Using Low gear

[Ladogaboy]

In my experience, if they are going to hit you, they are going to hit you, regardless of whether you are using your brakes. I came from a manual transmission car, and the deceleration from L is very akin to how I used to compression brake in 3rd-4th. No brake lights came on then, either.

And I'm wondering if I'm in the minority here: I prefer to use L on the freeway and D on city streets. On the freeway, if I take my foot off the gas, it generally is because some moron with their blinking force field is trying to squeeze an SUV into my lane, so instantly slowing down (even before hitting the brakes) is reassuring. On the city streets, I tend to coast for longer periods of time, so I only downshift to L when I'm actively slowing for a light.

[Blastphemy]

Volt lover here. As an insurancee claim manager for 35 years, I have to ask why you would want to use L to slow down in city traffic. The brake light does not come on, it's like asking to get rear ended considering the distracted drivers we have today.

I'm always looking in my rearview mirror when switching to "L," and if I think the driver behind me won't know I'm slowing, I tap the brake a few times - not enough to really add to the deceleration, but enough to flash the brake lights several times. Seems to work...so far!

[Steverino]

I came from a manual transmission car, and the deceleration from L is very akin to how I used to compression brake in 3rd-4th. No brake lights came on then, either.

This one of those discussions where personal preference puts you on one side or the other of the L=brake light movement. I drove a manual as well, same observation. No need for brake lights as slowing is not the same as braking in my opinion. YMMV.

Interesting idea on D and L. I use D in city driving as well as highway, but downshift to L when approaching traffic. I like how D can coast, especially when coming out of cruise control which I use a lot. But you bring up a good point about L giving you an edge between the time you take your foot off the gas and hit the brake. I'll try that out a while.

[Ladogaboy]

But you bring up a good point about L giving you an edge between the time you take your foot off the gas and hit the brake. I'll try that out a while.

Are you in the Chicago area? The freeway traffic there can be a bear (he he)... from what I've seen, just as bad as Los Angeles.

[joetoocool]

I used the Low setting on my return trip from Lake Tahoe. It extended the battery range to 71 miles thanks to the higher regenerative effect. Ok, we were going downhill for much of that distance, but we were also driving at 50 to 50 mph all the way. Breaking in the corners is what did it. I use L almost all the time except on freeways, and yes, watch your rear view mirror.
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[USe-car]

Something to consider about this discussion. I used to work for a transit authority in a major metro city. Our buses were ordered with an automatic transmission with a retarder attached to the end of the transmission. The brake light switch was set to activate when the retarder was in operation. Those retarders slowed down the buses as much as the "L" gear setting does on the Volt. Every time that the operator removed his foot from the accelerator pedal, the bus would rapidly slow down and the brake lamp would activate. That brake lamp constantly turning on and off and on and off when the driver just wanted to slow down drove other drivers behind him nuts. We finally move the brake lamp activation to the brake pedal rather than the retarder.

[dsinned]

Keep in mind there is a small amount of free play in the brake pedal (<1"), so the rear brake lights do not illuminate until the pedal becomes "hard". To warn cars behind you when you are decelerating using regenerative "braking", i.e. by merely lifting off the accelerator pedal, you will need to apply slight amount of pressure to the brake as well. Of course this is self-defeating in terms of regenerative power recovery, but somewhat necessary to prevent other drivers in their car from rear ending you.

[Cheezmo]

Is it not true that pressing on the break pedal applies regenerative braking? You make it sound like the only time that regenerative braking takes place is when you are coasting to slow down. That would be silly. When you press the brakes regenerative braking takes place, the brake pads are only engaged when needed so pressing lightly on the brakes does not defeat any purpose, in fact I imagine you could leave it in D and just apply the right amount of brake pedal pressure to simulate L and get pretty much the same regeneration.

So it is not "self-defeating" except that it maybe slows you down faster and causes more regeneration than simply coasting.

[Ladogaboy]

Keep in mind there is a small amount of free play in the brake pedal (<1"), so the rear brake lights do not illuminate until the pedal becomes "hard". To warn cars behind you when you are decelerating using regenerative "braking", i.e. by merely lifting off the accelerator pedal, you will need to apply slight amount of pressure to the brake as well. Of course this is self-defeating in terms of regenerative power recovery, but somewhat necessary to prevent other drivers in their car from rear ending you.

I'm not sure that that is true. Even feathering the brake pedal activates the brake lights, as far as I know. Maintaining the regeneration does take a lot of finesse, to be sure, but I can definitely feel the pedal difference between regenerating and standard braking.