[miked47a]

My MME will be my first EV. I've read a little about "one pedal driving" and frankly I'm confused. Does taking your foot off the accelerator apply the breaks or just use the electric motors to slow you down? How does that work if you are just coasting down a highway hill and don't actually want to break? How would that work with cruise control when you don't have a foot on the pedal? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just super excited!

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Regenerative braking uses the generators on each wheel. When you remove your foot from the accelerator pedal (or possibly ease up subtaitally) the generators engage to recharge the battery. Generators also have a rather large amount of drag when engaged. That drag will slow you down. It's actually a fair bit more delatiled and complicated than that, but that's the basic idea. Using one pedal driving your actual brakes will last far longer as you'll be using them substantially less.

 

[SolarAB]

Many newer EVs allow you to set the regen level using paddles on the steering wheel, creating more drag as you dial it up and letting you come pretty much to a stop without ever touching the brake pedal. As far as I can tell, the Ford does not have the ability to modify the regen level.

 

[JTK44]

Many newer EVs allow you to set the regen level using paddles on the steering wheel, creating more drag as you dial it up and letting you come pretty much to a stop without ever touching the brake pedal. As far as I can tell, the Ford does not have the ability to modify the regen level.

I would disagree: The feature to vary the amount of regenerative braking seems to be ubiquitous on high end BEV, of which the MachE certainly is. I would be shocked if the MachE does not have variable regenerative braking.

My MME will be my first EV. I've read a little about "one pedal driving" and frankly I'm confused. Does taking your foot off the accelerator apply the breaks or just use the electric motors to slow you down? How does that work if you are just coasting down a highway hill and don't actually want to break? How would that work with cruise control when you don't have a foot on the pedal? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just super excited!

If you have every driven a standard transmission, the effect of regenerative braking is like down shifting. It is not "down shifting" as the axels are turning: the more resistant the greater the effect. The brakes are not actual used.

As Kamuelaflyer correctly posted, the regenerative braking charges the batteries. That is why BEV get better mileage in stop and go city traffic for example than on the open road. This is of course just the opposite of an ICE.

Regenerative braking does not work when you are not using cruise control- except when it is "adaptive" and the car in front of you slows down and your car slows down as well. That "slowing" is also done by regenerative braking.

 

[Mjtee2]

On the Tesla’s I’ve owned, you do not have to use cruise control to activate regen braking. When you let up on the accelerator, regen braking starts to “kick in” with or without a car in front of you. I hope that will be true on the MME...

 

[JTK44]

On the Tesla’s I’ve owned, you do not have to use cruise control to activate regen braking. When you let up on the accelerator, regen braking starts to “kick in” with or without a car in front of you. I hope that will be true on the MME...

When you are on cruise control, unless you have adaptive cruise control, you foot is off the accelerator and the cruise control maintains your speed. The brakes are not engaged. If you apply your brakes cruise control is dis-engaged.

With adaptive cruise control, a space is maintained between you and the car in front of you. If the car slows down with adaptive cruise control, you slow down. If the car stops you stop. When the car resumes, you resume.

In an ICE this slowing down and stopping is done by your brakes. But again this is automatic - you do not touch the brakes. If you do touch the brakes adaptive cruise control is dis-engaged.

In an BEV with adaptive cruise control, instead of using the brakes, regenerative braking is used to slow down and if necessary stop your car.

In both an ICE and BEV with adaptive cruise control, you do not touch either the accelerator or brake pedal.

 

[SolarAB]

My Hyundai hybrid also generated power from coasting and for this reason it got better mileage on the highway than in the city, unlike the Toyota hybrids

 

[PhilD]

Many newer EVs allow you to set the regen level using paddles on the steering wheel, creating more drag as you dial it up and letting you come pretty much to a stop without ever touching the brake pedal. As far as I can tell, the Ford does not have the ability to modify the regen level.

Ford actually has three levels of regen.

 

[Al your Pal]

Try not to worry about it. It's very confusing/hard to understand by reading or talking about it, but it is very easy to get the feel for and get used to once you are driving it.

 

[jineshkj]

When you are on cruise control, unless you have adaptive cruise control, you foot is off the accelerator and the cruise control maintains your speed. The brakes are not engaged.

Unless you are driving downhill, correct ?

 

[Modulor]

My MME will be my first EV. I've read a little about "one pedal driving" and frankly I'm confused. Does taking your foot off the accelerator apply the breaks or just use the electric motors to slow you down? How does that work if you are just coasting down a highway hill and don't actually want to break? How would that work with cruise control when you don't have a foot on the pedal? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just super excited!

First of all: Congratulations! Deciding to buy a fully-electric vehicle - or BEV (battery electric vehicle) - deserves respect an recognition!
Aside from the ecological impact driving a BEV makes fun in every aspect! Acceleration (!), noise, technical aspects, TCO and of course the recuperation! Your batterie is filled up whenever the car recuperates. Try this with an ICE! Never heard of an ICE that fills up gasoline when it runs down a road or brakes for a red traffic light !
I found an informative Video that shows how regen works:

Recuperation in a Mercedes B250e

I have this optional recuperation paddles and use the "D-" mode (strongest recuperation).
Some cars have automatic recuperation (e.g. Porsche Taycan), some have paddles (Audi, KIA, Hyundai), some optional paddles (Mercedes, Skoda) and Tesla let you change regen modes in the configuration menu. I prefer the paddles because you can change regen mode on the fly.
But as Al your Pal said: don´t worry about it! It doesn´t take long to get the feel for this unique feature of a BEV! You will love it!

And again: In comparison to any car with a combustion engine ("ICE") driving a BEV feels like being James.T. Kirk on the Enterprise!

 

[JTK44]

Unless you are driving downhill, correct ?

If you have cruise control engaged it is supposed to maintain constant speed, both uphill and downhill

 

[miked47a]

First of all: Congratulations! Deciding to buy a fully-electric vehicle - or BEV (battery electric vehicle) - deserves respect an recognition!
Aside from the ecological impact driving a BEV makes fun in every aspect! Acceleration (!), noise, technical aspects, TCO and of course the recuperation! Your batterie is filled up whenever the car recuperates. Try this with an ICE! Never heard of an ICE that fills up gasoline when it runs down a road or brakes for a red traffic light !
I found an informative Video that shows how regen works:

Recuperation in a Mercedes B250e

I have this optional recuperation paddles and use the "D-" mode (strongest recuperation).
Some cars have automatic recuperation (e.g. Porsche Taycan), some have paddles (Audi, KIA, Hyundai), some optional paddles (Mercedes, Skoda) and Tesla let you change regen modes in the configuration menu. I prefer the paddles because you can change regen mode on the fly.
But as Al your Pal said: don´t worry about it! It doesn´t take long to get the feel for this unique feature of a BEV! You will love it!

And again: In comparison to any car with a combustion engine ("ICE") driving a BEV feels like being James.T. Kirk on the Enterprise!

Thanks for the informative explanation and video!

 

[MachDrive]

If you have cruise control engaged it is supposed to maintain constant speed, both uphill and downhill

My fusion has Hill Decent Control. Even without cruise on, it will help maintain your speed using regen/breaks. I can’t see the MMe not having it.

 

[Ptnewtec]

Just as a follow up to the original post - in the case of regenerative braking or adaptive cruise control are the rear brake lights activated to notify following cars?

 

[JTK44]

NO: A friend of mine has the Model 3. He came up to stop light and the person next to him said his brakes must be broken as they never came on.

On an ICE car with adaptive cruise control as the car slows down in front, the brakes are applied and the the brake lights do come on.

I suspect that in the future brake lights will come on for regenerative braking but so far no on the Tesla: No one yet knows about the MachE. Hopefully the brake lights will come on for regenerative braking.

.

 

[MachDrive]

NO: A friend of mine has the Model 3. He came up to stop light and the person next to him said his brakes must be broken as they never came on.

On an ICE car with adaptive cruise control as the car slows down in front, the brakes are applied and the the brake lights do come on.

I suspect that in the future brake lights will come on for regenerative braking but so far no on the Tesla: No one yet knows about the MachE. Hopefully the brake lights will come on for regenerative braking.

.

Brake lights are supposed to illuminate with one-pedal deceleration and with adaptive cruise control. I have seen this tested on a Model Y on YouTube.

There must have been something wrong with his Model 3.

 

[macchiaz-o]

Brake lights are supposed to illuminate with one-pedal deceleration and with adaptive cruise control. I have seen this tested on a Model Y on YouTube.

There must have been something wrong with his Model 3.

Agreed. Brake lights on the Mach-E will illuminate when the amount of forward deceleration exceeds some threshold. It works the same way on many other vehicles with regenerative braking, such as the Hyundai Ioniq.

Here's my understanding...

Electric motors are two-way power devices. They spin when electrical energy is provided to them. But they also produce electrical energy when spun. So whenever you are coasting or intentionally decelerating, these are opportunities for the vehicle to recoup some energy.

There aren't electrical generators at each individual wheel. But the energy from the mechanical spin of the rear wheels is transferred through the transmission to the rear motor (and from the front wheels to front motor in an AWD setup). The car can use this mechanical spin to reduce the amount of electricity it needs to supply to maintain the velocity you want for your travel.

If you want to reduce acceleration at a faster pace than what the car is achieving through mechanical wheel spin, then the car uses that as an opportunity to add fuel to the battery. If you want to increase acceleration more than what's achieved from wheel spin, you take some energy from the battery to do so.

If my understanding is correct, one pedal braking does not necessarily increase driving range or anything like that. But it can possibly coach a driver into being more energy efficient. On the Mustang Mach-E, when you do not use 1PD and you use the brakes gently (no hard braking), you will still be recouping energy back to the battery.

Same with the three driving modes: whisper, engage, unbridled. They all offer exactly the same vehicle efficiency yet different vehicle experience. How so? They are just changing steering stiffness/feedback, lights, sounds, and pedal mappings for acceleration and braking. If the driver adjusts how far he depresses the pedals, then at the end of the day, they are reaching the same energy efficiency.

 

[MacMike]

NO: A friend of mine has the Model 3. He came up to stop light and the person next to him said his brakes must be broken as they never came on.

On an ICE car with adaptive cruise control as the car slows down in front, the brakes are applied and the the brake lights do come on.

I suspect that in the future brake lights will come on for regenerative braking but so far no on the Tesla: No one yet knows about the MachE. Hopefully the brake lights will come on for regenerative braking.

.

I believe brake lights do come on when regen is active in all cars. On my Livewire motorcycle as soon as I release input on the throttle my brake lights come on.

 

[pca371]

I believe brake lights do come on when regen is active in all cars. On my Livewire motorcycle as soon as I release input on the throttle my brake lights come on.

It's actually a bit complicated. Based on NHTSA guidance brake lights are allowed under regen braking but not required. Brake lights are required when the braking system is activated with the intention of stopping a vehicle, but regen systems aren't necessarily viewed as part of the braking system. Brake lights can also be activated if a driver's intention is to slow the car faster than simple intertial forces will (which covers regen). I think an automaker would face a pretty big customer backlash if they didn't routinely have the brake lights activate though. Having your customers get rear-ended constantly is bad for business.