Adapting to EV Pedal Usage vs ICE

[BHWhite]

Hi,
Apologies in advance if this has been covered elsewhere, but I am new to EVs, will be coming off an F-150 when I get my R1T (hopefully later this year). I have some permanent nerve damage in my right leg and foot that makes it uncomfortable to keep my foot on the accelerator for long periods of time or in traffic, so I've become very adept at coasting with my foot off the gas as well as braking with my left foot. From what I've read, it seems like with an EV with regenerative braking, taking your foot off the gas to coast may not even be possible as it apparently causes the truck to brake automatically. Is this the case? Will I really have to keep applying pressure to the pedal all the time unless I'm stopping? I assume there is Cruise Control for appropriate situations, but living in Los Angeles, not so much. This is the ONLY concern that's giving me second thoughts on my future truck...
Any relevant $0.02 would be appreciated.

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[godfodder0901]

This is the case. Some EVs have a mode that completely disables the regen braking, but the Rivian does not have this mode. That said, Driver+ will bring the vehicle to a complete stop, and continue again when traffic resumes (it will actually pause after 30 sec, requiring a light tap on the accelerator to resume) and I have had good experiences using this feature.

 

[BHWhite]

This is the case. Some EVs have a mode that completely disables the regen braking, but the Rivian does not have this mode. That said, Driver+ will bring the vehicle to a complete stop, and continue again when traffic resumes (it will actually pause after 30 sec, requiring a light tap on the accelerator to resume) and I have had good experiences using this feature.

Thanks for the response. So is Driver+ an active feature you can use driving around town, in traffic, without have to keep your foot on the pedal? If not, I may have to learn to drive the truck with my left foot if I want it

 

[godfodder0901]

The Driver+ suite has a feature called ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) that can be used at almost any time, including in town and on back roads. It will NOT stop for lights, signals, or signs. It will stop for traffic in front of you if they stop, but you still need to monitor it. ACC does not steer at all.

 

[electruck]

I would highly recommend you contact Rivian, explain the situation, and see if you can arrange for a test drive.

 

[Scott]

If you end up not being able to drive the Rivian comfortably and are set on an EV, I would look at the options from the VW group. They allow you to reduce or disable lift off regen to allow for true coasting. The higher end models (Audi) even have paddle shifters to adjust regen levels on the fly which would likely be really nice for someone in your situation. The break pedal also will blend between regen and friction breaks so you still get the benefit of regen while being able to coast at other times.

It is an elegant, but probably more complicated setup from an engineering perspective. Obviously the VW group doesn’t have a truck or a 3 row suv out yet, which makes it less of a perfect replacement for the Rivian.

 

[Rousie13]

Volvo also allows you to turn off OPD (one pedal driving…..regen braking) and it will just coast. You can hit the brake pedal like a normal ICE and it will still Regen though when you hit the brake pedal.

It sounds like the Rivian may not be the best vehicle since I’ve read you can’t completely turn off OPD. This will require you to always modulate the truck with the accelerator.

 

[bhopkins]

Also, check out the Kia EV6 as it has steering wheel paddles that let you significantly adjust the regen.

 

[r1vlife]

When you test drive, have the regen set to Standard instead of High. I found that regen with Standard is very very light to me so I think you can have some form of coasting.

 

[User433]

The Driver+ suite has a feature called ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) that can be used at almost any time, including in town and on back roads. It will NOT stop for lights, signals, or signs. It will stop for traffic in front of you if they stop, but you still need to monitor it. ACC does not steer at all.

From what I can tell ACC only works at 60+mph.

 

[mgc0216]

From what I can tell ACC only works at 60+mph.

That would significantly reduce its viability as my favorite ACC use case is in heavier traffic. if i can go 60 then normal cruise would usually suffice

 

[BHWhite]

If you end up not being able to drive the Rivian comfortably and are set on an EV, I would look at the options from the VW group. They allow you to reduce or disable lift off regen to allow for true coasting. The higher end models (Audi) even have paddle shifters to adjust regen levels on the fly which would likely be really nice for someone in your situation. The break pedal also will blend between regen and friction breaks so you still get the benefit of regen while being able to coast at other times.

It is an elegant, but probably more complicated setup from an engineering perspective. Obviously the VW group doesn’t have a truck or a 3 row suv out yet, which makes it less of a perfect replacement for the Rivian.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I need a truck for work.

 

[BHWhite]

Volvo also allows you to turn off OPD (one pedal driving…..regen braking) and it will just coast. You can hit the brake pedal like a normal ICE and it will still Regen though when you hit the brake pedal.

It sounds like the Rivian may not be the best vehicle since I’ve read you can’t completely turn off OPD. This will require you to always modulate the truck with the accelerator.

Thanks, unfortunately need a truck for work.

 

[ironpig]

Hi,
Apologies in advance if this has been covered elsewhere, but I am new to EVs, will be coming off an F-150 when I get my R1T (hopefully later this year). I have some permanent nerve damage in my right leg and foot that makes it uncomfortable to keep my foot on the accelerator for long periods of time or in traffic, so I've become very adept at coasting with my foot off the gas as well as braking with my left foot. From what I've read, it seems like with an EV with regenerative braking, taking your foot off the gas to coast may not even be possible as it apparently causes the truck to brake automatically. Is this the case? Will I really have to keep applying pressure to the pedal all the time unless I'm stopping? I assume there is Cruise Control for appropriate situations, but living in Los Angeles, not so much. This is the ONLY concern that's giving me second thoughts on my future truck...
Any relevant $0.02 would be appreciated.

I agree with the others, you should really drive one.

There is an upcoming drive event or test drives in LA. You should reach out to customer service and get on the list - or see if you can set up a test drive at the Venus Hub. The regenerative braking on the Rivian is very heavy compared with my Tesla so it requires a fare amount of pedal work.

 

[godfodder0901]

From what I can tell ACC only works at 60+mph.

Nope. Can activate between 20 and 85. Stays active all the way to 0. I use it every single day.

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