Do Brake Lights 'work' while Slowing/REGENERATION? ... the answer is now confirmed:

[TaxmanHog]

One pedal mode, though, is totally DIFFERENT. It IS applying the physical brakes when you come off of the pedal. So, YES, the brake lights DO activate.
Slowing by using regen is NOT braking, though, so, NO, no brake lights happen. Period.

I'm a newbie to EV's but in my experience this is incorrect, inductive resistance from the drive motor is causing the truck to slow down not the friction brakes, maybe as you reach the stopping point and if you're not stopped on a flat surface but are on a hill then friction brake hold would engage at that point.

I'm imagining your driving style as having very gradual deceleration, might be a great hyper miler technique, but if it's just under the tripping threshold of the decel sensor, hense not brake lights, that is dangerous!

I would consider that a grossly unsafe way to drive, especially in our environment of inattentive drivers, a quick red flash might be all you have from getting rear-ended in the future.

I'm more of an E-Ticket driver, quick accelerations mandating aggressive decelerations that I'm gradually training my right foot to sync and time to upcoming stop signs and traffic signals, it's not energy efficient, but it is fun and my fellow road warriors know my intentions from the rear.

Just my humble opinion, your experiences obviously differ.

Sponsored

 

[Maquis]

If your truck either 1) doesn’t illuminate the brake lights when using regen, or 2) Applies the mechanical brakes in 1PD other than the final stop and hold, it’s broken and requires service. Period.

 

[It's Just Me]

If your truck either 1) doesn’t illuminate the brake lights when using regen, or 2) Applies the mechanical brakes in 1PD other than the final stop and hold, it’s broken and requires service. Period.

So why would a vehicle whose brakes are not applied need to have the brake lights illuminate?

Using this thought process, every time the truck was in cruise on a highway but slowed down for a variety of reasons there brake lights would light.

Now, as the 1PD works, the truck slows much more quickly and therefore it makes much more sense that the 1PD would light up the brakes. My girlfriend gets nauseous when we're in the truck and 1PD is on.

I don't think that the truck needs service.

 

[MillieChliette]

WHY does the OP TALK like THIS. It makes EVERYTHING way harder to READ. You really DON'T need to CAPITALIZE every THIRD or FOURTH word to make your POINT. It just MAKES you look kinda DUMB.

There's a bit of truth in this silliness. In sport mode, the regen is not powerful enough to activate the brake lights in my 3 minutes of testing. If you stop at a stoplight or something though, they absolutely come on. And if you have brake hold on, they stay illuminated.

 

[VTbuckeye]

now, some are CONFUSING slowing by regen with 'one pedal' mode. I did not use one pedal mode, I simply used the regen in 'Sport' mode, which is much heavier than in 'Normal' mode, or even 'Towing' mode - this slows you to such an extent that you may sometimes never 'need' to actually apply the physical brakes - if all situations align.

One pedal mode, though, is totally DIFFERENT. It IS applying the physical brakes when you come off of the pedal. So, YES, the brake lights DO activate.
Slowing by using regen is NOT braking, though, so, NO, no brake lights happen. Period.

I think that the words that are being used may be causing some confusion.

2 pedal drive + sport puts more regenerative braking on the skinny pedal than 2 pedal drive in normal. This mode does not apparently slow enough to require the brake lights to trigger.

1 pedal drive puts even more regenerative braking on the skinny pedal. The slowing force is strong enough to trigger the brake lights and the physical brakes are only engaged to hold the vehicle/come to a complete stop.

REGEN is used in BOTH situations. In one mode throttle lift makes the truck "think" we're trying to slow down (let's turn on the brake lights), in the other mode it does not.

In 1pd the truck is likely far more aggressive with the brake lights with regards to changes in skinny pedal position and probably triggers the brake lights at less than or the same level of slowing as another truck in 2pd sport at full lift from the skinny pedal.

 

[Slick68]

The aggressive 1 peddle is my only real complaint so far. I wish they had a user adjustable system like the Kia EV6.

The 1-Pedal braking was a bit unnerving when I first got the truck. It drove (pun intended) my wife crazy, but after three months of 1 pedal driving exclusively, I’ve gotten pretty good at it and my wife doesn’t mind at all. Practice makes perfect. (happy wife, Happy (truck) life!)

 

[skyak]

Probably many situations exist where Normal mode requires braking but Sport mode does not. This is a good reminder to stay aware given how many people drive while using their devices and their subconscious is really only reacting to brake light illumination (and they are not expecting a rapid slowdown without braking). Interesting post, thanks for sharing.

 

[Zprime29]

Don't know why so many people are getting worked up over 1 PD when the OP never once said he was using it, nor claimed it didn't work. I'm pretty new to EV's but even I was able to decipher that he was using normal driving. Although as I'm typing this a question comes to mind, can you use 1 PD while in Sport mode or are the exclusive?

That said, I've also gathered that driving in Sport mode with the intent to not use my brakes is very dangerous. I don't think it is worth the risk. While I may not be liable, there are too many downsides. Loss of time to deal with the inevitable rear end and what if my kids are in the truck? Sure they'll be safe but now I'll have to explain to them why I chose not to drive safely. Then there's the part supply issue for repairs. Do I want to risk not being able to drive my truck for months while waiting for a broken tail light? All because I wanted to 1 PD in a non-1 PD mode. No, I don't think so.

If/when I get a lightning, it sounds like I will like the Sport mode but I now know that I shouldn't treat it as 1 PD. Thanks @hturnerfamily for sharing. These are the little things that will make newer EV drivers like myself more savvy.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Although as I'm typing this a question comes to mind, can you use 1 PD while in Sport mode or are the exclusive?

Factory configured it come with 1PD off in sport mode, I turned mine on, maybe why my experience is different than others who may not have turned it on

 

[It's Just Me]

Factory configured it come with 1PD off in sport mode, I turned mine on, maybe why my experience is different than others who may not have turned it on

I do the same Tax. Between the more aggressive actions of the Sport mode and the 1PD's actions, I think there is something to this.

 

[Maquis]

So why would a vehicle whose brakes are not applied need to have the brake lights illuminate?

Short answer - so you don’t get rear-ended under heavy regen.

Ford EVs are designed to illuminate the brake lights during regen above a certain level of deceleration. If they don’t light up as designed, it’s a malfunction.

ETA - government regulations only require brake lights to illuminate when pressing the physical brake pedal. So if you’re not using 1PD, during light application of the brake pedal (which is regen-only) the lights are required to activate. It would make sense that the light behavior be consistent between regen with and without 1PD engaged.

 

[Zprime29]

Factory configured it come with 1PD off in sport mode, I turned mine on, maybe why my experience is different than others who may not have turned it on

I know it's deviating a bit from the topic, but while I'm thinking about it...
Does the regen from 1 PD override that of Sport mode then? In which case, the primary benefit is a zippy take off from stop? Or does the combined 1 PD + Sport make the regen feel different?

 

[It's Just Me]

Short answer - so you don’t get rear-ended under heavy regen.

Ford EVs are designed to illuminate the brake lights during regen above a certain level of deceleration. If they don’t light up as designed, it’s a malfunction.

ETA - government regulations only require brake lights to illuminate when pressing the physical brake pedal. So if you’re not using 1PD, during light application of the brake pedal (which is regen-only) the lights are required to activate. It would make sense that the light behavior be consistent between regen with and without 1PD engaged.

My apologies for the lack of clarity in my question.

I meant to ask why would brake lights need to pop on if it's just slowing like (almost) a regular vehicle, as opposed to the 1PD.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I know it's deviating a bit from the topic, but while I'm thinking about it...
Does the regen from 1 PD override that of Sport mode then? In which case, the primary benefit is a zippy take off from stop? Or does the combined 1 PD + Sport make the regen feel different?

Sport mode still has an aggressive acceleration response when you punch it with 1PD turned on.

For those folks looking to get optimal performance ie GP elapsed times on a track / closed course, then leaving it off would probably be the better choice. That would be the case also with drag racing, as the slightest lift approaching the stripe would trigger regen/light and the guys watching the race would definitely know you're pulling back. [PC](The mentality of drag racers is that lifting is for the weak at heart) [/PC]

 

[Maquis]

My apologies for the lack of clarity in my question.

I meant to ask why would brake lights need to pop on if it's just slowing like (almost) a regular vehicle, as opposed to the 1PD.

I didn’t understand it that way. Thanks for clarifying.
That makes sense. If brake lights came on whenever speed was declining, they’d be on so much that they’d be ineffective. I believe the Ford algorithm intends to mimic what happens in a car without regen begins gradual braking.

Sponsored