downhill without downshifting?

[Lytning]

there is also no 'transmission'... it is only two motors.
there is no shifting. that is a term used with transmissions, whether manual, automatic, or continually variable type.

Just for fun ...
A Mechanical Engineer would conclude that the Lightning does have a transmission ... "a mechanism which transmits power from the motor to the wheels". The Munro tear-down describes "The reduction gear is a coaxial, planetary gear reduction system with a drive shaft through the center ..." So, while the "transmission" may not change gears, it does change the speed of the motor relative to the drive shaft. An Engineer would call it a single speed transmission or gearbox. And for more fun ... the 2022 Ford Lightning Technical Specifications show the motor build location as the Van Dyke Transmission Plant.

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[Karlos]

And for more FUN - Dick Van Dyke plant ?? Also on the regen-braking question - with your foot on the brake as you come to a stop you can feel the regen disconnect & actual brake pad engagement. Can't get much regen when the truck & motors come to a halt & rotation goes to zero. This is very subtle & well done IMHO. My Lexus 400H did this very smoothly, the wife's Camry hybrid not so much.

 

[TheBigBezo]

On the topic of not being able to maintain speed going downhill, I did multiple legs at 7% grade downhill with 2000+ lbs of stuff in the truck and I never once maintained over my set 65 mph. Maybe a slight overshoot but it would correct back.

If your truck can't maintain its speed going downhill with cruise control set that is odd to me, I would take photos of the dash to verify it's regen'ing and talk to a dealer. I think TFL went down the I-70 Ike pass with a 10k pound trailer and didn't need brakes...

 

[Runaway Tractor]

I don't think there is any indicator on the user interface when friction brakes are being used by cruise control or 1PD. As far as I'm aware, the truck uses the friction brakes whenever they're needed above and beyond the regen braking force.

Several people are saying cruise control does not use the friction brakes at all, and I'd like to know what documentation substantiates this?

 

[Pioneer74]

Just for fun ...
And for more fun ... the 2022 Ford Lightning Technical Specifications show the motor build location as the Van Dyke Transmission Plant.

Ford changed the name of the plant.

https://media.ford.com/content/ford...dyke-plant_s-name-change-electrification.html

 

[Joneii]

I would suggest the OP try Tow/Haul mode. When I come down an 8% grade towing 7000 lbs, I can take my foot off the accelerator at 45 and the truck will hold 45 for several miles until the grade flattens a bit and I have to engage the accelerator to keep from slowing too much. It is actually quite nice to not worry about hot brakes on long steep descents while towing.

 

[Firn]

Fwiw I did confirm an hour ago that cruise control uses regen to maintain your set speed.

Small but steep hill at 50 mph with no cruise and off throttle completely (2pd) it creeped up to 55 by the bottom.
Same hill, with cruise at 50, it hit 52 and then quickly slowed back down to 50. During this the energy bar was decidedly showing more regen.

It is possible op is using max regen and the batteries literally can't take anymore

 

[lancersrock]

Do people use the brakes that much? I stay in 1P and I’ll bet I touch my brakes once a month (normally after an update shuts 1p off).

I’ve driven about 10 different evs this year and honestly think the one pedal and regen are better on the lightning than the others, although as mentioned by others Kia’s adjustable regen on the ev6 is a nice feature I’d like to see ford look into but I’m guessing they were afraid it would make it too complicated for the older market ford wants to control

 

[TaxmanHog]

I see a suggestion about feathering, which I suppose is a light touch.

Yes, it is and try it in sport mode, you'll find the impact more aggressive.

 

[TaxmanHog]

It is possible op is using max regen and the batteries literally can't take anymore

Important point, when the traction battery is at / near 100% it has no capacity to absorb the extra juice in regen mode, so the phase synchronization is dialed back and friction brakes take more load.

 

[Heliian]

. Cruise control does not keep me from speeding up. I set it to 60, and downhill it creeps up well above 60.

How much faster? Mines pretty solid maybe a few kmh either way.

If you think it's too fast then just lower the set speed.

 

[Adventureboy]

Also, when using the brake pedal to disengage the cruise control, you have to quickly depress the accelerator a bit to prevent head-bumping and rear-ending.

Use the cancel button on the wheel instead of tapping the brake pedal. You can leave your foot on the accelerator and maintain a gentle deceleration.

 

[Shawnson]

My cars/trucks since 1998 have all had something like tiptronic, where I could downshift even though I had an automatic transmission. I used it very frequently going over passes (I live in Oregon) to maintain the right speed. Now I have a Lightning with a continuous transmission and Ford does not seem to have provided any options. I am told that Tesla and Toyota e-vehicles allow the driver to turn on the regenerating component of the brakes so there is drag, like a downshift, even without applying the brakes. Why didn't Ford do this? Cruise control does not do the trick and when I use the one-pedal mode, I am either braking (too much for a long grade) or using power (when I apply the gas). This may be my biggest disappointment so far with my Lightning.

I am sorry to hear that we have not fully brought you up to speed with how EVs work yet. Hopefully I can answer some questions all in one note without sounding condescending (not my goal, just want to answer some questions).

1. There is no transmission. The electric motors feed the tires directly.
2. Toyota has a single EV, not sure that’s what you are referring to, the rest are hybrids that do have transmissions and work much more similarly to how conventional ICE vehicles work, either with an tiny electric motor packaged in the transmission or an independent smaller electric motor powering the rear wheels with the rest of the car in a front drive setup ICE configuration.
3. Regen will always be available on your lightning. There are two configurations. 1 pedal mode, or normal ICE mode. In normal ice mode the braking is blended, this means with small amounts of braking, it will actually only apply regen, once you are trying to brake harder than what regen can supply it will add in friction braking (your rotors and pads). You can verify this with the energy meter on the left, as you will see it have a green animation when regen is occurring.
3.1 When in 1 pedal mode, do not try to “coast” you will need to learn to feather the accel pedal. Using less acceleration can actually start the regen braking process, again, to practice with this, watch the energy meter on the left in the instrument display. Once you get really good, you can actually get a feel for how long it takes to stop with regen only. 80% of the time, i can just take my foot of the accel from about 30-40mph and with the truck using regen and no further input from me, stop within 10 feet of where i would want to. Once you can get to this proficiency, you’ll never want to use anything but 1pedal driving.
4. Tesla does not offer any way too adjust regen aggression, GM does through paddles on the steering wheel, but this is really just a crutch for people who are not yet proficcient at 1 pedal mode. The key is, be gentle, and learn to feather it. As if you were driving a high end sports car on the track without stability and traction control, being dileberate with the acceleration pedal is all you need to focus on. My dad struggled with it when he got his tesla, the advice I gave him that solved everything all at once, drive it like a golf cart. And 2 seconds later, he was a pro.

 

[Electric Messiah]

Using sport mode is an excellent down-shifter for me, for braking and regenerating going down hills, and also for anticipating stopped traffic ahead by taking the foot off the accelerator pedal and coasting which allows for little actual brake use. Then, there's that certain satisfaction of a somewhat obsessive hyper miler, of the battery regeneration that results from such practices.

As for one pedal use, I find it of best utility in heavy stop and go traffic-- nice not to need happy feet, constant shifting from pedal to pedal.

 

[BBB]

1. Cruise control does not keep me from speeding up. I set it to 60, and downhill it creeps up well above 60.

2. If I have my foot on the accelerator, I am using juice--right? So with one-pedal model, I can slow down or use juice by keeping my foot on the accelerator. I would prefer having the truck regenerate and take advantage of the long grade. My hybrid does that: by time I get to the bottom of the grade, it has put 4-5 miles back on the battery. I see a suggestion about feathering, which I suppose is a light touch.

Glad you said that cause my Ford Cmax Energy allows speed increase unless you lightly touch the brakes then it starts regen and adds miles by the time I'm at the bottom.
Something is missing here, I would think the Lightning would have a similar function at the very least. What about co pilot 360 which is supposed to maintain set speed?

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