It's been a couple weeks now since I took the car n to the dealer for the recent updates for battery software and entertainment, and something seems to have changed.
While my house is on a modest hill, I use Hilltop Reserve mode primarily due to keep the state of charge down a bit on the battery and in theory be a bit kinder to it. I also drive almost exclusively in low gear, making ample use of regen whenever possible. Most days I don't touch the brakes except in reverse.
I've noticed that since the software update however that there is a subtle difference in the car. When I start out in the morning within a few hundred yards of home I head downhill on a multilane road. I'll accelerate at the intersection and head downhill at 55-60mph, as always, and at the bottom of the hill I usually have to stop for a red light.
Before the update, I could count on being in low and coming to a stop at the intersection with little or no use of the regen paddle. Now, after the update I generally have to actually use the brake pedal - Low gear lone is not enough nor is Low gear plus the regen paddle, I have to physically use the brake.
It looks as though when decelerating down from about 60, even with Low gear and the paddle the car will only regen at about 25kwh maximum. Previous to the update I had full regen available - much higher. This only happens when I start out with a "full" charge - full meaning at the max of battery reserve mode.
If I head out on the same route on a morning when I did not recharge, or at any time the battery isn't at full, the car still has regen in that same spot to full effect. It seems that when in Hilltop Reserve mode it does not want to do what Hilltop Reserve mode is named for, allowing you to top of the battery. Rather it seams now that its more of a battery conservation mode where it simply doesn't want to charge the battery up much beyond the Hilltop reserve preset level.
I'm not sure if this is intentional on Chevy's part, but its repeatable.
As I write this I realize my next step is to charge the car overnight in Hilltop Reserve mode, turn off hilltop reserve in the morning, and drive down the same hill and see if turning off hilltop reserve allows the car to apply full regen . More data is always good.
I suspect there may be other demonstrable changes to the way regen or the battery are working now after the update. Anyone else see any differences? Does anyone else here want to try to replicate what I'm seeing? I think it would apply on level ground as well by speeding up to about 70 in Low and noting the maximum regen you can get while the battery is fully charged, fully charged under regen, and only partially charged to see if there is a difference.
Curious to see what others are finding.
Tom
While my house is on a modest hill, I use Hilltop Reserve mode primarily due to keep the state of charge down a bit on the battery and in theory be a bit kinder to it. I also drive almost exclusively in low gear, making ample use of regen whenever possible. Most days I don't touch the brakes except in reverse.
I've noticed that since the software update however that there is a subtle difference in the car. When I start out in the morning within a few hundred yards of home I head downhill on a multilane road. I'll accelerate at the intersection and head downhill at 55-60mph, as always, and at the bottom of the hill I usually have to stop for a red light.
Before the update, I could count on being in low and coming to a stop at the intersection with little or no use of the regen paddle. Now, after the update I generally have to actually use the brake pedal - Low gear lone is not enough nor is Low gear plus the regen paddle, I have to physically use the brake.
It looks as though when decelerating down from about 60, even with Low gear and the paddle the car will only regen at about 25kwh maximum. Previous to the update I had full regen available - much higher. This only happens when I start out with a "full" charge - full meaning at the max of battery reserve mode.
If I head out on the same route on a morning when I did not recharge, or at any time the battery isn't at full, the car still has regen in that same spot to full effect. It seems that when in Hilltop Reserve mode it does not want to do what Hilltop Reserve mode is named for, allowing you to top of the battery. Rather it seams now that its more of a battery conservation mode where it simply doesn't want to charge the battery up much beyond the Hilltop reserve preset level.
I'm not sure if this is intentional on Chevy's part, but its repeatable.
As I write this I realize my next step is to charge the car overnight in Hilltop Reserve mode, turn off hilltop reserve in the morning, and drive down the same hill and see if turning off hilltop reserve allows the car to apply full regen . More data is always good.
I suspect there may be other demonstrable changes to the way regen or the battery are working now after the update. Anyone else see any differences? Does anyone else here want to try to replicate what I'm seeing? I think it would apply on level ground as well by speeding up to about 70 in Low and noting the maximum regen you can get while the battery is fully charged, fully charged under regen, and only partially charged to see if there is a difference.
Curious to see what others are finding.
Tom
