One pedal driving explained in detail with video.


This video describes single pedal driving, you can also call it one pedal driving. Here the tutor walks you through how the one pedal driving works. In one pedal driving the driver uses only the accelerator for driving, unless you’re in an emergency situation. Here the tutor in the video is coming up to a stop sign. As he is driving through a neighborhood, so that he can show you the functionality of the braking without touching the brake pedal. He just uses the accelerator pedal. Any vehicle that has an electric motor could have this functionality. As long as it’s somehow connected up to the wheels. Like in electric cars plug-in hybrids that could even be done with hybrid vehicles. Here the vehicle used is a 2018 Nissan Leaf it’s also done in Tesla, and it is also done in the Chevy bolt. Other vehicles with the same functionality are now trendy, as we start to get more electric cars and it’s a neat idea.

How does one pedal driving works.

Mostly when you are accelerating and when you put your foot on the throttle. You are using electricity to create a force in the electric motor to accelerate the vehicle forward. When you let go of the throttle, then the opposite occurs. In one pedal driving we are using the kinetic energy of the car to then create a force in that electric motor. Which then sends electricity to the battery pack and so the opposite is occurring. We are using turning kinetic energy into electricity, and in doing so slowing down the vehicle. So with this car when you let off the accelerator pedal, you’re only using the electric motor to slow the vehicle down. Thus it only uses the hydraulic brakes once you come to a complete stop.

Once you’ve come to a complete stop it’ll lock the vehicle in place using the hydraulic brakes. But you get there just using the electric motor, so by doing this if you only use the pedal, you can, of course, choose not to. There is a button to switch between a normal driving mode by using just a single pedal. If you only use the single pedal. Then apparently you’re not using your brakes at all, so they’re going to last for an extreme amount of time. The maximum deceleration is about point 0.2g. When you let off the throttle pedal, and so 0.2g is about 20% of the vehicle’s total braking capability.

Usually, you can brake around 1g may be a little bit so 20% braking force that’s a very natural force. You know you’re not slamming the brakes every time. When you come to a stop instead you’re kind of gently coming up to that stoplight. So it’s an excellent deceleration rate. As you know you don’t have to use the brake pedal. But it doesn’t feel like you’re slamming the car in a kind of transition smoothly up to that 0.2g.

What about an emergency situation?

Yes, if you need a slam on the brakes you absolutely can, the functionality is there and so the brake pedal works just like it usually does in an emergency situation or if you just know didn’t entirely judge it right and you need to slow down a little bit more you’ve got the brake pedal right there. It’s no different as than any other car and so what’s interesting about that is. Though there is a slight difference in how it feels when you have it in a pedal mode where initially there’s a bit of the braking that you push in, and it doesn’t do much. You would feel like, okay I’ve got my 0.2g, and I’ll add to that by slightly pressing into the break and have to get into it a little bit more. It’s a little bit weird touching that brake the first time but certainly something you can get used.

one pedal driving
What about the brake lights, do they still warn the people behind you when you’re slowing down using one pedal driving?

Yes absolutely, they function just like normal, so as you start to let off the throttle pedal and the vehicle starts to slow down. That brake light comes on letting the people know behind you that you are slowing down. The brake light functionality is all still there.

How one pedal driving behaves on a loose surface?

When you are on a loose surface you don’t have much traction you let off. You know that wheel wants to lock up and wants to stop because the deceleration force is too high for the surface that you’re driving on. The trainer in the video also had a discussion with Lucas de Grassi. He is a formula II champion. He also designs electric bicycles is the inherent abs on his electric bicycles. As you let off the throttle and you start to let that vehicle slow down with regeneration. Then that regeneration is only possible if the tire is moving and the tire locks up. Then you can’t have any regeneration, so it starts rotating again, and once it starts rotating again. That means you have this inherent ABS built in. So it won’t just simply lock up and stay locked up with an electric motor. The DC rating because it has to be moving in order for it to decelerate.

An exciting thing that Nissan does when you’re on a loose surface.

Which is pretty smart of course. If you’re using regeneration only or driven wheels are slowing you down. So for the case of this Nissan Leaf that means only the front wheels are slowing you down. So you’re building out two wheels that are going to be decelerating. You well on a loose surface you’re probably going to want all four wheels to be able to decelerate. Even as low as 0.2g you may need that, so what Nissan does is that. If it recognizes the vehicle on a loose surface and starts to see some slip with those front tires.

Then it knows that it can use both sets of wheels. It’ll have the mechanical brakes step in and help you out, so you have all four wheels slowing you down rather than just two. If you are on a slippery surface, the other benefit of this system is that. If you have that one friend who sucks at braking and every time you come to a stop into this abrupt ordeal. With this pedal you eliminate that because computers are doing all of it. They’re giving you this excellent smooth deceleration rate. So you let off the pedal and then it’s this nice smooth transition all the way to a complete stop.

So we hope you all have enjoyed this video and article on one pedal driving. Thank you so much and if you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below.

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