Electric Vehicles

I came from a manual transmission, so the learning curve was easier for me than for my wife who had only driven automatics.

The point is mostly that it generates electricity while slowing down. It's also just more directly analogous to how the motor works. Pedal down -> electricity into motor. Less pedal = less electricity. No pedal = no electricity in. When there's no electricity being applied to the motor, and the motor is turning, then it generates electricity (by slowing the motor).

The actual weird thing is just that people are just okay with their automatic transmission cars moving when they're not directly applying gas. I understand the mechanism behind why it happens, but when you think about it, it's a weird and potentially unsafe behaviour that shouldn't be replicated in EVs.

The point isn’t improved range — at least not in the general case. It’s just another driving option you should pick (or not) based on personal preference. About the only time it’s likely going to be good for regen is in stop-and-go traffic.

Personally these days I almost always drive within the city using 1 pedal driving — it’s super convenient, and starts slowing faster than a human can physically react to move from the accelerator to the brake pedal. If you’re using it correctly it will help your brake pads stay good for a crazy long amount of time.

But if you’re looking for regen optimization, 1-pedal is only the best in certain circumstances. Indeed, there really isn’t any “best” for all situations (although cars with dynamic “Auto” regen come close — or at least closer than a human likely can). Some say you should keep regen off altogether and coast — but that’s not a good option if you’re highway driving from a higher elevation area to a lower elevation area (as happens in mountainous areas). I spent part of last week doing a road trip through mountains towards the coast — overall the drop in elevation was around 600m (over several hundred km’s), and driving in Level 0 regen would have required me to ride the brakes throughout much of the trip to keep from accelerating too much on the steeper stretches. I was able to watch the battery percentage go up on certain long downhill stretches without loss of speed thanks to the appropriate regen level.

Point being, use what is best for your driving style and conditions. There is no one “best” setting — and 1-Pedal is likely only best in a certain narrow set of circumstances. Use it because it fits your driving style, not to maximize battery life.

It actually worsens range. The regeneration just isn't nowhere near 100% efficient. It takes more energy to brake and accelerate than it does to just coast.

One pedal drive is really meant for traffic congestion, where you have to start and stop anyway.