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The Honda Clarity PHEV does have one-pedal driving!

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by Tiralc, Dec 12, 2017.

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  1. Jan 7, 2018 #21
    jdonalds

    jdonalds Well-Known Member

    Redding, CA
    I'm finding I'm doing exactly that. While I like gadgets and play around with them a lot I also realize that most of my driving is just get in and go.

    What I've noticed is how hard I tried hypermiling with the Prius. As long as I didn't bother those behind me I used pulse+glide, slow acceleration, staying below 41mph so the ICE would switch on and off, etc. I constantly monitored the mpg and always did the mpg calculation at the pump. But with the Clarity none of that impacts my mpg. We're on EV all the time. I can improve my range by driving carefully but the range is large enough that it really doesn't matter. We're getting most of our battery charge from the son with the solar system on the house. The only wear and tear is on the battery. We find that we are charging twice a day for an hour or so each time.

    My wife doesn't play with any of the features. She turns on the heated seats, selects K-Love on the FM radio, and drives.
     
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  2. Jan 7, 2018 #22
    Tiralc

    Tiralc Active Member

    you might be right, if so, I'm going to guess the the Volt D regen (without depressing the brake) is less than Clarity regen level 1. I just looked at my Volt Gen 2 manual and could not find the answer, it just says D is best for all around driving.

    By the time I went from Volt Gen 1 to Gen 2, I was set as to one-pedal driving in "L". I think by then most had concluded that with reasonably good driving skills, it was a toss-up between D and L as to efficiency. I never had any problem getting good battery range. I don't see the L one-pedal question as having any relationship at all to hypermiling, it was just a driving style choice (although I do acknowledge it's an esoteric EV driver thing). One-pedal driving just means let up on the go pedal and rather than coasting, the car begins to EM brake. In the Volt, just letting up on the go pedal (not feathering to maintain speed) was much more pronounced on the highway (some said equivalent to down shifting two gears in a manual) than at say 30 mph.

    Funny part was that if I accidentally selected D, the car felt broken. Others noted that after driving the Volt exclusively in L, it felt really odd driving an ICE car with coasting.
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2018
  3. Jan 26, 2018 #23
    West1

    West1 Member

    The i3 provides a really easy and natural one pedal driving experience. You can accelerate, coast, slow down, or brake pretty quickly with a simple variation of pressure on the go-pedal.. City thick traffic driving was a breeze.
    For the old guys this is like driving a large cubic inch V8 engine with manual transmission in low gear.
     
  4. Jan 26, 2018 #24
    Kendalf

    Kendalf Active Member

    I had the opportunity to do a one-hour preview drive of the 2018 Nissan Leaf last Fall. I thought I would enjoy one-pedal driving (Nissan's ePedal) but I realized after the test drive was over that it doesn't really fit with my driving habits, and it doesn't quite seem as efficient to me now that I've had the Clarity for a week. When I was driving an ICE (manual transmission) I would tend to lift throttle and coast when I see a stoplight or slowdown ahead and let momentum carry me the distance. I can do the same in the Clarity, and then apply higher regenerative braking via the paddles when I actually need to slow. With ePedal on the Leaf (which is certainly stronger compared to even the 4th degree of regen in the Clarity) I had to keep some pressure on the throttle to maintain a "coasting" speed and only lift when it came time to seriously slow down. I also like that I can reduce regen if I'm slowing too early, so that the car behind doesn't get (too) mad at me for going too slow.

    One of my routes to work has an extended downhill stretch, and it's nice that I can select between the different levels of regen to maintain a certain speed going downhill depending on the slope, whereas I would have to keep pressure on the throttle in the Leaf with ePedal mode on.
     
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  5. Jan 27, 2018 #25
    Tiralc

    Tiralc Active Member

    That is a very good description, however possibly a bit biased from a "coaster" point of view ;) A one pedal EV driver might say something more along the lines of, "Using only the go pedal, I was able to completely control both the speed and the braking relatively effortlessly, the brake pedal only being needed at the very end of a full stop".

    It's just an EV driving style personal preference, nothing more. True coasters will most likely not take to one pedal driving. Actually, I've almost completely transitioned back and am enjoying "normal" Clarity driving as well (kind of coasting with regen level 1). Once in a while I do sport regen 4 "M", and it puts a smile on my face (not because Sport mode permits "spirited" driving, just because even with gentle driving, you can get pretty close to true one-pedal driving).

    The note about using both paddles is interesting. So far, I only find a use for the reducing regen paddle (I think the "+" paddle which ironically reduces regen) going down hill, such as to control the speed of the Clarity by regen paddle setting (which can be kinda fun). I find in almost all other stopping situations, it's either four relatively fast pulls, or bringing it in more slowly. I've yet, to find a situation where there was time to reduce regen. Maybe if a long way away from a stop? But, then either wait longer, or bring regen in more slowly?
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2018
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  6. Jan 27, 2018 #26
    Ken7

    Ken7 Active Member

    Even in Sport mode, the degree of regenerative braking is far less than my Tesla. With the Tesla I can do true one pedal driving, which I really enjoy. With the Clarity I just don’t find it practical or nearly as effective.

    Either way, I don’t really find this much of a negative, just a missing ‘feature’. No biggie.
     
  7. Jan 27, 2018 #27
    loomis2

    loomis2 Well-Known Member

    Cincinnati, Ohio
    I will occasionally use the Sport 4 regen mode when the driving conditions make sense, like a road with a lot of traffic lights. It is a fun change of pace from normal eco mode, which the car is in most of the time. I'm sure the same is true for the new Leaf. I would like to try that epedal mode for myself.
     
  8. Apr 25, 2018 #28
    S L .

    S L . Active Member

    How much more regen does the paddle make vs stepping on the brake pedal? 10% more? 50% more?
     
  9. Apr 26, 2018 #29
    loomis2

    loomis2 Well-Known Member

    Cincinnati, Ohio
    It is probably closer to 0% more, but no one really knows.
     
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