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An ICE vehicle will lug, buck and eventually stall out with no gas. Easily observed in a manual transmission. In an automatic with a higher idle speed setting is essentially just always giving it some gas, would stall out on a grade though. Can even roll backwards while still in Drive.
But all cars slow down when the gas is released due to engine braking. This slowing down without brake lights. Fact that it may take longer and certain conditions to completely stall doesn’t really matter for that point does it? If in a manual or a shiftable automatic you go from 5th to 2nd there can be some dramatic braking with no brake lights.
So, why exactly is a car slowing slightly in front of you a special hazard of EVs... or of any car, really?
Going into regen mode is not nearly equivalent to braking, with most of these vehicles. AFAIK, the regen back force is meant to be about equivalent to an ICE engine's compression braking - to promote a more natural driving experience.
Seems like someone needs to either go out and drive a few EVs or just do a little simple internet research. The Nissan Leaf/GM Bolt/every Tesla has regenerative modes that use the drive wheels as generators when either the throttle is eased or when traveling down a slope. You can watch the power meter go from positive to negative when you ease off the throttle or when you're maintaining speed going downhill. The previously mentioned vehicles were designed for "one-pedal" driving and can aggressively regenerate up to 60kWh simply by stepping off the throttle, and yes the brake lights turn on when the car knows that you are decelerating beyond a particular rate for safety reasons.
The Fiat went a different direction with the regenerative system on their 500e. Lifting off the throttle feels much more like a conventional ICE automatic car when you're coasting in "drive." The Fiat will regenerate between 3 to 7kWh by coasting but will regenerate up to 53kWh when pressing the brake pedal; brake force beyond the regeneration limit will incorporate the tradition friction brake system for all the vehicles. I've got both a Tesla and a 500e.
As for slowing down in an ICE. The manny tranny in my TDI can come to a near stop without triggering the brake lights using my parking brake and downshifting. The Alison tranny in my Duramax also slows the truck down dramatically between 15-2mph without hitting the brakes. Every car is different both mechanically and different engineering teams either programmed the brake lights to trigger or not (in the case of the Duramax...do not tailgate a Duramax! You could either get "coal" rolled on you, or brake checked with the absence of brake light indicators...NASCAR style).
Amongst all the insane drivers and idiotic, illogical things they constantly do, a mildly slowing vehicle, not having brake-lights activated, is very low on the list of hazards.
I let-off the gas all the time, and yes, my vehicle is slowing without the brake-lights coming on.
As an example of how powerful regenerative braking can be, Formula 1 cars get something like 70% of their brake force from it, and if the electronics fail, can't be driven on the track.
So, why exactly is a car slowing slightly in front of you a special hazard of EVs... or of any car, really?
Going into regen mode is not nearly equivalent to braking, with most of these vehicles. AFAIK, the regen back force is meant to be about equivalent to an ICE engine's compression braking - to promote a more natural driving experience.
Seems like someone needs to either go out and drive a few EVs or just do a little simple internet research. The Nissan Leaf/GM Bolt/every Tesla has regenerative modes that use the drive wheels as generators when either the throttle is eased or when traveling down a slope. You can watch the power meter go from positive to negative when you ease off the throttle or when you're maintaining speed going downhill. The previously mentioned vehicles were designed for "one-pedal" driving and can aggressively regenerate up to 60kWh simply by stepping off the throttle, and yes the brake lights turn on when the car knows that you are decelerating beyond a particular rate for safety reasons.
The Fiat went a different direction with the regenerative system on their 500e. Lifting off the throttle feels much more like a conventional ICE automatic car when you're coasting in "drive." The Fiat will regenerate between 3 to 7kWh by coasting but will regenerate up to 53kWh when pressing the brake pedal; brake force beyond the regeneration limit will incorporate the tradition friction brake system for all the vehicles. I've got both a Tesla and a 500e.
As for slowing down in an ICE. The manny tranny in my TDI can come to a near stop without triggering the brake lights using my parking brake and downshifting. The Alison tranny in my Duramax also slows the truck down dramatically between 15-2mph without hitting the brakes. Every car is different both mechanically and different engineering teams either programmed the brake lights to trigger or not (in the case of the Duramax...do not tailgate a Duramax! You could either get "coal" rolled on you, or brake checked with the absence of brake light indicators...NASCAR style).
So, why exactly is a car slowing slightly in front of you a special hazard of EVs... or of any car, really?
Going into regen mode is not nearly equivalent to braking, with most of these vehicles. AFAIK, the regen back force is meant to be about equivalent to an ICE engine's compression braking - to promote a more natural driving experience.
It's definitely more than just engine braking. In ICE cars, when you let off the accelerator, the car simply becomes an object that will slow down due to friction. Regen braking is actually braking the car.
Driving on neighborhood streets, if I don't need to come to a complete stop at stop signs or yield to traffic, I don't even need to touch my brake pedal.
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