Doug Score Review = 59/100

[oilerlord]

In the few days that I've owned my Bolt so far I've really taken to one pedal driving - but if I'm not stopping fast enough my instinct is still to go for the brake rather than the regen paddle. And I really don't want to compromise that instinct.

Interesting point, Sean. In a way, the regen paddle could be considered borderline dangerous as it might take focus away from one of the biggest safety feature of the car - the brake pedal. On the one test drive I had with the car, I tried the paddle a few times and found it to be too binary to be of any real value - especially when the the brake pedal's regen is so easily modulated.

I suppose the paddle was intended as a hypermiling aid, and focus groups clearly wanted it in the car or else it wouldn't be there. A lot of owners seem to love using it (and all the power to them). I just find it redundant.

 

[Nagorak]

I like the regen paddle because when you use it you can be sure you're not accidentally engaging the friction brakes. I agree it's not technically necessary, but it's a nice novelty and does come in handy sometimes. When going downhill on the windy road toward Stinson Beach I managed to go all the way down using only the paddle in a Chevy Volt, without using the friction brakes at all. I agree that it should be pressure sensitive so you can modulate how hard you're regening without having to resort to pulsing the paddle.

Actually, I've found B mode in the e-Golf, along with the adjustable regen in D, to be the best regen control system I've used. It's almost like having a manual, only you manually control regen instead of gears (left and right in D increases or decreases regen, and then when you want max regen you just pull down into B). B mode isn't as strong as the GM paddle, so you can use it to glide to a stop from further out (less overlap with the functionality of the brake). Also the default of D having no regen is great since it's easier to just coast which is most efficient.

I like the situation least in my 2013 Nissan Leaf because it has nothing, no paddle, no regen adjustment, no nothing. Overall I'd have to say I'm a bit disappointed in my Leaf after seeing some of the competition.

I'm not a big believer in B mode/one pedal driving because I prefer to coast when possible and the excessively strong regen in those modes can make that challenging. However, to each their own. I'm glad some people enjoy it.

 

[oilerlord]

Actually, I've found B mode in the e-Golf, along with the adjustable regen in D, to be the best regen control system I've used. It's almost like having a manual, only you manually control regen instead of gears (left in right in D increases or decreases regen, and then when you want max regen you just pull down into B). B mode isn't as strong as the GM paddle, so you can use it to glide to a stop from further out (less overlap with the functionality of the brake). Also the default of D having no regen is great since it's easier to just coast which is most efficient.

I'm not a big believer in B mode/one pedal driving because I prefer to coast when possible and the excessively strong regen in those modes can make that challenging. However, to each their own. I'm glad some people enjoy it.

Also, while strong regen may make 1-pedal driving fun / easier / etc; it isn't all that efficient. I like the e-Golf a lot because you can easily coast without regen, and when you want regen...just use the brake pedal. No having to flip into "N" or otherwise finding neutral. Simple, and it works.

 

[SeanNelson]

When going downhill on the windy toward Stinson Beach I managed to go all the way down using only the paddle in a Chevy Volt, without using the friction brakes at all. I agree that it should be pressure sensitive so you can modulate how hard you're regening without having to resort to pulsing the paddle.

That's exactly why the 1-pedal driving mode in the Bolt is so nice. Push the pedal more and you go faster, ease up and you go slower - and it almost doesn't matter whether you're going on level ground, uphill or downhill. It takes quite a steep descent before "L" mode regen isn't up to the task, and that happens rarely enough, even here in hilly Vancouver, that I don't worry about the inefficiency of they hydraulic brakes.

 

[SeanNelson]

Also, while strong regen may make 1-pedal driving fun / easier / etc; it isn't all that efficient.

I don't really have any problem coasting in 1-pedal driving mode. I get the impression that a lot of people zoom up to a stop and then rely on almost full regen, and I agree that that's a wasteful way to use it. But it's just as easy to feather the pedal to gradually slow down as you approach a stop, which is how I normally use it. I find that slow "coasting" approaches to stops often result in avoiding the stop altogether because by the time you get there traffic has started to move again.

 

[oilerlord]

Yes, you can feather the throttle and find that balance between acceleration and regen/braking for efficient driving...it's what a lot of us already do. It's just that it's difficult to find that balance on a consistent basis, so I find I'm braking a little when I'd rather just coast. A no-regen/ coast mode when you lift off the throttle would be something I'd like to see. It's in the e-Golf, I'd love to see it in the Bolt and other EVs too. When I flip the car into neutral, I easily get another 10-15% bump in range as compared to doing my best at 1-pedal driving.

 

[Nagorak]

I didn't really appreciate how nice it was to coast until I drove the e-Golf. I've been sort of used to the whole regen when easing off the pedal since I've dealt with it since 2004 with my Honda Insight (RIP). Because of that, I didn't really notice anything different when driving the Leaf or Volt and just feathered the pedal. But then with the e-Golf, I've found not having to try to feather is actually really nice, especially on the freeway. I wouldn't choose a car based purely on the fact you can adjust the regen, but it is a nice feature.

To be fair, I've driven the Volt probably more miles than either the e-Golf or Leaf just because I drove it on a long road trip. And I had no problems with the GM system either. The fact the cruise control wasn't working, however, that wasn't good! :lol:

 

[SeanNelson]

A no-regen/ coast mode when you lift off the throttle would be something I'd like to see.

Yeah, a setup option for "no regen coast" in "D" mode would be nice to have, that's for sure.