Rivian PLEASE give us a VERY LOW REGEN for Conserve Mode and Snow.

[mkhuffman]

It is strange we can’t turn off regen all together. My wife’s Mach-e can turn it off. We do it at least once a month for work the brakes so it doesn’t ruin them. Had that happen on an old bolt. If you don’t use the pads and rotors they will just get ruined.

The Mach-e has blended braking. That means when you press the brake pedal, the motors are used to slow the car, and regen charge the battery. If you press the brake pedal harder than the motors can slow the car, the friction brakes are engaged, blending with motor regen.

In a Rivian, when you press the brake pedal, only the friction brakes are engaged. There is no brake blending with motor regen. Lucid does the same thing. Lucid claims they do it because it feels better and is more appropriate for a performance vehicle.

I think blended braking is very hard to design, and Rivian/Lucid decided it wasn't worth the effort. Some people can feel the transition between motor regen and friction brakes and don't like it.

Meh. I almost never touched the brake pedal in my Mach-e so I never really experienced that issue. But for some, it is a issue. A first world issue of course.

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[windblowlc]

I must be unique because I actually think regen rocks in snow driving! I've kept it in all purpose mode all winter in the snowy midwest and its the most rock-solid car I've ever driven in the snow. I'm not sure what people are talking about with respect to slipping and regen. I find that regen helps me stop faster and safer than in an ICE car - a lot like engine braking. I've only had a tiny bit right before the car comes to a complete stop, but if you know about it, its not an issue. Same with my model Y - I leave the regen alone.

Then again, I don't feel the need to use conserve mode except on very long trips and never in slippery conditions. I paid for a quad, I'm using all four of those motors

Driving in icy AND hilly terrain you need snow mode with AWD and no regen or as little regen as possible. It's not the same as snow driving. All purpose won't cut it.

 

[VSG]

I would assume a true conserve mode would include a "zero regen" mode,

Huh? Just the opposite. I don't know what you mean by "true conserve mode", but you want MORE regen for best efficiency, not less. Just look at your energy graphs - it's surprising (to me) how much you get back through regen.

 

[mkhuffman]

Driving in icy AND hilly terrain you need snow mode with AWD and no regen or as little regen as possible. It's not the same as snow driving. All purpose won't cut it.

I don't agree. It is just a different way of driving.

In an ICEV, you lift your foot off the gas pedal and the car sort of coasts., and you can downshift to use the engine to gradually slow the tires. You can do the same thing in your Rivian.

All you need to do is keep your foot on the go-pedal. Instead of lifting it off, keep it on, just lighten the pressure to keep the tires moving. It will work exactly the same way as a ICEV if you do that.

The problem is it takes time to learn a new way of driving. I am conditioned the same way you are. But it can be done. And we don't need a zero regen mode to do it.

A zero regen mode will mean instead of gradually slowing the tires with the motor, you are potentially locking the tires with the friction brakes. I know, it has antilock brakes. But you want antilock brakes slowing your truck? Not me.

When I drive an ICEV in snow/ice conditions, I try to avoid using the brakes and use the engine to slow the vehicle. Eliminating regen will mean you have to use the brakes to slow the truck. No thanks.

 

[windblowlc]

I don't agree. It is just a different way of driving.

In an ICEV, you lift your foot off the gas pedal and the car sort of coasts., and you can downshift to use the engine to gradually slow the tires. You can do the same thing in your Rivian.

All you need to do is keep your foot on the go-pedal. Instead of lifting it off, keep it on, just lighten the pressure to keep the tires moving. It will work exactly the same way as a ICEV if you do that.

The problem is it takes time to learn a new way of driving. I am conditioned the same way you are. But it can be done. And we don't need a zero regen mode to do it.

A zero regen mode will mean instead of gradually slowing the tires with the motor, you are potentially locking the tires with the friction brakes. I know, it has antilock brakes. But you want antilock brakes slowing your truck? Not me.

When I drive an ICEV in snow/ice conditions, I try to avoid using the brakes and use the engine to slow the vehicle. Eliminating regen will mean you have to use the brakes to slow the truck. No thanks.

If you'll remember the situation in the early days of the R1 in 2022 when there were no snow mode and all the R1 had were pretty high regen and people were complaining of sliding all over the place on downhill in slippery ice situation. You cannot keep your foot on the go-pedal in this situation as you referred to, as the truck would slide even faster downhill. Rivian was quick to respond with the snow mode to alleviate the problem. Eliminating regen does not mean you have to use the brakes. It just means that you need to drive slow and avoid braking which having regen would have the opposite effect.

 

[mkhuffman]

If you'll remember the situation in the early days of the R1 in 2022 when there were no snow mode and all the R1 had were pretty high regen and people were complaining of sliding all over the place on downhill in slippery ice situation. You cannot keep your foot on the go-pedal in this situation as you referred to, as the truck would slide even faster downhill. Rivian was quick to respond with the snow mode to alleviate the problem. Eliminating regen does not mean you have to use the brakes. It just means that you need to drive slow and avoid braking which having regen would have the opposite effect.

I do remember that but using regen is the same thing as using a ICE to slow the vehicle. The difference is how you control the braking force on the wheels.

Regen can lock the wheels but a ICE won't. If you modulate the regen power you can keep the wheels from locking.

I am not saying it is as easy as using a ICE, but it can be done. It is just a matter of carefully controlling the motor's force on the wheels.

IMO friction brake slowing is worse than motor slowing when in the snow/ice. You have more control if you slow the wheels with the motor.

 

[Magicbus]

Maybe it's just my imagination, but I've been living with snow and ice for a week now and never once felt that the Regen was providing any less stability than straight anti-lock brakes. The braking felt just like I was using the brake pedal instead of one pedal driving, and since they're both computer-conttolled it is what I expected.

 

[HaveBlue]

I wonder if the rad tuner allows for lower Regen adjustment? We need a quad to chime in. Some of us might get that feature if Rivian decides to add it to performance models. In all models you can shift to neutral. Sometimes that is needed on steep rutted dirt roads where lifting a wheel causes the truck to accelerate out of control. Neutral allows using the brakes instead which have better speed modulation.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/rivians-slick-rad-tuner-could-come-to-other-performance-models

 

[usulio]

I wonder if the rad tuner allows for lower Regen adjustment? We need a quad to chime in. Some of us might get that feature if Rivian decides to add it to performance models. In all models you can shift to neutral. Sometimes that is needed on steep rutted dirt roads where lifting a wheel causes the truck to accelerate out of control. Neutral allows using the brakes instead which have better speed modulation.

Yes, but again you can simulate this with two-foot driving - keep your right foot close to the middle (zero accel or regen) and use the left foot for the friction brake.

 

[Time2Roll]

I get the low regeneration mode for economy as many would prefer to coast to stretch the momentum. This coasting can be more efficient than charging the battery for later use. Sure it can be modulated and yet is made easier with a low regeneration.

Same for snow mode in certain conditions except not for economy but to limit braking due to slick road conditions.

Not sure I would recommend eco mode in the snow although a lot of FWD vehicles do well in most conditions. Some would say the 4wd just gets the vehicle stuck in deeper
Brake peddle is always 4 wheel braking.

 

[mkhuffman]

Yes, but again you can simulate this with two-foot driving - keep your right foot close to the middle (zero accel or regen) and use the left foot for the friction brake.

This is a good idea. I was trained to only use my right foot, but maybe new training is needed. Especially since Rivian does not use blended braking, so you can control the motor with the go-pedal, and the friction brakes with the brake pedal.

Great thinking, man!

 

[kenyee]

Now a bad related Out Of Spec Reviews video on Regen on snow/ice...surprised the IX is tuned so well...

 

[Mathme]

I'm still stuck on why the OP is using Conserve in the snow when they have an AWD vehicle...

 

[MTVhike]

I'm trying to find the best way to get down my sheet-of-ice driveway. A couple of weeks ago, I tried and skidded into the ditch. First it was just a snowbank, but when I tried again, it was a tree. What's the best way in this situation? Foot off the accelerator engages regen. 2023 RiT in snowmode.

 

[strykerwsu]

Overall agree no regen would be best course of action on ice. They should have an ice mode.

Im glad rivian stepped up at least to get us snow mode. I love our M3 for my son but since cant reduce regen I had it slide on ice with regen starting to kick in. Pucker fast and I worry about him being a less experienced driver.

Also, I thought at one point it was confirmed on here there is blended braking for R1's but I might be remembering incorrectly.

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