Not liking one pedal driving

[LoneStar]

I figured 9 out of 10 people with full EV experience will think this is just a gimicky thing, but I really liked having the "paddle shifters" in my Honda Insight that had a plus/minus effect on the regen braking level. It was a fun way to interact with the vehicle in diverse traffic situations.

If the Rivian could get regen paddles then I would gladly have it.

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[BigNerd]

I'm confused by your statement. Tesla has Low mode for regen and does coast significantly more than the standard.

Further, Creep mode is so that your vehicle moves to way any automatic transmission vehicle does when stopped and brake is removed. Has nothing to do with regen. I keep mine set to free rolling so that it does not creep (drove manual transmission most of my life and prefer it still).

When I am on a road trip or on the freeway for any significant distance/time, I set the drive mode to "Chill" and regen to "Low", resulting in 10%-ish improvement in the range. The coasting benefit, or lack of aggressive regen braking, is more than offset by not having to impulse the motor constantly for every little changes during the drive.

If you haven't tried it, try it and see what you think yourself.

I don't think there is a "Low" mode on the Model Y.

I meant "Chill" instead of Creep, but that is only for acceleration.

Creep is for the stopping mode (vs Hold and Roll).

It would be nice to have a Low mode for coasting.

 

[RivRev]

I hated it during my test drive. Everyone says you get used to it. But I am definitely going to miss lifting my foot off the gas and coasting down to a slower speed or smooth stop. That is impossible with OPD and Regen...you take your foot off the "gas", and it jerks very quickly to a stop. With OPD, you have to slowly ease up on the "gas", which is very annoying and also very difficult to do while not on perfectly smooth roads.

Some people love it. I am like you, and do not. Definitely going to be putting Regen in low on my Rivian.

 

[White Shadow]

While I can't comment on uphill, any ICE vehicle I've owned that has allowed for manual shifting an automatic will illuminate the brake lights if you downshift far enough that engine braking crosses a deceleration threshold.

I have never seen that in any ICE vehicle. What have you owned that will do that?

 

[BigNerd]

What happens when you coast in an ICE vehicle? You take your foot off the gas and the vehicle slows down at a rate dependent on the gear you are in (Jake braking) or less gradually if you have put it in neutral. IOW the rate of deceleration depends on how much negative thrust the wheels are applying to the road.

The same exact thing happens with regen except that you can set the negative thrust to any level you want within the range of the available regen but you have to pay attention. If you want to coast you monitor the power meter and consumption graph to hold them as close to 0 as you can. Unfortunately Rivian has configured its "efficiency" graph in such a way that you can't use it for this but many are hoping that they will fix this in an OTA update.

Actually, not always true. My other car is a full size ICE truck and when I'm going at speed, taking my foot off doesn't result in instant deceleration, hence the "coasting" reference.

Yes, it eventually slows down but at a "natural" pace and will not stop because at idle, there is still power to the transmission. Whereas with OPD, the deceleration is pronounced if you totally remove your foot, thus the driver has to learn how to "feather" back the pressure to mimic the ICE experience.

 

[SRTConvert]

The other OPD factor is the assisted driving function. With adaptive cruise control up to Tesla Autopilot, you don't have to worry about maintaining pedal position on long drives.

I love the precision of OPD, you control by small and consistent input exactly how fast you are going at all times, in almost all cases without recourse to the brake pedal or gear changes. It does mean you need to focus more on your right foot position at all times. That's where Autopilot is a relief for long drives.

 

[Surferdude]

I find it ironic that Rivian has a whopping 8 driving modes but zero options to control regen. This is like having a massage seat with manual seat adjustment.

I see a lot of people on this forum telling the OP suck it up, you'll get used to it and then you'll love it because both my wife and I do! We get it, you love it, thanks for sharing. But this is a lux vehicle at a high price point. Regen feedback has a significant impact on driver experience and not all people want the same thing. Being able to adjust your vehicle to your driving style is critical in any lux vehicle. Especially one as expensive and technologically advanced as Rivian.

Hopefully a greater number of vocal owners will continue to complain so there is constant pressure on Rivian to provide regen options in future iterations or updates. This should not be difficult or challenging for Rivian.

 

[ajdelange]

Actually, not always true. My other car is a full size ICE truck and when I'm going at speed, taking my foot off doesn't result in instant deceleration, hence the "coasting" reference.

Yes, it eventually slows down

Then it is decelerating.

 

[zefram47]

I figured 9 out of 10 people with full EV experience will think this is just a gimicky thing, but I really liked having the "paddle shifters" in my Honda Insight that had a plus/minus effect on the regen braking level. It was a fun way to interact with the vehicle in diverse traffic situations.

The Bolt EV has a nifty paddle that gives you max regen like it was an extra brake pedal. And it was more regen than you'd get off-throttle even in L mode. I really liked that when I test drove one. IIRC, the EV6 / Ioniq 5 have paddles that let you dynamically select the amount of regen you want, but it's not like an extra brake pedal as in the Bolt.

 

[DadOf4Girls]

I find it ironic that Rivian has a whopping 8 driving modes but zero options to control regen. This is like having a massage seat with manual seat adjustment.

I see a lot of people on this forum telling the OP suck it up, you'll get used to it and then you'll love it because both my wife and I do! We get it, you love it, thanks for sharing. But this is a lux vehicle at a high price point. Regen feedback has a significant impact on driver experience and not all people want the same thing. Being able to adjust your vehicle to your driving style is critical in any lux vehicle. Especially one as expensive and technologically advanced as Rivian.

Hopefully a greater number of vocal owners will continue to complain so there is constant pressure on Rivian to provide regen options in future iterations or updates. This should not be difficult or challenging for Rivian.

I think you mean "zero options to reduce regen to zero/low", right? There is an option to switch regen between "High" and "Standard" already.

 

[BigNerd]

Then it is decelerating.

Sure. But not immediately or as abruptly as when you take you foot off an EV accelerator pedal in OPD mode.

I just tested it coming home from lunch and an ICE could actually go faster if you were accelerating at the time you took your food off the pedal due to momentum.

But back to the OP's concern... this difference in behavior is what turned me off of OPD at first. Once I figured it out... I set all the cars I drive to OPD. My wife, however, still hasn't figured it out, so she is having the same issue as the OP.

 

[ajdelange]

Hopefully a greater number of vocal owners will continue to complain so there is constant pressure on Rivian to provide regen options in future iterations or updates. This should not be difficult or challenging for Rivian.

But that might not happen. Perhaps forced into using it people will come to like it. Tesla has limited options (two levels). Is there an outcry in the Tesla community to "fix" this?

 

[rockdogz]

The Rivian is my first EV...love OPD! I rarely if ever use the brake now. The only thing tricky for me is backing out of the driveway...still a little herky-jerky.

 

[ajdelange]

Sure. But not immediately or as abruptly as when you take you foot off an EV accelerator pedal in OPD mode.

I get your point. That's why I mentioned control by selected gear.

I just tested it coming home from lunch and an ICE could actually go faster if you were accelerating at the time you took your food off the pedal due to momentum.

That would violate the laws of physics. As soon as net thrust becomes negative momentum and speed start to decrease.

 

[yizzung]

I have only experienced OPD at the Rivian first mile event and didn't find it that difficult to adjust after just 20 minutes of driving. I currently drive an ICE so the experience was totally new to me.

I do find it interesting however that nobody has bothered to mention that we're talking about driving an 800HP vehicle, which is also probably also a first for many around here.

The whipsaw effect when both accelerating and decelerating can be quite jarring in a high-performance vehicle. I used to own a 911 with a manual transmission and downshifting in that ride was an experience that you won't soon recreate in a Chevy Volt.

Once I got the feel for driving the Rivian, it seemed to me like their version of OPD is an attempt at offering the downshifting-like feel of a high-performance car with a manual transmission. (Again, if you've never experienced this, then it might feel jarring and take time to master.)

Rivian borrowed it's suspension expertise from McLaren and it's clear that they are trying to channel a performance-oriented ride. While some are suggesting that they should offer unlimited drive modes to accommodate every driver, there are limits. Last I checked, Porsche doesn't offer "Prius Mode" on any of their vehicles and I applaud them for it...

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