Regen comes in all different strengths depending on what the automaker decides is appropriate for that car and the budget assigned to it. Cheap EVs like this one you can normally turn it off or on, and may be get a one pedal mode.
Something like the latest Taycan is pretty brutal with it set to its highest level when traveling at speed and that’s just lifting off the throttle. I feather the throttle when using regen to adjust the level it gives me, otherwise it would be an awful experience for my passengers, bit like some one stamping on the brake every time you want to slow down. Using the throttle to adjust the regen is no different to using the brake pedal progressively once you get used to it.
Regen is there to supplement the brakes not replace them for emergency or other unplanned stops. Once you doing an emergency stop you are at the mercy of the ABS system anyway, as that will limit your stopping distance based on the actual grip you have at that moment in time.
There’s that, but the problem is weight, with a 600mile range battery it’s gonna be a heavy car, with small 18 inch tires and more rubber to make the ride softer you can’t fit large piston brakes, so you need to make changes to improve the overall experience - think about a system that stops a small EV with the weight of a large SUV faster than a sports car. It would make for an amazing driving experience as EVs have great acceleration, just not the best weight balance, even though it’s mostly kept to the floor for a lower point of gravity. Not to mention you would be saving lives in the case of an accident.
That’s one of the least important contributions to ride softness.
It would make for an amazing driving experience
Going forward and stopping are the easiest parts of a vehicle’s driving experience to implement. Now try getting them to corner well-- that’s more challenging. And nobody needs 3-second 0-to-60 times in normal driving conditions.
Not to mention you would be saving lives in the case of an accident.
You’d be improving the odds for those inside the vehicle at the expense of other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. The environmental impact of manufacture is also directly proportional to vehicle mass.
Anyway, too much of your analysis is based on the current poor energy density of batteries, which has good potential for improvement in the coming years. SUV-sized EVs are an entry point in the market, but regulators should be providing incentives for manufacturers to shrink them instead of staying with the present unsatisfactorily large size, which is not a positive feature, any more than it is for gasoline-powered SUVs.
EVs don’t need fancy brakes because they use regenerative braking.
https://www.engadget.com/how-the-rising-popularity-of-e-vs-could-lead-to-a-resurgence-of-drum-brakes-170000388.html
I am not sure that in EU you can omologate a car wihout classic brakes.
Regenerative braking is great for slowing down gradually, but when you really need to stop quick, it’s your brakes that will do most of the work.
I wouldn’t trust any vehicle with front drums in a panic stop.
Which EVs have front drum brakes?
Regen comes in all different strengths depending on what the automaker decides is appropriate for that car and the budget assigned to it. Cheap EVs like this one you can normally turn it off or on, and may be get a one pedal mode.
Something like the latest Taycan is pretty brutal with it set to its highest level when traveling at speed and that’s just lifting off the throttle. I feather the throttle when using regen to adjust the level it gives me, otherwise it would be an awful experience for my passengers, bit like some one stamping on the brake every time you want to slow down. Using the throttle to adjust the regen is no different to using the brake pedal progressively once you get used to it.
Regen is there to supplement the brakes not replace them for emergency or other unplanned stops. Once you doing an emergency stop you are at the mercy of the ABS system anyway, as that will limit your stopping distance based on the actual grip you have at that moment in time.
There’s that, but the problem is weight, with a 600mile range battery it’s gonna be a heavy car, with small 18 inch tires and more rubber to make the ride softer you can’t fit large piston brakes, so you need to make changes to improve the overall experience - think about a system that stops a small EV with the weight of a large SUV faster than a sports car. It would make for an amazing driving experience as EVs have great acceleration, just not the best weight balance, even though it’s mostly kept to the floor for a lower point of gravity. Not to mention you would be saving lives in the case of an accident.
That’s one of the least important contributions to ride softness.
Going forward and stopping are the easiest parts of a vehicle’s driving experience to implement. Now try getting them to corner well-- that’s more challenging. And nobody needs 3-second 0-to-60 times in normal driving conditions.
You’d be improving the odds for those inside the vehicle at the expense of other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. The environmental impact of manufacture is also directly proportional to vehicle mass.
Anyway, too much of your analysis is based on the current poor energy density of batteries, which has good potential for improvement in the coming years. SUV-sized EVs are an entry point in the market, but regulators should be providing incentives for manufacturers to shrink them instead of staying with the present unsatisfactorily large size, which is not a positive feature, any more than it is for gasoline-powered SUVs.