Winter/snow driving & one pedal mode

[Dinozero]

Isn’t the whole point of one PD that it’s slowing you down with the motors but not applying the brakes?

Back when I used to drive a stick shift down shifting in the snow and ice was a better idea than breaking.

Is my logic flawed here or wouldn’t the safest way to stop in icy conditions be one PD?

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[Ragman]

One pedal and winter ice don’t go together - in glare ice conditions on a highway it’s too aggressive even with X-Ice tires on you will go into a skid (been there done that). Our winters are likely worse than 95% of people experience - that said I’ve been in Texas when there is an inch of snow and watched people get stuck in it.

The cruise control/sign reading is also a bit too aggressive in winter driving - particularly when it reads the wrong sign and goes full regen braking…

 

[CD4TNF]

Lightning Mike did a 2 part series on winter driving testing with his Lightning. If anyone is interested.

Part 1


Part 2

 

[WilliamRobert]

Throw it into neutral? Really bad advice. You have no drive control at all.

I’ve been driving in ice and snow for fifty plus years, when you are in neutral the wheels turn freely and gain traction, if the wheels are in drive they will be either too slow and slide or too fast and spin. When that happens you can’t steer or stop.

 

[WilliamRobert]

Definitely do not throw it in neutral.

That’s the only way to get traction and control.

 

[RickLightning]

I’ve been driving in ice and snow for fifty plus years, when you are in neutral the wheels turn freely and gain traction, if the wheels are in drive they will be either too slow and slide or too fast and spin. When that happens you can’t steer or stop.

Absolutely against what experts recommend.

 

[WilliamRobert]

Absolutely against what experts recommend.

Must be flat lander experts, that never drove mountain roads or ice and snow.

 

[Henry Ford]

Isn’t the whole point of one PD that it’s slowing you down with the motors but not applying the brakes?

Back when I used to drive a stick shift down shifting in the snow and ice was a better idea than breaking.

Is my logic flawed here or wouldn’t the safest way to stop in icy conditions be one PD?

In a manual transmission, non-ABS vehicle your options for stopping are engine braking or friction braking. If the friction brakes are drums, engine braking may very well be your best option for slowing down. Non-ABS discs are a little better but still prone to slipping.

If ABS is available, it is a better option than engine braking. ABS assures that the wheels don't skid which allows for much faster stopping than engine braking can provide and is available on all four wheels. Engine braking plus ABS might provide a slight advantage over ABS in neutral because there would be some amount of braking when the ABS pulses off.

The Lightning, and probably every other EV, has software that prevents the wheels from skidding while using regen braking. It also has ABS that prevent the wheels from spinning. I can't speak to the level of sophistication of the traction control and ABS system except to say that the ABS works on an individual wheel level and the electric motor part of the system works at the individual axel level, if not the individual wheel.

When the Lightning is in drive you have all available traction control and braking safety systems available whether you use 1PD or 2PD. If you put it in neutral you remove all of the safety systems related to motor braking. If you mess up and accidentally put it in park you have locked up all of the wheels and have zero safety systems.

Formula 1 drivers are the best drivers in the world, yet F1 cars have advanced traction control and ABS.

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