Tag: regenerative braking

So, the other day I was driving down Porlock Hill in Somerset which is rather steep (20%). As you approach the hill there are some warning signs, one said Try your brakes, fine I can do that. The other said Keep in low gear. However, I was driving down in my EV and realised I really didn’t know what this means when driving an EV. 

The Highway Code isn’t much help, rule 160 says:

select a lower gear before you reach a long downhill slope. This will help to control your speed

The key with travelling in a lower gear, is that engine braking will help slow the car and control the speed.

I know that, but an EV doesn’t have a clutch or a gearbox as a petrol engine car has. I guessed that the regenerative braking (which I have always in strong mode) would do what engine braking did. I do wonder though what would happen if you were at 100% or close to it without regenerative braking, I am guessing then the brakes would have to do all the work, more than they would usually do.

In the end the regenerative braking worked wonders, but even so….

As I left the office today I realised that the regenerative braking wasn’t in effect. The Funky was driving along without slowing down when I took my foot off the accelerator. 

I thought there was a problem and I remembered a similar thing happening a couple of weeks ago as well. I was concerned that maybe there was another software issue.

Then it struck me, I had charged the Funky up to 100%, it had a full charge. How could the regenerative braking charge up the battery, when it was already at 100%.

Once I had driven a few miles, and the power had dropped a few percent the regenerative braking started working normally and as expected.