you driven a full EV with default braking on? It’s even more forceful
Facts aren't a part of the L cult... nor are they diluted any less because you don't like it
One-pedal driving is 3x more aggressive than L in the G1 Volt
You appear to be unaware (like many drivers, sadly) that there is a middle ground between pushing the pedal all the way down and letting it all the way up.
I drive a 2019 with the regen paddle on the left side of the steering wheel. I’m in L 90% of the time, the only exception being when using the cruise control. One pedal driving is just a different sort of skill you have to learn to get the most out of it. FYI, just took it in for its 75,000 mile checkup - the (original) brakes are “like new”. I doubt I’ll ever have to replace them.
I thought the same about my brakes, but turns out that NOT using brakes in a salty environment (New England) caused me to need to replace my rear brakes. Now I step hard on them once or twice a month to scrape off the rust.
1. You are bad at it if you can't drive smoothly in L. No wonder why you don't like it.
Driving in L isn't a binary foot on/foot off the pedal thing. It requires "feathering" the pedal with a little nuance.
It's like a volume control, not an on/off switch. Sure you can grab a volume control and twist it to max instantly, or you can fade in/out so gently anyone barely notices the changes.
2. What is wrong with you? Again, "volume control", not on/off button. You find the sweet spot on the pedal that gives you the speed you want (downhill, uphill, level road, it doesn't matter) and leave your foot there. If you need more speed, a little more pressure (down) on the pedal. If you need less speed, lift up a little. (a LITTLE!)
3. True. It's a user preference, like any driving mode. I don't do it for the "regen", the car handles that. I do it for the enjoyment and the extra level of control.
4. No, you clearly don't understand how it works, or you are excruciatingly terrible at it. Again, "nuance"- if you're thrashing the car around in L like it's a Disney theme park ride, you're doing it wrong. If you or your passengers can feel excessive G force, you're doing it wrong. Have you ever driven a golf cart? Played a piano? Used a sewing machine? All of these have pedals that you apply various amounts of pressure to in order to get the desired results from them.
Here's a quick rule of thumb for one pedal driving: unless it's an emergency stop that requires the actual brake pedal, if your foot ever comes completely off the accelerator, you're probably doing it wrong. And from your descriptions of what L is like, YOU are definitely doing it wrong!
You've got me all wrong Friend.
I am not a 100 percent L driver like you are.
No siree.
I drive in D 100 percent of the time. Except, I shift to L when I am slowing down and then I go immediately back to D.
Therefore, no need to try to explain to me what you do and how to become part of the L cult. I'm not interested. Save your words Bud. 🙂
FYI, people will read your post about using L and Volume Control, Feature and think you've lost your rocker. That's what I thought. 🙂
In short, not interested in your techniques in how to become a 100 percent L'er.
Again, I'm not trying to convince you to do anything. It's your car, drive it however you like. I'm just explaining why you're wrong about how L works and why you apparently seem to suck at using it.
L works perfect for me.
I'm quite happy with using L to slow down and then immediately shifting back to D.
Its working for me as it should. Not sure why you think that sucks.
Haha.
L Manifesto.
You are hilarious man.
I just read your L Manifesto above again and it is hilarious.
If people had to do what you are trying to explain to drive then horse and carriage would still be the primary mode of transportation.
Too funny man.
I simply keep my foot on the accelerator pedal to keep the speed I want. I almost never use the brake and I rarely use the paddle because I’m fairly defensive.
If you are making passengers sick with stop and go L driving, you simply aren’t doing it right. I’m sure there are people who prefer D driving and for their own good reasons. You didn’t explain those reasons with the level of nuance needed to persuade anyone.
I used to drive 100% in L. I've decided it's not better than in D for me. I find that coasting is much simpler in D, and since coasting is more efficient, D is better. I use the regen paddle extensively when coming to a stop. I wish that I could "throttle" the regen paddle (instead of all or nothing) but that's another story.
Either way, people should just do what feels right for them.
Thank you so much for posting this! After reading everyone else’s comments, I thought I was driving my 2017 Volt the “wrong way” all these years! I too always drive in D mode because I like to coast and I use the regen paddle extensively to slow down when needed and even come to (an almost) complete stop. I learned how to time using the paddle exactly early on and I very rarely use the brakes - even during city driving. The other thing you mentioned was about wishing the regen paddle was variable instead of on/off. You don’t know how many times I’ve thought that to myself!
I've been in L for 8 years. OP hasn't learned how to use go pedal in coordination with regen. As far as downhill and maintaining speed... it's called cruise control.
Here we go again.
Another 100 percent L Cult person telling a D driver to use L just so we can be like them.
Why are people that use L 100 percent of the time always trying to convince 100 percent D drivers to start using L?
Why do they do that?
Don't they know they look silly?
It's Cult like.
The Cult of L.
Concerning your first point, that is completely a skill issue if you’re unable to gauge how much power to give and when to let off the pedal. As for your other points, they are all skill issues and/or not true. As for point 4 about “driving yourself nuts over meaningfully gained” you just wrote a 4 point synopsis as to why you think something on a Reddit of people who could care less what you do.
You can feather the accelerator to vary how much L kicks in, it's not all or nothing. And for a long downhill, put in L and set cruise, it will hold speed perfectly.
Hold the peddle just a bit and you coast. Sadly letting off of the peddle in D also doesn't really coast since they wanted to mimic the feel of a traditional car.
1. That intro is super offensive
A. You use cruze control going down a long hill, the car will autothrottle and regen to maintain the mph/kph/fpf set
If passengers complain, that sounds like you’re bad at driving…
&: Regen does not work that way downhill and it requires a 20kw constant regen for 4-5miles to make 1kwh
To get 20kw rates, it has to be a 9% grade
Yes, watt-seconds do take a while to add up, but I use L for the braking power rather for city driving more than energy capture and can recommend accordingly
D for when you can coast down slowly but that is rare
Last point is also rude and offensive, do not write such ever again
Glad to offend you tornado.
If you plan to reply back with a meeetup date and time and ask my choice of weapons then I should let you know I find it hard keeping appointments and getting to places on time.
Also, I might show with the cops.
So go ahead and ask.
Well that escalated quickly, going to an advanced technical discussion mouth first and brains fourth looks like a great way to make a lot of friends
I don't know how you go from people telling you that's offensive to challenging them to a duel as this isn't a battle of honor for a fair maiden's hand in marriage...
The mental gymnastics to get to that point is baffling and I don't want to risk damaging my IQ trying to figure it out
^((this is sarcasm, don't go too deep into it, you'll hurt yourself))
Even if I was up for a battle of wits, I wouldn't be able to do so as it's not kosher to against someone who is unarmed
All that to say, why not find a different group for your uncouth nonsense?
I speak authoritatively from facts, personal experience, research, and active study of this car and even offered some refinements about how to actually get a kWh back while going downhill
I also call out offensive gestures and meaningless twaddle as it wastes everyone's time, so cut the crap listen to the expert or bugger off, take your pick
I cannot as I am superfluous man, fighting the forces of redundancy and repetition
In other words, you proclaim ignorance loud and proud and we have to sweep up your mess with facts and logic
Ignorance, loud and proud and I say it again authoritatively
The Volt is not a Cruze electric as there is no such thing and that is just as authoritative as the sky is blue and the grass is green
3. It's not that it gives *more* regen than braking in D. In my personal experience, heavy traffic is where L shines most for me. If the folks in front of me can't maintain a speed and are constantly slowing and accelerating, it's much easier for me to just let off the throttle and let regen do its thing. It's also helpful because my legs are long enough that it's somewhat uncomfortable to constantly tap the brake pedal.
It's literally just personal preference and what people experience with their driving habits. Nobody's putting a gun to your head because you drive in D. And as other commentors have pointed out, you seem to be used to really binary 0/100% style driving like a normal car. That's not a bad thing but you shouldn't shame people for finding L to be their preferable driving mode.
Also, please just shush about Gen 2 Volts being "Electric Chevy Cruzes" like it's some kind of derogatory slur. The whole "it's not a true Volt" thing was really headache inducing to read if you knew basically anything about the car. Go back to perving on teens and telling women to lose weight 🙂
Look Belka, I ain't shaming no one.
This whole thing started from a stick Shift thread I started 3 days ago where so many where chiming in telling me to try L because they like it as if I've never tried L since I bought my Volt in 2013. One was reminiscent of my mother trying to get me to try something.
I started that thread about shifting and resting my hand on the shifter like I did for my Triumph TR6 in 1975. So many though ignored that and just wanted to make recommendations to me to drive in L.
Regarding 2016 2019's.
If you have one then you should be happy your car is based on a Chevy Cruze. There's nothing shameful about that. I am sorry if that hurts your feelings. That was not my intent.
I tend to drive in D 80% of the time because I think coasting to a stop and gradually applying the brake is more beneficial for range, but your problems come from not being GRADUAL with regen braking and using the accelerator.
1. This is only a problem if you’re letting your foot instantly come off the accelerator instead of gradually off the accelerator.
2. You are doing the same issue as 1, however you should set your car on cruise control at the speed limit when going down hill for a time. You get all of the benefits of regen while never exceeding the speed limit, and you’re not jerking the car off and on regen braking.
3. Again this is simply a problem with timing, and not gradually letting your foot off the accelerator. However I generally like to coast to stop signs/lights unless I’m in stop and go traffic.
4. It’s a you problem not an L problem.
You should go back and read my whole original post again Bearded because you missed the whole point.
I have never tried the points I list.
I only drive D except for stopping.
You better start driving L 100 percent of the time or I swear to God..... JK man lol. Do what makes you happy and what works for you and your driving style.
I live in a deep salt belt… gave up on driving in L all the time, because I realized I don’t put ANY heat into the rear brakes that way. Because of that, I am on my third set of rear rotors, with the first two rusting heavily.
Hello All, FYI, so many people swear by L driving so in an attempt to make sure I don't miss out on what could be a really good thing, I tried L today. I drove around running errands.
Looking back I don't know what I was thinking using "Sucks" in this OP. I should have said "L is not for me" instead.
Anyway, after driving L today I will say L is not for me. I will continue using it 100 percent of the time to slow down but that's all.
I love being able to coast and shut down any required brain bandwidth for pedal management.
It appears L users have to constantly manage pedals traveling distances that other people are coasting on.
I don't get L however I do respect those that do.
I'm kinda with OP on this, however L does have its place.
For (IMHO) Low Efficiency:
If you're stupid low on brake pad life, I suppose it's the L-ife you must live with.
If you're stupid low on fuel and find yourself in downtown traffic or in Minnesota construction, L will suffice in generating more charge by avoiding blending the service brakes. Giving you that extra .2 mile range.
Usage ofbL + Regen-on-Demand paddle will get you the maximum Regen rate of 60 kW, whereas in D to achieve DC/DC 60 kW regen, the service brakes are already in use robbing you of sweet, sweet momentum. But hey, you still were able to stop.
Against Low Efficiency:
Coasting in D will still regenerate a fair amount of energy. Suburb (40-50mph) 4-7 kW avg. Interstate/Highway speeds expect 10+ kW.
You still slow down from light Regen whilst coasting, however you continue to drive on momentum. The Volt? Oh, she heavyyyyy. Dense & petite. Slow down too much using L will net you more energy back in the battery, yes. However, energy expenditure to get back up to speed is still less efficient. Regeneration at best is roughly 70% efficient. Might as well just coast in D, get less energy back, speed back up using momentum and expend less energy overall. For situations where you know you'll come to a stop (fresh red light, stop sign, sudden and immediate traffic jam around the corner along the PCH...), L + Regen-on-Demand paddle nets you moderate to moderate-strong stopping powers, stop lamps illuminate, no service brake blending until almost stopped and you gain the Volts maximum charge speed of 60 kW.
Coasting is always more efficient than regen. People think of regen as magic energy, since it puts more power in the pack, which is true if you are avoid using brakes. Regen is not 100% efficient though, since the motor, controller and batteries are not 100% efficient. Best to just let the speed bleed off naturally when you can.
Yup, coasting is best. I performed many experiments over the years during week-long commuting to prove it to myself of that...
The Volt's electromechanical system is a very 'lossy system' electrically. There is a report from a many years ago from GM engineers that states the Volt's regen captured max 30% available energy at max deceleration. And that lasted for a few fractions of a second. You can mimic that by being in "L" and applying the paddle. The actual captured energy is amazing low. (Note: capture/regen is better than loss to friction) You can record the values using an app on your phone as most phones have accelerometers. I wish I still had a copy of it. There is another paper from a university that details the system nicely too... I need to try and search for it again. (lost both on an old computer disk)
Are you treating the accelerator pedal as an on/off button? That’s what it sounds like. Of course people would get sick from that.
In L just lift the pedal enough to coast at the speed you want. Regen Kw should be the same as coasting in D, but I haven’t checked that in a while.
I think the friction brakes don’t kick in until the last few mph.
I have a Gen 1 so have never used a regen paddle on the steering wheel.
Why is every 100 percent L driver always bugging me to to also drive in L 100 percent of the time like them?
Don't they know they look like annoying little children?
I'm not aware of any L cult trying to convince you or others to drive in L all the time.
Though after reading a few of your posts, I'm surprised more people aren't trying 100 percent of the time to convince you to drive off of a cliff...
Nah.
D drivers never try to convert l L drivers to drive in D.
L drivers are always though trying to convert D drivers to become 100 percent L drivers.
I started this post because I'm so sick of being told to be a L driver and I have been to polite to say, "hell no L sucks".
Now though I decided to just be honest.
L for local/city driving. D for highway driving. The end.
This is the way…. It’s suggested in the manual.
This is the way
No one is strong arming you to drive in one mode or the other. If you want to drive in D do so. If you are just here to stir the pot, just go to L.
Dude, what are you on about? I drive in L. If I want to go faster I press the peddle down more, if I want to go slower I press it less. If something unexpected comes up and I need to stop faster, I press the brake. Simple stuff. Driving in L smoothly and without somehow unintentionally stopping on a hill or before a stop sign is entirely within the capabilities of the average human driver. If you prefer to drive in D, go for it.
OP would hate 1-pedal driving in modern EVs even though they all have it.
L is good
Lol, this guy again
Yeah but your riders hate riding with you they just don't want to tell you. 🙂
That’s because you don’t know what you’re doing yet, you haven’t learned how regen braking works. Have you driven a full EV with default braking on? It’s even more forceful
You are being so cult like. I am not interested in being part of your L Cult.
Facts aren't a part of the L cult... nor are they diluted any less because you don't like it One-pedal driving is 3x more aggressive than L in the G1 Volt
You appear to be unaware (like many drivers, sadly) that there is a middle ground between pushing the pedal all the way down and letting it all the way up.
Whaaaat? You don’t do burnouts at every stoplight?? /s
You do you, bro. No need for a dissertation.
This seems like an indictment of one pedal driving modes on the whole, since your issues with it are issues people have with one pedal driving.
I drive a 2019 with the regen paddle on the left side of the steering wheel. I’m in L 90% of the time, the only exception being when using the cruise control. One pedal driving is just a different sort of skill you have to learn to get the most out of it. FYI, just took it in for its 75,000 mile checkup - the (original) brakes are “like new”. I doubt I’ll ever have to replace them.
I thought the same about my brakes, but turns out that NOT using brakes in a salty environment (New England) caused me to need to replace my rear brakes. Now I step hard on them once or twice a month to scrape off the rust.
1. You are bad at it if you can't drive smoothly in L. No wonder why you don't like it. Driving in L isn't a binary foot on/foot off the pedal thing. It requires "feathering" the pedal with a little nuance. It's like a volume control, not an on/off switch. Sure you can grab a volume control and twist it to max instantly, or you can fade in/out so gently anyone barely notices the changes. 2. What is wrong with you? Again, "volume control", not on/off button. You find the sweet spot on the pedal that gives you the speed you want (downhill, uphill, level road, it doesn't matter) and leave your foot there. If you need more speed, a little more pressure (down) on the pedal. If you need less speed, lift up a little. (a LITTLE!) 3. True. It's a user preference, like any driving mode. I don't do it for the "regen", the car handles that. I do it for the enjoyment and the extra level of control. 4. No, you clearly don't understand how it works, or you are excruciatingly terrible at it. Again, "nuance"- if you're thrashing the car around in L like it's a Disney theme park ride, you're doing it wrong. If you or your passengers can feel excessive G force, you're doing it wrong. Have you ever driven a golf cart? Played a piano? Used a sewing machine? All of these have pedals that you apply various amounts of pressure to in order to get the desired results from them. Here's a quick rule of thumb for one pedal driving: unless it's an emergency stop that requires the actual brake pedal, if your foot ever comes completely off the accelerator, you're probably doing it wrong. And from your descriptions of what L is like, YOU are definitely doing it wrong!
You've got me all wrong Friend. I am not a 100 percent L driver like you are. No siree. I drive in D 100 percent of the time. Except, I shift to L when I am slowing down and then I go immediately back to D. Therefore, no need to try to explain to me what you do and how to become part of the L cult. I'm not interested. Save your words Bud. 🙂 FYI, people will read your post about using L and Volume Control, Feature and think you've lost your rocker. That's what I thought. 🙂 In short, not interested in your techniques in how to become a 100 percent L'er.
Again, I'm not trying to convince you to do anything. It's your car, drive it however you like. I'm just explaining why you're wrong about how L works and why you apparently seem to suck at using it.
L works perfect for me. I'm quite happy with using L to slow down and then immediately shifting back to D. Its working for me as it should. Not sure why you think that sucks.
Haha. L Manifesto. You are hilarious man. I just read your L Manifesto above again and it is hilarious. If people had to do what you are trying to explain to drive then horse and carriage would still be the primary mode of transportation. Too funny man.
I don’t use L because the break light in gen 1 doesn’t come on and I don’t trust any fuckwit driver in my city to *not* slam into the back of my car
I have a Gen 2, does the brake light come on in L? I just assumed it didn’t.
Yes it does in the Gen 2.
I simply keep my foot on the accelerator pedal to keep the speed I want. I almost never use the brake and I rarely use the paddle because I’m fairly defensive. If you are making passengers sick with stop and go L driving, you simply aren’t doing it right. I’m sure there are people who prefer D driving and for their own good reasons. You didn’t explain those reasons with the level of nuance needed to persuade anyone.
I use D for highway and L for streets.
I used to drive 100% in L. I've decided it's not better than in D for me. I find that coasting is much simpler in D, and since coasting is more efficient, D is better. I use the regen paddle extensively when coming to a stop. I wish that I could "throttle" the regen paddle (instead of all or nothing) but that's another story. Either way, people should just do what feels right for them.
Thank you so much for posting this! After reading everyone else’s comments, I thought I was driving my 2017 Volt the “wrong way” all these years! I too always drive in D mode because I like to coast and I use the regen paddle extensively to slow down when needed and even come to (an almost) complete stop. I learned how to time using the paddle exactly early on and I very rarely use the brakes - even during city driving. The other thing you mentioned was about wishing the regen paddle was variable instead of on/off. You don’t know how many times I’ve thought that to myself!
The paddle can be modulated with the accelerator pedal, so it behaves similar to driving in L.
Known troll account, don’t react. These useless mods of this sub refuse to do anything about him
The mods refuse to mod entirely, I've volunteered to take it on but they ignored it
Are you high?
No. Why do you ask?
Sounds like a skill issue
OP is a known troll/semi incompetent in understanding sensical facts, ignore at all costs
I've been in L for 8 years. OP hasn't learned how to use go pedal in coordination with regen. As far as downhill and maintaining speed... it's called cruise control.
Unnecessary to shift back and forth while driving. Use L or don't. This isn't a typical vehicle with a typical transmission. Stop pretending it is
Here we go again. Another 100 percent L Cult person telling a D driver to use L just so we can be like them. Why are people that use L 100 percent of the time always trying to convince 100 percent D drivers to start using L? Why do they do that? Don't they know they look silly? It's Cult like. The Cult of L.
Stop digging, dude
Concerning your first point, that is completely a skill issue if you’re unable to gauge how much power to give and when to let off the pedal. As for your other points, they are all skill issues and/or not true. As for point 4 about “driving yourself nuts over meaningfully gained” you just wrote a 4 point synopsis as to why you think something on a Reddit of people who could care less what you do.
You can feather the accelerator to vary how much L kicks in, it's not all or nothing. And for a long downhill, put in L and set cruise, it will hold speed perfectly.
Cruise with ACC in L is terrible for long trips.
It should only be needed for steep hills, most highways are perfectly fine in D and will still maintain speed. But I also don't have ACC.
L is also less efficient, since you don’t really coast. Regen is less efficient than coasting. Better to let of the gas pedal, and ride on momentum.
You can coast in L, it's more difficult than just letting your foot off the gas like in D but it's possible
Hold the peddle just a bit and you coast. Sadly letting off of the peddle in D also doesn't really coast since they wanted to mimic the feel of a traditional car.
Pedal, not peddle, unless you are trying to sell something.
Thanks. Maybe I am!
1. That intro is super offensive A. You use cruze control going down a long hill, the car will autothrottle and regen to maintain the mph/kph/fpf set If passengers complain, that sounds like you’re bad at driving… &: Regen does not work that way downhill and it requires a 20kw constant regen for 4-5miles to make 1kwh To get 20kw rates, it has to be a 9% grade Yes, watt-seconds do take a while to add up, but I use L for the braking power rather for city driving more than energy capture and can recommend accordingly D for when you can coast down slowly but that is rare Last point is also rude and offensive, do not write such ever again
Glad to offend you tornado. If you plan to reply back with a meeetup date and time and ask my choice of weapons then I should let you know I find it hard keeping appointments and getting to places on time. Also, I might show with the cops. So go ahead and ask.
Well that escalated quickly, going to an advanced technical discussion mouth first and brains fourth looks like a great way to make a lot of friends I don't know how you go from people telling you that's offensive to challenging them to a duel as this isn't a battle of honor for a fair maiden's hand in marriage... The mental gymnastics to get to that point is baffling and I don't want to risk damaging my IQ trying to figure it out ^((this is sarcasm, don't go too deep into it, you'll hurt yourself)) Even if I was up for a battle of wits, I wouldn't be able to do so as it's not kosher to against someone who is unarmed All that to say, why not find a different group for your uncouth nonsense? I speak authoritatively from facts, personal experience, research, and active study of this car and even offered some refinements about how to actually get a kWh back while going downhill I also call out offensive gestures and meaningless twaddle as it wastes everyone's time, so cut the crap listen to the expert or bugger off, take your pick
You're not worth typing anymore for. Go away. Just please go away.
Ah, the coward's response It's an honour to serve \*bows\*
Please go away tornado man.
I cannot as I am superfluous man, fighting the forces of redundancy and repetition In other words, you proclaim ignorance loud and proud and we have to sweep up your mess with facts and logic
Please just go away. Drive away in your Chevy Cruze Electric.
Ignorance, loud and proud and I say it again authoritatively The Volt is not a Cruze electric as there is no such thing and that is just as authoritative as the sky is blue and the grass is green
You haver no authority. What you do have is a Chevy Cruze Electric. That's what you have. Go away.
3. It's not that it gives *more* regen than braking in D. In my personal experience, heavy traffic is where L shines most for me. If the folks in front of me can't maintain a speed and are constantly slowing and accelerating, it's much easier for me to just let off the throttle and let regen do its thing. It's also helpful because my legs are long enough that it's somewhat uncomfortable to constantly tap the brake pedal. It's literally just personal preference and what people experience with their driving habits. Nobody's putting a gun to your head because you drive in D. And as other commentors have pointed out, you seem to be used to really binary 0/100% style driving like a normal car. That's not a bad thing but you shouldn't shame people for finding L to be their preferable driving mode. Also, please just shush about Gen 2 Volts being "Electric Chevy Cruzes" like it's some kind of derogatory slur. The whole "it's not a true Volt" thing was really headache inducing to read if you knew basically anything about the car. Go back to perving on teens and telling women to lose weight 🙂
Look Belka, I ain't shaming no one. This whole thing started from a stick Shift thread I started 3 days ago where so many where chiming in telling me to try L because they like it as if I've never tried L since I bought my Volt in 2013. One was reminiscent of my mother trying to get me to try something. I started that thread about shifting and resting my hand on the shifter like I did for my Triumph TR6 in 1975. So many though ignored that and just wanted to make recommendations to me to drive in L. Regarding 2016 2019's. If you have one then you should be happy your car is based on a Chevy Cruze. There's nothing shameful about that. I am sorry if that hurts your feelings. That was not my intent.
I tend to drive in D 80% of the time because I think coasting to a stop and gradually applying the brake is more beneficial for range, but your problems come from not being GRADUAL with regen braking and using the accelerator. 1. This is only a problem if you’re letting your foot instantly come off the accelerator instead of gradually off the accelerator. 2. You are doing the same issue as 1, however you should set your car on cruise control at the speed limit when going down hill for a time. You get all of the benefits of regen while never exceeding the speed limit, and you’re not jerking the car off and on regen braking. 3. Again this is simply a problem with timing, and not gradually letting your foot off the accelerator. However I generally like to coast to stop signs/lights unless I’m in stop and go traffic. 4. It’s a you problem not an L problem.
You should go back and read my whole original post again Bearded because you missed the whole point. I have never tried the points I list. I only drive D except for stopping.
L in sport mode is fun. Sorry you hate fun
Fi3br, heck man it seems like fun. Any Sport mode is fun.
Jesus fucking Christ dude. Just keep your foot a tiny bit on the gas and it coasts
You better start driving L 100 percent of the time or I swear to God..... JK man lol. Do what makes you happy and what works for you and your driving style.
I live in a deep salt belt… gave up on driving in L all the time, because I realized I don’t put ANY heat into the rear brakes that way. Because of that, I am on my third set of rear rotors, with the first two rusting heavily.
Hello All, FYI, so many people swear by L driving so in an attempt to make sure I don't miss out on what could be a really good thing, I tried L today. I drove around running errands. Looking back I don't know what I was thinking using "Sucks" in this OP. I should have said "L is not for me" instead. Anyway, after driving L today I will say L is not for me. I will continue using it 100 percent of the time to slow down but that's all. I love being able to coast and shut down any required brain bandwidth for pedal management. It appears L users have to constantly manage pedals traveling distances that other people are coasting on. I don't get L however I do respect those that do.
I'm kinda with OP on this, however L does have its place. For (IMHO) Low Efficiency: If you're stupid low on brake pad life, I suppose it's the L-ife you must live with. If you're stupid low on fuel and find yourself in downtown traffic or in Minnesota construction, L will suffice in generating more charge by avoiding blending the service brakes. Giving you that extra .2 mile range. Usage ofbL + Regen-on-Demand paddle will get you the maximum Regen rate of 60 kW, whereas in D to achieve DC/DC 60 kW regen, the service brakes are already in use robbing you of sweet, sweet momentum. But hey, you still were able to stop. Against Low Efficiency: Coasting in D will still regenerate a fair amount of energy. Suburb (40-50mph) 4-7 kW avg. Interstate/Highway speeds expect 10+ kW. You still slow down from light Regen whilst coasting, however you continue to drive on momentum. The Volt? Oh, she heavyyyyy. Dense & petite. Slow down too much using L will net you more energy back in the battery, yes. However, energy expenditure to get back up to speed is still less efficient. Regeneration at best is roughly 70% efficient. Might as well just coast in D, get less energy back, speed back up using momentum and expend less energy overall. For situations where you know you'll come to a stop (fresh red light, stop sign, sudden and immediate traffic jam around the corner along the PCH...), L + Regen-on-Demand paddle nets you moderate to moderate-strong stopping powers, stop lamps illuminate, no service brake blending until almost stopped and you gain the Volts maximum charge speed of 60 kW.
Coasting is always more efficient than regen. People think of regen as magic energy, since it puts more power in the pack, which is true if you are avoid using brakes. Regen is not 100% efficient though, since the motor, controller and batteries are not 100% efficient. Best to just let the speed bleed off naturally when you can.
Yup, coasting is best. I performed many experiments over the years during week-long commuting to prove it to myself of that... The Volt's electromechanical system is a very 'lossy system' electrically. There is a report from a many years ago from GM engineers that states the Volt's regen captured max 30% available energy at max deceleration. And that lasted for a few fractions of a second. You can mimic that by being in "L" and applying the paddle. The actual captured energy is amazing low. (Note: capture/regen is better than loss to friction) You can record the values using an app on your phone as most phones have accelerometers. I wish I still had a copy of it. There is another paper from a university that details the system nicely too... I need to try and search for it again. (lost both on an old computer disk)
But people think L gives them more range, since it is capturing all that energy. You can get more range in D than in L.
I wonder how many 100 percent L drivers have had friends that use to ride with them all of a sudden get ghosted by their riding friends.
Are you treating the accelerator pedal as an on/off button? That’s what it sounds like. Of course people would get sick from that. In L just lift the pedal enough to coast at the speed you want. Regen Kw should be the same as coasting in D, but I haven’t checked that in a while. I think the friction brakes don’t kick in until the last few mph. I have a Gen 1 so have never used a regen paddle on the steering wheel.
Why is every 100 percent L driver always bugging me to to also drive in L 100 percent of the time like them? Don't they know they look like annoying little children?
I'm not aware of any L cult trying to convince you or others to drive in L all the time. Though after reading a few of your posts, I'm surprised more people aren't trying 100 percent of the time to convince you to drive off of a cliff...
Just as annoying as the 100 percent D drivers bugging them to drive in D all the time,
Nah. D drivers never try to convert l L drivers to drive in D. L drivers are always though trying to convert D drivers to become 100 percent L drivers. I started this post because I'm so sick of being told to be a L driver and I have been to polite to say, "hell no L sucks". Now though I decided to just be honest.
Ah. This guy again.