Snow Drive Mode Request

[Willebrew]

Personally I found that Lightning in normal mode without one pedal one to be a very capable vehicle in all types of winter weather. The extra weight makes a huge difference. One pedal drive in snow seems like cruise control on in snow.... very bad idea.

I know, I agree but it would be nice to have a snow mode

Personally I found that Lightning in normal mode without one pedal one to be a very capable vehicle in all types of winter weather. The extra weight makes a huge difference. One pedal drive in snow seems like cruise control on in snow.... very bad idea.

I agree, it’s very capable in winter conditions, but personally turning off one pedal isn’t intuitive and having the option to tone down one pedal and tweak the powertrain in the package of a snow mode seems appealing.

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[chillaban]

On snow IMO you basically want almost no regen, akin to Normal mode without one-pedal. I know you don't like turning off one pedal but in practice that would be what a Snow/Ice mode would do. On such surfaces it is never appropriate to allow a computerized curve with no understanding of where you want to stop to slow down / stop the truck.

Tesla's newer 1 pedal implementations actually do use the Autopilot computer's understandings of traffic lights, cars head, and stop lines to guess what you mean when you lift your foot off the pedal. It's unclear to me if Ford can do that right now as the non-BC trucks have a more primitive forward camera, and even the BC IPMA (EyeQ4) is not advertised by anyone to understand stop signs / traffic lights.

 

[Electric Messiah]

Perhaps use Sport mode for winter driving? That seems to offer a less abrupt, 1 pedal drive type regenerative experience that might be better suited to slippery conditions.

 

[FirstF150InCasco]

Exactly, this is why it would be nice to have a snow & ice mode. I’m so used to one pedal that turning it off seems counterintuitive.

THis is just one more reason why I do NOT use One Pedal.

 

[FirstF150InCasco]

On snow IMO you basically want almost no regen, akin to Normal mode without one-pedal. I know you don't like turning off one pedal but in practice that would be what a Snow/Ice mode would do. On such surfaces it is never appropriate to allow a computerized curve with no understanding of where you want to stop to slow down / stop the truck.

Tesla's newer 1 pedal implementations actually do use the Autopilot computer's understandings of traffic lights, cars head, and stop lines to guess what you mean when you lift your foot off the pedal. It's unclear to me if Ford can do that right now as the non-BC trucks have a more primitive forward camera, and even the BC IPMA (EyeQ4) is not advertised by anyone to understand stop signs / traffic lights.

You make a great point when you said, "On such surfaces it is never appropriate to allow a computerized curve with no understanding of where you want to stop to slow down / stop the truck."

 

[Maquis]

For everyone saying that 1PD is bad in snow, please remember that whether 1PD is on or not, the braking profile is unchanged. You get the same regen when pressing the brake pedal. Manipulation of the one pedal in snow is a skill that must be learned, just like you learned to use the brake pedal in snow. I’ve never switched off 1PD now going into my 4th winter.

 

[Henry Ford]

You make a great point when you said, "On such surfaces it is never appropriate to allow a computerized curve with no understanding of where you want to stop to slow down / stop the truck."

When not using BlueCruse the computer never knows where you want to stop. That task falls to the driver.

Driving in snow is certainly more difficult than driving on dry pavement but being smooth and slowing down is the best strategy no matter the vehicle. If you practice driving smoothly before it snows it will be less stressful when it does snow.

 

[Count Orlok]

My R1S has a snow mode but last winter I rarely used it. I have AS tyres and the 21' wheels. The thing is so heavy with very equal weight distribution it navigated through snow with aplomb. It is much better on snow and ice than my F-150h mostly because of the weight distribution. I am hoping my Lightning, with its weight, will behave more like the Rivian and my Ford.

 

[FirstF150InCasco]

For everyone saying that 1PD is bad in snow, please remember that whether 1PD is on or not, the braking profile is unchanged. You get the same regen when pressing the brake pedal. Manipulation of the one pedal in snow is a skill that must be learned, just like you learned to use the brake pedal in snow. I’ve never switched off 1PD now going into my 4th winter.

Yet another reason for me to not use 1PD. I don't need to learn something new -- "manipulation of 1PD in snow" -- given the benefit of 1 PD is something I just do not understand.

 

[RickLightning]

Been driving in snow for almost 1/2 century. I think my last snow tires were in 1977. I can't imagine driving in snow in 1 pedal mode. You want a responsive accelerator, and you want to control braking. I laughed some years back when Ford introduced like 12 different drive modes on the F-150, because people aren't smart enough to know when to engage the rear locker and such. My 2013 has only Tow/Haul mode, nothing else. Drives great in snow with a little weight in back. When we get a good snow, I sometimes go out and play. There's a road that doesn't get plowed for a while, so when crossing it across a main road I often engage the rear locker, it's not hard.

First winter coming up with the Lightning. I'll probably turn off Sport Mode in snow conditions, and use Normal. Not that hard.

 

[RickLightning]

Yet another reason for me to not use 1PD. I don't need to learn something new -- "manipulation of 1PD in snow" -- given the benefit of 1 PD is something I just do not understand.

You don't understand being able to tell your friends how your $80,000 truck can be driven like a golf cart while you're noshing on a charcuterie board? Wow...

I tried it on the Mach-E for a very short time, and I was done.

 

[JRTN34]

I'm surprised at all the curmudgeonly response to 1PD. Personally, I love it in all types of conditions including snow and ice. If you're concerned about the braking being too aggressive you just release the pedal more slowly. On the rare occasion I drive an ICE car I really miss 1PD. However, for those that don't want 1PD, just turn it off. Last winter I found the Lightning to do great in snow, much better than a typical pickup truck. A snow mode would be fine if it adjusted other dynamics that improved driving in snow, I just hope it doesn't mess with 1PD response. The truck already does so well in snow I think the biggest benefit of a snow mode would be a placebo effect of making drivers feel more comfortable.

 

[Maquis]

I'm surprised at all the curmudgeonly response to 1PD. Personally, I love it in all types of conditions including snow and ice. If you're concerned about the braking being too aggressive you just release the pedal more slowly. On the rare occasion I drive an ICE car I really miss 1PD. However, for those that don't want 1PD, just turn it off. Last winter I found the Lightning to do great in snow, much better than a typical pickup truck. A snow mode would be fine if it adjusted other dynamics that improved driving in snow, I just hope it doesn't mess with 1PD response. The truck already does so well in snow I think the biggest benefit of a snow mode would be a placebo effect of making drivers feel more comfortable.

I agree - to each their own. 1PD just seems natural to me.

I’m not really interested in either trying to convince others to drive the way I do, or being told I should drive the way they do.

 

[Count Orlok]

the only thing better than one pedal driving is three pedal driving.

 

[Willebrew]

I'm surprised at all the curmudgeonly response to 1PD. Personally, I love it in all types of conditions including snow and ice. If you're concerned about the braking being too aggressive you just release the pedal more slowly. On the rare occasion I drive an ICE car I really miss 1PD. However, for those that don't want 1PD, just turn it off. Last winter I found the Lightning to do great in snow, much better than a typical pickup truck. A snow mode would be fine if it adjusted other dynamics that improved driving in snow, I just hope it doesn't mess with 1PD response. The truck already does so well in snow I think the biggest benefit of a snow mode would be a placebo effect of making drivers feel more comfortable.

I completely agree, one pedal works amazingly in pretty much all conditions in my experience! But you are right, sometimes in icy conditions, you may have to let off slower to prevent slipping, which is why a snow mode that changes the one pedal performance would be nice. I drove my Lightning around Dallas’s icy roads last winter and even on the stock tires, it performed extremely well.

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