Max Regen level?

[PHEV Newbie]

I had assumed that the 4 chevrons level of regen using the paddles is the maximum capable of the car. More recently, I've been paying more attention to the power meter (that crescent around the digital MPH indicator--blue portion shows power expended, green portion shows power regenerated). I noticed that 4 chevrons provides a modest level of regen (into the green portion) even at freeway speeds as I'm exiting. On the other hand, on other occasions when I'm braking more aggressively, I noticed that the level of regen level can be much greater than I've ever seen using the paddles. Does this mean that the car is capable of a very strong level of regen that can be activated using the brake pedal while the paddles provide only a fraction of that maximum even at 4 chevrons?

 

[insightman]

I had assumed that the 4 chevrons level of regen using the paddles is the maximum capable of the car. More recently, I've been paying more attention to the power meter (that crescent around the digital MPH indicator--blue portion shows power expended, green portion shows power regenerated). I noticed that 4 chevrons provides a modest level of regen (into the green portion) even at freeway speeds as I'm exiting. On the other hand, on other occasions when I'm braking more aggressively, I noticed that the level of regen level can be much greater than I've ever seen using the paddles. Does this mean that the car is capable of a very strong level of regen that can be activated using the brake pedal while the paddles provide only a fraction of that maximum even at 4 chevrons?

Yes. But a full battery will reduce braking regen, just like it does paddle regen.

 

[Tahuna]

Yes, both braking and the paddles use regen. The brake pedal will use regen first, then apply the physical brakes. The paddles, even at full setting, don't use the maximum possible regen - most likely because they felt it would be too much. When you take your foot off the accelerator people expect the car to slow down some, especially if you're used to downshifting a manual transmission. But they don't expect it to feel like the brakes had been applied hard.

And it's true that a full battery will reduce regen, but that just makes sense. Regen puts energy back into the battery. If the battery is full there's no place for it to go.

 

[insightman]

In the case of the Accord Hybrid, regenerated power can be directed to the starter motor/generator while cutting off fuel to the engine. The starter motor/generator then uses up the power regenerated by the traction motor to spin the unfueled engine. Because the Clarity PHEV appears to actually START its engine when regen braking occurs when the battery is full, I'm still scratching my head, wondering if this car has to use its brakes all the way down a mountain in lieu of the Accord Hybrid's pseudo engine braking scheme. I don't live near a mountain with a charging station at the top, so I just keep wondering.

 

[PHEV Newbie]

Yes, both braking and the paddles use regen. The brake pedal will use regen first, then apply the physical brakes. The paddles, even at full setting, don't use the maximum possible regen - most likely because they felt it would be too much. When you take your foot off the accelerator people expect the car to slow down some, especially if you're used to downshifting a manual transmission. But they don't expect it to feel like the brakes had been applied hard.

Thanks, that's what I thought. By really concentrating on the feel, it seems that most of the resistance used in braking is through the regen system and friction braking is only applied significantly at the end. If that's true, Honda seems to have it's braking system integrated with regen better than any other automaker. It feels so natural that I had previously assumed (before I started looking at the power meter) that there wasn't much regen at all.