In Low gear I noticed much more regenerative braking, and the owner's manual makes no mention about harming the Volt this way. It's so damn cool: you can be driving at 60+ MPH, shift to low and the car gently coasts until you touch the brake, THEN you get the dramatic braking effect, all the way down to 1-2 MPH. Fantastic!
So, if shifting to Sport Mode and driving in Low, you get this very lively sporty perky responsive experience. You gotta try it!
I don't think the Volt actually shifts any gears when Low is selected; it feels all electronic. Am I right?
M

There's no gears, "L" is all electronic and basically gives the Volt maximum slowing power without using the brakes, i.e. maximum regen. I love how they mapped the gas pedal too; in this mode, if you're only slightly on the gas pedal, it equates to less regen, but not acceleration. Makes for a very smooth ride once you get used to it.

For the most part I've been using "L" around the city with a lot of stop and go, and "D" on the highways, unless I see somewhere ahead that I'll need to slow down more than normal.

The "L" feeling at any speed is defintely cool. With Sport mode and "L", the Volt feels like a very sporty vehicle.

In Low gear I noticed much more regenerative braking, and the owner's manual makes no mention about harming the Volt this way. It's so damn cool: you can be driving at 60+ MPH, shift to low and the car gently coasts until you touch the brake, THEN you get the dramatic braking effect, all the way down to 1-2 MPH. Fantastic!
So, if shifting to Sport Mode and driving in Low, you get this very lively sporty perky responsive experience. You gotta try it!
I don't think the Volt actually shifts any gears when Low is selected; it feels all electronic. Am I right?
M

You are right. I drive mostly in Normal-L to maximixe my E-range. I learned quiclky how to feather the throttle when slowing so as not to "jerk" my passengers.

As I understand the transmission, the traction motor only shifts gears when running at speeds over 70mph. So if driving at speeds under 70, there is no shifting gears and any combination of Normal, Sport, Mountain, D or L can safely be used.

I like Sport-L when driving local roads and I'm not concerned for E-Range. For maximum E-Range, I drive in Normal-L to cushion my starts and regen as much as possible. On the highway, I use Normal-D. GM has done a great job giving us all these options. The Volt is a blast to drive and folks keep stopping me to ask about it. How cool is that?

VIN63

I'm using L almost exclusively as well.

Same here. Mostly Normal-L for local driving. Sport-L for a few minutes of fun here and there. Normal-D only on long open stretches at highway speeds.

MC

I only drive in L.

Many thanks to all responders. Low is amazing! And of course thanks to GM. A marvelous result of American enginuity.

Marv

90-95% L use, but I still get a weird feeling I am going to blow out the transmission driving in L. After driving regular transmissions for 35 years, it is hard to reprogram your brain. Now if I could only stop trying to remove a non-existent key out of the steering column when I get out of the Volt:)

I had been driving around town in Normal - D, but after reading this will see what difference going to Normal - L does in around town...that sweet SPORT mode is the best for showing off "BSD", but definitely culls a bit off the range. Have you guys noticed a difference between the - D and - L in Normal driving? I'll test it out myself as well....had been getting about 39 MPC with the Normal - D with downshifting to L when stopping (did this all the time with my Escape Hybrid).

Reading previous topics about "L" before driving the Volt encouraged me to try it. I was overjoyed at how well it works. It's as if you have carefully downshifted so you only have to press the brake for a short distance. Watch the car ahead, because you still need the friction brake. The brake travel requires a bit more distance to activate the friction brake, be careful and make sure you have fully pressed the brake pedal to stop the Volt.

It reminds me of the single pedal Disney Autopia cars. The announcer says, "To make your car go, push down on the pedal. To stop, take your foot off the pedal." One big difference, the friction brake is NOT applied in the Volt when you take your foot off the (accelerator) pedal.

http://www.themeparkaudioarchives.com/members/disneyland_tomorrowland.html - Autopia Safety Spiel

What I appreciate about "L" is how it takes the guess work out of regenerative braking. You know that when you lift your foot off the accelerator, maximum regeneration occurs. It helps you stop faster too, because in that split second to get your foot on the brake, the Volt is slowing down. Where it doesn't work is when you want the Volt to act like an ICE vehicle when you stop accelerating. That is why "D" is perfect for those open roads.

Pure perfection in motion equals award winning performance.

(Limitations of regenerative braking with EV-1 reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenerative_brake#Limitations )

In my Prius, the regenerative braking triggers the brake lights at a certain points. Under heavy "L" regenerative deceleration does the volt trigger the brake lights? I would think all of this heavy deceleration might lead to some issues there. Also, if you hit a bump, pothole, or slick spot when just regenerative braking with the front two wheels, is there a brake-loss sensation? I am used to it from priuses dating back to 02, but I know it made a huge uproar on the prius forums. I compared it to downshifting in my bmw. You get the same braking loss sensation if your relying on engine braking over 4-wheel friction brakes.

I cannot wait to get my volt and find all this out first hand!

Where it doesn't work is when you want the Volt to act like an ICE vehicle when you stop accelerating.

I'd add "if you want the volt to feel like an ICE vehicle with an automatic transmission when you stop accelerating. Take a stick shift car, get up to 6000RPM in 1st gear and suddenly let go of the gas; you'll be slowing down real quick ;)

The Volt in L will be similar to how I drive my current manual transmission car when coming down an offramp of similar situation, downshifting through the gears to slow down and only using the brakes once I'm down to 10-15 mph.

Maximum regen is about 60kW. Do you guys really think it's recovering that much power? I would expect L to be calibrated to a "moderate engine braking deceleration" level, but not necessarily the full 60kW. Do we have any official answers?

By my (very rough) calculations, 60kW would decelerate the Volt from 60mph to 10mph in about 6.3 seconds. This assumes a frictionless plane, with no energy loss to capture the power. But while the aero and friction losses would actually increase the deceleration rate, the inefficiency of capturing the energy through the motor would offset that. So how close to my estimate does the Volt decelerate in L?

I love "L" mode. I live on top of a mountain, so I leave my house fully charged (indicator shows 40 miles battery range available). I ride down the mountain in "L", never really needing to hit the brakes the way I do in my truck. By the time I get to the bottom of the mountain, it shows about 47 miles avilable in the battery!

I love "L" mode. I live on top of a mountain, so I leave my house fully charged (indicator shows 40 miles battery range available). I ride down the mountain in "L", never really needing to hit the brakes the way I do in my truck. By the time I get to the bottom of the mountain, it shows about 47 miles avilable in the battery!

That's really good! Just a guess but that means that you store away about 2.1 KW into the battery!

That's really good! Just a guess but that means that you store away about 23.8 KW into the battery!

But if my battery was already "fully charged", how can it now be holding more?

But if my battery was already "fully charged", how can it now be holding more?

Sorry miss calculated and corrected post... 2.1 KW is the right answer. As to storage, remember the battery only charges to 80% of capacity and also, you may use some energy if the mountain grade is some distance from your house. Just a guess as I do not know the lay of the land by your home.

P

That's why the battery only charges to 80% (or whatever the number is now, since they opened up the battery usage to 65%). So that people could do what chemdawg did, the "head room" is for additional charge from regen.

The headroom is actually mainly for battery longevity. These types of batteries degrade when you charge or discharge them all the way. I suspect they opened up the amount we can use because they weren't hitting the mpc rating they wanted.

My LenovoT60 laptop has a similar feature that can be enabled to not charge the battery all the way to 100%. Instead it charges to about 97-98% for battery longevity.

I think it's both. Not charging to 100% and leaving headroom for regen, so you don't achieve 100% from regen.

Speaking of driving modes, has anybody used cruise control yet? Is that a silly question, like WHY? Still, it DOES have it doesn't it?

Speaking of driving modes, has anybody used cruise control yet? Is that a silly question, like WHY? Still, it DOES have it doesn't it?

Several new owners have commented and say "the cruise works just fine," or "smooth."

I love "L" mode. I live on top of a mountain, so I leave my house fully charged (indicator shows 40 miles battery range available). I ride down the mountain in "L", never really needing to hit the brakes the way I do in my truck. By the time I get to the bottom of the mountain, it shows about 47 miles avilable in the battery!

That's interesting, because as others have noted, it means that the Volt is allowing regen to push the SOC over the nominal maximum. The Tesla guys report that if they've charged up to 100%, regen braking does not work, and there's even a warning light about it. Once they use up a little power it starts working again.

I wouldn't want to do that to my battery. One way to prevent a full charge is to schedule charging to start "too late" so that you have less than a full charge when you leave in the morning. It would be tough to hit that target though if you don't have a regular commute and don't always come home with a consistent SOC.

Cruise control works great. I used it for 1100 miles last week.

I've put a few hundred miles on cruise control and it does work fine. It's too bad that cruise control doesn't work with the regen to maintain your speed going down a hill.

I've put a few hundred miles on cruise control and it does work fine. It's too bad that cruise control doesn't work with the regen to maintain your speed going down a hill.

Are you saying that the Cruise does not maintain your speed when going downhill. I thought that in an earlier thread someone said the cruise held the speed within a small band both uphill and downhill. Does it let the speed increase to the point you have to brake to keep from exceeding the speed limit like on my present car? What about running in "L" and Cruise?

The Owners Manual must have used a generic definition. It says you may have to shift down to a lower gear to maintain downhill speed while in Cruise.

I've put a few hundred miles on cruise control and it does work fine. It's too bad that cruise control doesn't work with the regen to maintain your speed going down a hill.

Cruise control absolutely works for regen to hold speed going down a hill, if you're in Low (not D). Demoed it to my wife today on the Trans Mountain Highway in El Paso today. Set the cruise control to 55 on the way up (in D, didn't have to be). Shifted to L at the peak, and it held a nearly perfect 55 all the way to the bottom.

We'd been in CS mode when we hit the hill, and after shifting back into D at the bottom got 2.5 miles with the engine off and the battery driving the car (mostly at around 55) from the regen energy.

Furthest I've driven on regen energy is 3.5 miles, after coming down the east side of I-8 in San Diego/Imperial Counties. That wasn't done in L, 'cause I wanted to see how the car handled downhill in the turns (quite nicely :-).

Cruise control is absolutely necessary when entering the Interstate in Sport mode! You cannot sense the speed in the Volt like in an ICE car from engine noise and vibrations since there are none! In seconds you are up to 80 mph. Making an effort to apply the CC means you watch your speed and set it at an appropriate legal mph. The CC is on the left spoke of the steering wheel. It is activated by a little switch with the icon of a tachometer, very clever, with the left thumb setting it and doing the accel/decel. Very fun! I use Low a lot as well.

-Book

Are you saying that the Cruise does not maintain your speed when going downhill. I thought that in an earlier thread someone said the cruise held the speed within a small band both uphill and downhill. Does it let the speed increase to the point you have to brake to keep from exceeding the speed limit like on my present car? What about running in "L" and Cruise?

The Owners Manual must have used a generic definition. It says you may have to shift down to a lower gear to maintain downhill speed while in Cruise.

I have not tried Cruise in "L", but will be doing that tomorrow. Assuming downhill speed is maintained, my apologies for the confusion and many thanks for pointing out the feature!!!

Great! Sounds like the best of all worlds. Holds speed on long downhill grades by using "L" and regen and will allow the speed to increase on short dips to use the momentum to go up the otherside of the dip while in "D". Can't wait to try it out.

By my (very rough) calculations, 60kW would decelerate the Volt from 60mph to 10mph in about 6.3 seconds. This assumes a frictionless plane, with no energy loss to capture the power. But while the aero and friction losses would actually increase the deceleration rate, the inefficiency of capturing the energy through the motor would offset that. So how close to my estimate does the Volt decelerate in L?

I re-did my calculations more precisely and I came up with the same number. The approximate deceleration rate from regenerating 60kW for a 3800lb Volt will be 7.94 mph per second. Anyone up for an experiment? I recommend keeping the ending speed well above 0 since we know regen becomes inefficient there.

From my experience in a regular car L is supposed to help you when pulling loads or going slowly up a very steep hill etc.
So what then is the real purpose of the L setting on the Volt?

Bob T
http://MyPerfectAutomobile.com

"So what then is the real purpose of the L setting on the Volt?"

Good question. As far as I know, noone from GM has really answered this question head on. Instead the question is addressed with examples.
1>Brake free driving in traffic at low speeds.
2>Less wear on brake pads.
3>For use when going downhill in city driving conditions (San Francisco).

When asked if L should simply be used all of the time. The answer is that it doesn't matter. D provides a longer coast and L a shorter coast. My driving will be 95% in L shift position. And 80% in Normal mode (not Sport). My goal is a crazy high MPG number.

I think L is still confusing people. The Volt will always engage maximum regen before electro-hydraulically engaging the main service brakes. The difference in L is that you can "learn" the rate of deceleration and anticipate a stop in advance, letting off the gas to coast which guarantees a regen decel. But pressing the brake pedal does not necessarily mean the service brakes engage. I suppose the main problem is it's not clear where regen maxes out and the service brakes apply, when using the brake pedal. I was trying to clear up whether coasting in L puts regen into its max energy capture mode, because some people are under this impression.
It certainly has NOTHING to do with gearing.

http://MyPerfectAutomobile.comBob, just checked out your site and taking-delivery video. Very nice!!

I keep reading there is a way to engage both the motor and the gas engine at the same time. This then should give 220hp combined. How do I set it so that they are both engaged at the same time? is it real to be able to have 220hp?

Bob T.
http://MyPerfectAutomobile.com

I haven't heard back on my question if it is realistic to engage both the engine and motor at the same time to get their combined hp of around 220hp.

Bob T
http://MyPerfectAutomobile.com

I haven't heard back on my question if it is realistic to engage both the engine and motor at the same time to get their combined hp of around 220hp.

Bob T
http://MyPerfectAutomobile.com

I have seen both battery and engine showing as driving the wheels on the energy flow display in CS mode after going downhill to gather some regen and then accelerating.

I would think that this is the intended mode of powering the vehicle going up a mountain after engaging mountain mode prior to the climb.

I keep reading there is a way to engage both the motor and the gas engine at the same time. This then should give 220hp combined. How do I set it so that they are both engaged at the same time? is it real to be able to have 220hp?

Bob T.
http://MyPerfectAutomobile.com

The Volt was designed to provide a consistent driving experience in both electric and range extended mode. So, the maximum power delivered is about 150 horsepower.

The reason that engine power is mechanically mixed with electric motor power at higher speeds in extended range mode is that it yields a 10 to 15% improvement in cruise fuel economy.

I have been driving in "L" for a week. I haven't had a chance to take it on the expressway yet.
My experience with my former hybrids is that while driving at freeway speeds and on a less than flat road (soft, long hills), the regen braking is too much when taking your foot off the accelerator on long declines. You are "forced" to give it some gas to maintain your speed. This is for gentle declines only.
I suspect that I'll find the same with my Volt when I decide to go somewhere other than work.

You are "forced" to give it some gas to maintain your speed. This is for gentle declines only.

That was my experience with it today, driving in the mountains. I had to feather the pedal to keep from having too strong a regeneration. But the energy transfer display said it was still regenerating, so the pedal isn't a binary switch when it comes to that.

I haven't hit too many steep grades here in NJ, but when using L on the highway on a slight downward grade, even though I feather the pedal, the display still shows regen. I think it is the fact that the regen is generating more energy than you are putting out by feathering the pedal.

Thanks for replying. I think I need to start a new thread on how to boost the performance of the Volt.
It may be a bit early to find anyone who has experience tuning the Volt for more performance.
But your reply makes me believe that we could get more HP out of the car.

Bob T.
http://MyPerfectAutomobile.com

MicroChip - Try Mountain on long open stretches at high speed either D or L. It will conserve battery for more slow speed use.

Driving in Low was one of those paradigm shifts in driving a VOLT, and in the thinking of what is "low" in an EV. I will admit I now drive almost all the time in low since it has such great (regen) slowing down abilities and you hardly use the brakes. If I need long coasting abilites I will sometimes go back to Drive.

I use all of the gears and modes, there are advantages to each depending on the driving situation and route.

The one situation where I like the Volt is better than any other car, is while stuck in traffic, in hot weather, you have options for relaxing in comfort with economy, it realy takes most of the stress out of being stuck in traffic.

Both my wife and I always drive our Volt in LOW. It doesn't make any difference on the highway, but really helps in city driving. We regularly get 55 to 60 miles EV driving when our starting charge shows 42 to 45 miles. The re-gen really helps here. I also like the idea of not wearing out our brake pads. I do my own maintenance and changing brake pads, turning or replacing rotors etc. is a pain. The less of that I do, the more I like it.:)

I'm having a hard time understanding the attraction of driving in low mode always. In normal drive mode, when pressing the brake pedal gently and partially, am I right that it is using regen exclusively until either you are trying to stop the car faster than what can be achieved by regen alone, or the speed is too low for regen to be effective? Or are the friction brake pads always being applied to some degree?

If it is using regen first, then there is no great difference between braking gently in drive vs. letting go of the accelerator in low? To me, if this is the case, it's more natural and easier to coast (w/ some minimal regen), with the foot off both pedals, than to have to feather the accelerator pedal to some partially depressed position. I always try to coast to slow down as much as possible, just using air drag + rolling resistance to naturally slow in my ICE car, to conserve momentum & not waste it as heat in the brakes. I intend to do the same when I get my Volt, since regen isn't a 100% efficient process. It seems too easy in low mode to have more regen kick in than you really want. If I can control regen by how hard I press the brake pedal, then to me that is easier to modulate than letting the accelerator out more. Plus it avoids the issue of other drivers not anticipating the slow down without the brake lights, as another member noted, recommending tapping the brake pedal as a warning.

I'm intending to use low mode only for stop-and-go situations, and long curvy downhills, unless someone explains how I am wrong on how the brake pedal works in "drive"?

Low in the Volt is the ultimate in lazy driving.

It saves moving your foot from the gas to the brake when doing it right. You have to change the way you drive to appreciate it.

Low is not really about saving range or gas, it's really a convenience feature. It's hard for people to change, which is why you aren't finding it an attractive alternative, but if you give it a chance, you will be annoyed to drive a conventional car after a while. The brake light thing is not an issue for most.

But hey, drive is there for a reason. Lots of people don't like change, so they got you covered.



I'm having a hard time understanding the attraction of driving in low mode always. In normal drive mode, when pressing the brake pedal gently and partially, am I right that it is using regen exclusively until either you are trying to stop the car faster than what can be achieved by regen alone, or the speed is too low for regen to be effective? Or are the friction brake pads always being applied to some degree?

If it is using regen first, then there is no great difference between braking gently in drive vs. letting go of the accelerator in low? To me, if this is the case, it's more natural and easier to coast (w/ some minimal regen), with the foot off both pedals, than to have to feather the accelerator pedal to some partially depressed position. I always try to coast to slow down as much as possible, just using air drag + rolling resistance to naturally slow in my ICE car, to conserve momentum & not waste it as heat in the brakes. I intend to do the same when I get my Volt, since regen isn't a 100% efficient process. It seems too easy in low mode to have more regen kick in than you really want. If I can control regen by how hard I press the brake pedal, then to me that is easier to modulate than letting the accelerator out more. Plus it avoids the issue of other drivers not anticipating the slow down without the brake lights, as another member noted, recommending tapping the brake pedal as a warning.

I'm intending to use low mode only for stop-and-go situations, and long curvy downhills, unless someone explains how I am wrong on how the brake pedal works in "drive"?

I'm intending to use low mode only for stop-and-go situations, and long curvy downhills, unless someone explains how I am wrong on how the brake pedal works in "drive"?

No, you're right. Slowing down in drive with your foot on the brake at the same rate the Volt slows down in low with your foot off the accelerator should engage exactly the same amount of regen. There isn't any difference. Driving in low is a convenience, and I too do it in stop-and-go traffic and when in hilly terrain.

Then again, if you're a binary braker low might be a really good option.

No, you're right. Slowing down in drive with your foot on the brake at the same rate the Volt slows down in low with your foot off the accelerator should engage exactly the same amount of regen. There isn't any difference. Driving in low is a convenience, and I too do it in stop-and-go traffic and when in hilly terrain. Then again, if you're a binary braker low might be a really good option.

I would guess unless your driving in "D" and keeping leaves on the ball when braking that "L" is more efficient and captures more.

Chevy Volt vehicle line director Tony Posawatz:

4. Use Low gear. The "L" shifter position can help you engage in more aggressive motor braking, which recaptures more energy for the battery when coasting to a stop, during stop-and-go traffic, driving down hills, and even while driving aggressively.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20054356-48.html#ixzz1OgvHSYOR

What would help would be a watt-meter, showing how much energy is going back into the battery. Then we'd be able to tell if D with some brake is the same as L, or not. As it stands, GM is leaving us nearly totally in the dark as to how to best drive our cars.

I have been progressively using Low Gear more and more in stop and go traffic. See MPGe post below:

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?7913-What-does-quot-milage-equivalent-quot-mean&p=73244#post73244

As a previous owner of 2 civic hybrids (2003 and 2009) I have been conditioned to ease off on the gas pedal and let the vehicle run while maintaining speed or accelerating on both flat and downgrades, so I don't use Low when braking would not be needed.

What would help would be a watt-meter, showing how much energy is going back into the battery. Then we'd be able to tell if D with some brake is the same as L, or not. As it stands, GM is leaving us nearly totally in the dark as to how to best drive our cars.

With all respect think "totally in the dark" is a mischaracterization. There is a green ball with leaves that fade out when accelarating too fast or braking too hard. They even put a "leaf target" bullseye behind the ball ! I think this is easy for the masses to understand. I want a GEN II so I want this car to succeed well beyond tech geeks.

"leaf target" bullseye behind the ball
2124

You get what you're describing with the Hondas on the Volt by feathering the gas pedal and not letting off it completely like you would on the Honda's. If you don't let off completely, it is coasting with no battery cost. That way you can drive full time in Low which is much better than switching between drive and low all day. The pedal is calibrated so well to make this possible. Kudos to GM.

Again, it's a new way of driving and it takes a while for some to get it.


I have been progressively using Low Gear more and more in stop and go traffic. See MPGe post below:

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?7913-What-does-quot-milage-equivalent-quot-mean&p=73244#post73244

As a previous owner of 2 civic hybrids (2003 and 2009) I have been conditioned to ease off on the gas pedal and let the vehicle run while maintaining speed or accelerating on both flat and downgrades, so I don't use Low when braking would not be needed.

There is a green ball with leaves that fade out when accelarating too fast or braking too hard. They even put a "leaf target" bullseye behind the ball !

With all due respect, the green ball is a joke when it comes to actual energy consumption. I noted yesterday when gently accelerating up a 16% grade that the green ball was nicely centered, even though I *knew* I was pulling a ton of energy out of the battery. Likewise going down the same hill I was braking much *much* harder than I would on flat ground (where the green ball would have fallen down towards yellow), but on the hill it stayed nicely centered.

The green ball seems to be more a measure of acceleration, not battery use. I continue to maintain we are completely in the dark as to how much energy is coming from or going into the battery.

It doesn't help that the deceleration rate in low with the nicely centered green ball, in drive that causes the ball to plummet.

With all due respect, the green ball is a joke when it comes to actual energy consumption. I noted yesterday when gently accelerating up a 16% grade that the green ball was nicely centered, even though I *knew* I was pulling a ton of energy out of the battery. Likewise going down the same hill I was braking much *much* harder than I would on flat ground (where the green ball would have fallen down towards yellow), but on the hill it stayed nicely centered.

The green ball seems to be more a measure of acceleration, not battery use. I continue to maintain we are completely in the dark as to how much energy is coming from or going into the battery.

It doesn't help that the deceleration rate in low with the nicely centered green ball, in drive that causes the ball to plummet.

Thanks for the example. I'm sure [we] exchanged ideas about this before and I forgot some of the subtleties of our conversation.

You are talking about 'actual energy consumption' watt usage and I'm talking about reasonable driving efficiencies/methods that appeal to and are easily understood by the masses. I'm technical so I understand your point but anyone on this forum is not the "masses" that will easily get GEN II and GEN III approved [because of so many sales of GEN I]. I've given well over 20 test drives/demo where they drive and everyone easily "gets" the ball and usage. Watts discussions ... not so much. Hope that makes some sense.

I did like your example and understood your point about how much energy would be used by comparison of what the leaf ball would imply. However, I think the purpose of the leaf ball is to shows you with your current driving situation (up hill, down hill, speeding, etc) that "here is the best you can do under the CIRCUMSTANCE you are in". I would like to hear directly from the designers and engineers on the perspective and purpose of the leaf ball. I'm betting is it more along the lines of how are you driving in whatever physical situation/terrain to get the best efficiency.

Not sure if I explained that well but hopefully we understand our perspectives better. I know the CAB drivers gave feedback about wanting WATTs as well. I've talked to some of them. Some of them were familiar with the EV1 and many many other electric vehicles (RAV4, home-made, etc) and the techno aspect of EVs for those was WATT and not communication to the LEVEL of the masses [need for user friendliness].

I would be willing to bet that WATT displays exist in simulations and on some of the DIC display test but they didn't activate/include them.