Regenerative Braking Too Strong: Dealbreaker for Me?

[InfraMan]

I’ve been really impressed with the R1S and recently got to take my neighbor’s 2025 model for a spin around the neighborhood. One thing that really stood out was the regenerative braking—it’s extremely powerful. Even on the lowest setting, every time the car came to a stop, it felt like I was getting pushed forward in my seat.

I’m concerned about how this would feel in stop-and-go traffic, especially with my wife driving and our baby in the back. I honestly think the constant strong braking could make the baby uncomfortable or even sick. This is a major reason I’m hesitating on getting a Rivian right now.

I’ve read a lot of similar complaints online and seen YouTube videos where people mention the same issue. So, is there any way to fully disable regenerative braking? Do you think Rivian might offer the option to turn it off in the future? This is something that’s really holding me back from pulling the trigger.

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[COdogman]

Do you have any experience with one pedal driving? I only ask because it took me a little practice to get better at it so that each slow/ stop was much more smooth. Within a month I had switched to the max regen setting and haven’t looked back. Basically you learn to feather braking by letting off the accelerator nice and easy.

 

[CosmicRivian]

For what it's worth (and we're a family with two EVs), most people I have talked with regard regen as a benefit of driving an EV and people acclimate really quickly (what you were experience on your test drive was just being new to the experience).

I wouldn't let this fear dissuade you at all. If you're really unsure, rent an EV for a couple of days and I predict you're find that regen feels natural quickly and you'll come to prefer it to standard acceleration and braking.

 

[CompilerBreak]

I definitely disliked it after my test drive, especially coming from a Ford EV where they use blended regen brakes for a more regular 2-pedal drive (maybe go give one of those a try for comparison). I would still very much prefer lower settings (and an off one for certain situations), I don't know if that will ever happen. That said, I did get used to feathering the throttle as you come to a stop so it is much more "normal".

 

[CosmicRivian]

Do you have any experience with one pedal driving? I only ask because it took me a little practice to get better at it so that each slow/ stop was much more smooth. Within a month I had switched to the max regen setting and haven’t looked back. Basically you learn to feather braking by letting off the accelerator nice and easy.

Yep, this too.

 

[josh0]

It definitely takes a little getting used to, but now that I have I absolutely love the one-pedal driving style that it enables. Especially in traffic, where you no longer have to switch your feet between two pedals to safely operate at low speed. Honestly, I’d say it’s smoother to drive this way (though definitely has a small learning curve). I literally almost never touch the brake pedal, and just keep my foot on the ‘gas’ the entire time I’m driving (unless I’m using ACC or Highway Assist, of course).

 

[moosetags]

The regenerative braking concerned us when we first started driving our new R1T about a year and a half ago. We had never owned or driven an EV before. We originally set it on low to become accustomed to the one pedal driving (OPD) feature. Within a day or two we had become used to OPD and set the regen up to the high level. OPD has become our favorite feature in our Rivian. Once you get the feel for it, you will be hooked.

We have also found that switching back and forth between the Rivian and our Silverado Diesel pick-up truck is seamless. Going from OPD to old school is a piece of cake.

Brian

 

[FLTANK]

This is definitely the most common issue when anyone drives my truck for the first time but I promise not only will you get used to one pedal driving quickly but you will learn to love it and your driving will be even smoother. When I drive our other ICE car now I’m always a little annoyed I actually have to use the brake pedal.

 

[R1Tom]

It didn't take me long and now I actually dislike regular braking except in performance applications. But for daily driving one pedal is the way.

I will say at first one of my daughters felt a little car sick, but she typically drives to avoid it, but when riding in Rivian at first...it wasn't her favorite. But I got to point pretty quick that the gradual application of both throttle and then regen and back and forth and now the smoothness can't be beat.

 

[ElGuano]

Regenerative braking is something that feels different at first, but you quickly get used to it and can control it easily.

It actually gives you a WIDER range of control over the speed of your car, including fully coasting.

Rivian's low setting is very mild, and a good one to start with.

Medium is similar to Tesla, and probably takes a week or two to really master.

Strong regenerative breaking is VERY jerky to me, because I'm coming from Tesla. But if I can't get used to it, I'm happy going with Medium.

 

[FUBAR!]

Open pedal driving definitely takes a few weeks to get used to…but it’s super easy to get it and once you do it’s literally the best thing when driving in traffic! I drive 120+ miles a day for my commute in SoCal traffic…going from a gas car to an EV, I’ll never go back for the ease of driving alone!

 

[SSteveEV]

Contrarian opinion here:
Yes I got used to it, but I still want to be able to turn it off and coast.

That said, it's worth living with it. love this Rivian just as much as day one 35k miles later.

 

[zefram47]

Sounds like you're trying to drive it like an ICE vehicle and always pulling your foot completely off the throttle. If you do that you get max regen fairly quickly and feels like you slammed on the brakes. Pretend the throttle is a brake by slowly reducing your throttle input until you come to a stop or decide you need more braking and then switch to the brake pedal if you've exhausted throttle travel. It really doesn't take long to adapt your driving habits. But it does mean that your foot will likely get tired as you're never really able to coast as you would in an ICE. I've always used cruise control A LOT while driving and in an EV I probably do it even more, as traffic and road conditions allow. Having adaptive cruise makes it easier, but I find that the Rivian is too reactionary and less proactive than I would be, so I still tend to manually disengage the cruise when coming up to slower or stopped traffic while using it.

My first EV had relatively light regen so when I switched to the MINI Cooper SE prior to getting the Rivian it was a shock how strong the regen was. Again, took me just a few days max to get used to it and I've driven all EVs with max regen since.

 

[Zoidz]

The accelerator in a vehicle Is not an on/off switch.

A lot of people learned to drive the wrong way due to the way an automatic trans works. They learned that when you want to slow down or stop, lift your foot off the accelator and hover over the brake until you need it. That’s a poor driving technique. Those of us that drove stick learned differently. With a stick vehicle, you lift off in 1st gear you will get the same result you are experiencing - rapid, jerky deceleration. You learn pretty quickly that the accelerator is not an on/off switch and how to use downshifting for braking. Regen braking is VERY similar. Most people who drive stick have a short adaptation curve.

You need to relearn that when you want to slow down, you “feather” the accelerator. That is, you lift off slowly CONTROLLING the deceleration rate. Practice accelerating and decelerating in a parking lot or deserted road. Focus on never using the brake, only regen, to stop exactly at a particular point. You can do it. I almost never use the brake in my Rivian.

 

[Riviot]

One thing that really stood out was the regenerative braking—it’s extremely powerful. Even on the lowest setting, every time the car came to a stop, it felt like I was getting pushed forward in my seat.

Have you ever driven a manual transmission? If so, think of it like engine braking.

Also, from my limited experience driving around Nashville this year, I felt the same way driving a Ram. Folks there are in a hurry to get to every stop sign and red light!

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