Maximizing regenerative breaking... tips?

[ThyDayWalker]

In the last chapter of "playing with my hybrid system like it's a video game", I've been trying to figure out what's the most efficient way to break!

I usually have 99% ECO behavior for breaking no matter what I do, so I imagine that's not a great measure of how I actually did... since there's three very different ways I find to break...

* Firstly - how I would break as if I was "normally" driving... mainly coasting to "save the breaks", or applying them gently... I stay well within the "Green" Break = essentially always some regen breaking.
* Secondly - using cruise control. It seems to break much more harsher, and seems like it wants to max out the "Green" break bar as much as possible (fill it, to the left). Seems to keep go to max "green" break quickly, and maintain it.
* Thirdly - I can break harder than I normally do to imitate the behavior of cruise control / try to max out the "Green break"... but then I am susceptible to overshoot / go into the "white" (non regen) break region.

Has anyone figured out if there is truly a more efficient=higher regen breaking behavior, either in theory or practice?

Bonus Question: Putting the vehicle in 4A makes it so when you break, for a few seconds the "green" brake region is very small/easy to go into the "white" break region, and then a few second later it... unlocks more green? Assuming it has to do perhaps with engaging/disengaging 4WD yielding more regen breaking?

P.S. Sorry if it's been discussed before (as I did not do much searching), but feel free to lead me to another thread if that's the case!

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[bossboy302]

Tip #1-learn how to spell.

Braking, not 'breaking'....

 

[ThyDayWalker]

Tip #1-learn how to spell.

Braking, not 'breaking'....

Sorry, you're right! English is not my first language... hopefully my tru k doesn't care about misspelling lol!

 

[SuperRaptor]

Tip #1-learn how to spell.

Braking, not 'breaking'....

Did you not understand what he/she was saying

I'm looking for a post where someone had software hooked up to the truck and watched the hybrid system and how it would charge up, regen brake, etc. I think they'd said that braking up until the threshold of going into white braking was the best and then let it coast. I'll try to post it here if I could find it but I know it was somewhere in the hybrid section.

 

[MikeYQM]

I’ve had a monitor hooked up and measured amperage when braking. Of course, the harder you brake in regen, the more amperage goes to the battery, but for a shorter time.

There’s a balance point there but I haven’t found it.

 

[ThyDayWalker]

Did you not understand what he/she was saying

I'm looking for a post where someone had software hooked up to the truck and watched the hybrid system and how it would charge up, regen brake, etc. I think they'd said that braking up until the threshold of going into white braking was the best and then let it coast. I'll try to post it here if I could find it but I know it was somewhere in the hybrid section.

I

I’ve had a monitor hooked up and measured amperage when braking. Of course, the harder you brake in regen, the more amperage goes to the battery, but for a shorter time.

There’s a balance point there but I haven’t found it.

That's what I figure! What are your thoughts on the 4A versus 2H performance of braking?

 

[MikeYQM]

I


That's what I figure! What are your thoughts on the 4A versus 2H performance of braking?

I wouldn’t think it would matter, the EV motor lives between the ICE and transmission so any “braking action” is borne very early in the driveline, before the transfer case and hubs. If anything, perhaps in 4a or 4wd, regen might be very slightly decreased due to the added drag of having the TC engaged.

 

[Oxford_Powerboost]

On the Prius pages (scary, I know. But dang if they haven’t figured out the efficiency part of hybrids lol), they have found the most efficient way to brake is to use *most* of the regen ability. Using all leads to some loss as the Battery can only charge so fast and excess energy can turn to heat. In practice, though, our electric motor is not near as effective as a Prius, so I just try to keep it in the green for the entire stop. This usually means I’ll need to use all of the regen available as it’s not a ton of braking power from 60mph as it is. Every stop you don’t ever see “charge” in white is a good one. That white charge word is like a slap on the wrist to me haha.

I need to look at forscan data - I’m wondering if it’s actually a graphics thing and not reality that cruise is using only regen braking. I’ve never seen cruise Go into the white and I’ve had it brake really hard

also, if you find yourself going down a hill, “riding” the brakes can be a good thing in a hybrid, as long as that regen is green. You’re just charging the battery up, not putting heat into the brakes

 

[ThyDayWalker]

On the Prius pages (scary, I know. But dang if they haven’t figured out the efficiency part of hybrids lol), they have found the most efficient way to brake is to use *most* of the regen ability. Using all leads to some loss as the Battery can only charge so fast and excess energy can turn to heat. In practice, though, our electric motor is not near as effective as a Prius, so I just try to keep it in the green for the entire stop. This usually means I’ll need to use all of the regen available as it’s not a ton of braking power from 60mph as it is. Every stop you don’t ever see “charge” in white is a good one. That white charge word is like a slap on the wrist to me haha.

I need to look at forscan data - I’m wondering if it’s actually a graphics thing and not reality that cruise is using only regen braking. I’ve never seen cruise Go into the white and I’ve had it brake really hard

also, if you find yourself going down a hill, “riding” the brakes can be a good thing in a hybrid, as long as that regen is green. You’re just charging the battery up, not putting heat into the brakes

I totally agree that the cruise control can brake FAST and still stay in the green. I try to mimic it and I feel that I can't brake quite as hard... May be one of those "i put a cold air intake and I definitely feel a lot of more power!" kind of effects lollll... But maybe not! Maybe the truck is somehow able to figure out it's going to brake and home how prep the transfer to the electric motor quicker? Interesting...

 

[daemonic3]

The computer is undefeated at braking when using adaptive cruise, it's pretty incredible.

I trained myself the same way as @Oxford_Powerboost and also consider any "white zone" as a loss, or anything <100% on my popup brake coach. I learned a lot using Eco and Brake Coach on this thing.

What is most surprising? Just got a Mach E 2 days ago and it does NOT have any sort of Eco Coach and Brake Coach popups only work in one of the drive modes (Engaged)! I am absolutely shocked Ford put more info in the Powerboost than a full EV as far as efficiency training. There is a Power Meter in the cluster but it only shows green (amplitude of regen) and blue (amplitude of consumption).

 

[jeffcrum]

Too much free time really!

 

[daemonic3]

Too much free time really!

Exactly! Most people are working on their computer or cooking meals while they drive. But us lazy people have so much free time while we drive that we can look down at a meter, it's crazy!

 

[21F150_208]

In My View, you need to use the Hybrid Coach mode. When braking there is a little box outline. The trick is to keep the brake force meter just inside the box. I routinely get 99% on my trips so long as I don't have to jump on the brakes to avoid an idiot on the highway.

And we all know they are everywhere and always appear unexpectedly.

 

[EricR]

Around town I mostly use the OP's 2nd strategy (Adaptive Cruise Control). For instances where ACC doesn't work - say a red traffic light with no cars in front of me - I'll use the OP's 1st strategy (slow & gentle braking).

I seems to me the ACC "braking hard" / "breaking fast" that you guys are talking about is actually the truck rapidly downshifting to slow down. I assume this is to maximize the RPM of the motor/generator for max regen. The Brake Coach almost always gives this a perfect score.

If as the driver I try replicate that with late & hard use of the brake pedal the Brake Coach gives me very poor scores. I take this to mean most of the stopping power came from the disc brakes and not regen.

So I don't think it works to try to recreate the ACC braking strategy with the brake pedal.

 

[hussar1683]

This makes me regret not getting the ACC. I always hated it but I guess it makes sense on the hybrid

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