[agzand]

Unless you're really good at holding the pedal at the coasting point (where there's 0 regen and 0 acceleration) in B mode, D mode is almost certainly going to be more efficient than B mode across the board, since D is near-coasting beyond the creep speed; pretty much the most efficient thing you can do in an EV is coast and let momentum carry the vehicle forward. B mode might be easier in stop-and-go traffic once you get used to it, but IMO the main reason why "one-pedal driving" got the efficiency reputation it has is because Teslas don't do blended braking.

In town situations people often brake late, too late to do 100% regen, so I think B could be more efficient unless you are very good at braking early.

 

[Don]

I find the Travel Assist mode to be less efficient around town than doing it myself, largely because I can control how smoothly I brake and accelerate. In Travel Assist if I have cruise set at 40 mph and I'm following a car doing only 30 and he turns off, the car 'sees' that open hole in front of me and accelerates much more rapidly to get up to my 40 mph set speed than I would do - I would much more gradually accelerate. I wish I could control what Travel Assist does in such circumstances - It brakes much more severely than I would do myself and it accelerates much more aggressively too. I know I can get the job done myself more efficiently than that

Don

 

[Otto]

I have more of a problem with travel assist braking with the cars turning off than accelerating. The computer is way to slow to recognize that it has moved to another lane to turn. In those instances I know what's about to happen and I gently press the accelerator which I believe deactivates travel assist and then I resume. There is also a workaround to accelerating too fast. However, it does put a bit of cognitive load on you. I handle this by putting the speed of cruise at about the speed of the flow of traffic. If a hole opens up then it would be up to me to notice and adjust the cruise speed accordingly in either the 1 mph or 5 mph increments. I've really appreciated that you can do either.

 

[bobpowers]

One thing I don't like about B mode is that the brake lights come on if you completely remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.

Just curious, why would you not like that since you can't see it? Also, the car does slow down quite a lot and I am sure those behind you are appreciative of the fact that you are slowing down fariley rapidly when you let off the accelerator completely. I use the "B" mode as a simulated one pedal driving.

 

[Spin]

Just curious, why would you not like that since you can't see it? Also, the car does slow down quite a lot and I am sure those behind you are appreciative of the fact that you are slowing down fariley rapidly when you let off the accelerator completely. I use the "B" mode as a simulated one pedal driving.

I just don't like the fact that people might think I'm brake checking them if I momentarily let up on the pedal. That's why I drive in D and sometimes switch to B to slow down.

 

[Otto]

I just don't like the fact that people might think I'm brake checking them if I momentarily let up on the pedal. That's why I drive in D and sometimes switch to B to slow down.

This sounds like a great YouTube video to be made that shows the tail lights and B mode and at what point they come on given different amounts bringing your foot off the accelerator pedal. To be complete someone should also have a G-force monitor to see if there are any correlations and then sync all the video.

 

[SexyBeast]

Great info here. I’d also like to know how much regen B mode captures in AWD. VW hasn’t released any info on that.

RWD B mode provides 0.13g of regen, and a total of 0.25g of regen with brake.

How much does B mode in AWD regen? 0.13g? 0.18?? (Reviewers like Alex on Autos said he felt like the AWD provides more regen). And is the regen in AWD only at rear axle? Or both axles?

 

[2811]

It will still regen when rolling free...but it will be dependent on speed....topography and on board energy users at the moment....anywhere between 0.8-2.7 kW that will not be noticeable on display or driving feel.
Leveled surface will have very little regen when free rolling.
Free rolling is way more efficient than using B mode and forcing regen.

Thanks for your many knowledgeable insights on this forum - i hope you will humour me with another:

Do you have simplified technical explanation for why D-mode is more efficient than B-mode (to me, it is a bit counter-intuitive)?

 

[Huey52]

Related required reading: What Exactly IS My Brake Light Doing Back There?

 

[SunWizard]

Do you have simplified technical explanation for why D-mode is more efficient than B-mode (to me, it is a bit counter-intuitive)?

VW explanation of D/B modes and regenerative braking.
Brake or coast? Intelligent regenerative braking on the Volkswagen ID.4

 

[DWalk]

Unless you're really good at holding the pedal at the coasting point (where there's 0 regen and 0 acceleration) in B mode, D mode is almost certainly going to be more efficient than B mode across the board, since D is near-coasting beyond the creep speed; pretty much the most efficient thing you can do in an EV is coast and let momentum carry the vehicle forward. B mode might be easier in stop-and-go traffic once you get used to it, but IMO the main reason why "one-pedal driving" got the efficiency reputation it has is because Teslas don't do blended braking.

I'm curious about the coasting pedal point in B mode. How big is it? I didn't test it on my test drive. I have good pedal feel, but wondering if it is really small I might just use D more often.

 

[VW TECHNICIAN]

Thanks for your many knowledgeable insights on this forum - i hope you will humour me with another:

Do you have simplified technical explanation for why D-mode is more efficient than B-mode (to me, it is a bit counter-intuitive)?

Simply.....because energy losses between transmission....Electric motor.....motor inverter will make less efficient person who drive in B mode vs D and have ability to free rolling.
This apply to Tesla and any other EV.
In some scenarios B mode has advantages.

 

[Otto]

VW explanation of D/B modes and regenerative braking.
Brake or coast? Intelligent regenerative braking on the Volkswagen ID.4

I’m puzzled by one of the paragraphs that says the ID.4 is supposed to notify you when it is optimal to lift your foot off the pedal and coast in D mode. It’s supposedly called Eco Assistance. I’ll have to check tomorrow to see if such a thing actually exists but not turned on. I’ve never seen such a notification. Anyone else?

 

[agzand]

I’m puzzled by one of the paragraphs that says the ID.4 is supposed to notify you when it is optimal to lift your foot off the pedal and coast in D mode. It’s supposedly called Eco Assistance. I’ll have to check tomorrow to see if such a thing actually exists but not turned on. I’ve never seen such a notification. Anyone else?

I think this functionality will be added to id light in the next software update.

 

[GhiaLover]

I made an interesting comparison this week regarding driving in D-mode versus B-mode. I have an 81 mile commute I do weekly. My starting elevation is 203 feet and my final destination is at 210 feet. In between is 10 miles of stop and go traffic through stoplights, commercial districts, etc. followed by 20 miles of secondary roads through rolling hills and two-lane highway, followed by 50 miles of two and four lane limited access highway with constant road speeds around 55-65 mph. There are two elevation hill climbs en-route, one being 980 feet, the other around 600 feet total, each with accompanying downhill sections.

On my outbound trip I drove in B-mode and achieved 3.5 miles per kWh consumption. B is what I normally drive in since this is my second EV and brake regen has been part of my accepted conversion process. My average speed was around 45 mph.

On my return trip through the identical route I drove in D-mode and achieved 3.6 miles per kWh! I really did not expect that. I drove the same way in both directions moving with traffic road speed and slogging through stop and go traffic both ways. My return trip average speed was just slightly slower (it was getting dark) at 44 mph.

From the simple perspective of driving the car I have to admit D-mode was more pleasant. The ID.4 really rolls effortlessly. It feels like it will coast for miles and it's smoooooth in D! No head rocking back and forth like in B-mode. VW seems to be pretty accurate when they say that D-mode will accomplish the same efficiency.

I know this is not a tightly controlled test environment, but it is a real world situation. As a result I'm much more interested in using D-mode than before. I'm doing an 800 mile trip this week and plan to try D-mode the whole way.

It doesn't matter. The difference comes from the driver. Using the brakes moderately activates the same regen in D mode as you get by lifting the accelerator in B mode. If you use too much regen on B mode by lifting off unnecessarily then you have to regain your speed. In short, driving smoothly in B mode can be more difficult for some drivers. I personally prefer it and have prefected my use. It's no more or less efficient, just more convenient.

 

[jgoodnough]

It doesn't matter. The difference comes from the driver.

I think you may find considerable difference of opinion on this. Even VW says D is more efficient in the long run. Many others on this forum also have agreed that D beats B consistently.

 

[3032]

From the simple perspective of driving the car I have to admit D-mode was more pleasant. The ID.4 really rolls effortlessly. It feels like it will coast for miles and it's smoooooth in D! No head rocking back and forth like in B-mode. VW seems to be pretty accurate when they say that D-mode will accomplish the same efficiency.

I know this is not a tightly controlled test environment, but it is a real world situation. As a result I'm much more interested in using D-mode than before. I'm doing an 800 mile trip this week and plan to try D-mode the whole way.

That's Newton's 1st Law applied to the nth degree!

 

[3032]

Here's the regen in the eQ4 e-tron

 

[3032]

And is the regen in AWD only at rear axle? Or both axles?

ID.4 AWD is similar

 

[Nai3t]

What I find intriguing is the Skoda Enyaq 80 w/ regen paddles.

In B it behaves like the ID.4. They call that "max regen" after liftoff.

In Eco + D modes it uses "smart regen" that uses speed limits, radar, and even battery level to determine an "appropriate" level of regen.

Lastly, the paddles are used in conjunction with D mode to select 0 (no regen, similar to ID.4) then levels 1, 2 and 3 to steadily increase regen while coasting.

It doesn't sound as if the paddles can be used to increase the level of B mode regen, so yaz gots what'chaz gots.