Strong regen not always the best

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Paul K

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Like most EV adopters I was turned on by the regeneration factor and always used the max setting. From my ICE days I had become a "hyper miler" which involves looking well ahead and coasting up to red lights, stop signs or slow moving traffic ahead. It was after a few years that I noticed that with strong regen active it was hard to drive smoothly in medium to light city traffic. It was requires quite delicate foot control to avoid see-sawing between acceleration and braking which wastes energy.

My id.4 has only 2 regen settings: "barely there" and "fairly strong". I have started using the barely there for most of my driving for a much smoother driving experience especially when hyper miling. The id.4 regens strongly off the brake pedal when needed. I'm only using the strong setting in heavier stop and go traffic where one is see-sawing all the time anyway.

In hilly driving in out in rural areas I tend to let the speed drop going up the hills and increase going down which also uses less energy. I might add I always check my mirrors as this type of driving is impossible with a type A driver following a car length behind. They'll always pass and cut in front which is very annoying in town when the light turns green by the time I get there but I have to wait for the now stopped type A to get going again.
 
Interesting. My MINI Cooper SE also has only "low" and "high" regen settings (no off), which sounds similar to the ID.4. I extensively use my (non-adaptive) cruise control to maximize efficiency but when I disengage it the high regen kicks in. I'll have to experiment with the lower regen in the scenarios like you've identified to see if it makes a difference for me.
 
Puppethead said:
Interesting. My MINI Cooper SE also has only "low" and "high" regen settings (no off), which sounds similar to the ID.4. I extensively use my (non-adaptive) cruise control to maximize efficiency but when I disengage it the high regen kicks in. I'll have to experiment with the lower regen in the scenarios like you've identified to see if it makes a difference for me.
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I've never experienced regen braking in an ID.4, so I can't compare it with my MINI Cooper SE's max regen setting. However, I don't believe it's difficult to achieve a smooth ride in with max regen. On the rare occassions when I want a smooth drive (when my wife lets me drive), I just modulate the accelerator pedal more carefully, never lifting off completely.

Full disclosure: Without a passenger, a smooth ride is the last thing I'm looking for. MINI made max regen the default setting for drivers like me.
 
Last week I tried my regular 110+ mile daily drive in low regen in my MINI Cooper SE and it didn't seem to have any effect on my range. Weather conditions weren't as similar as I'd hoped, but overall trip distances were close to same. My route involves a lot of freeway driving.

I will say the low regen had a significant impact on car handling, which may be a MINI thing since it's a sportier EV. Not only did it take longer for the car to stop on low regen, but the handling around corners and in roundabouts was much wilder, I felt more like I was autocrossing all the time since there was much less traction control.

Here are my specific numbers.

High regen
***********************************
Jul 28, 2025 at 20:07 ** 82°F ** Wind: 3.233 mph from SW ** Humidity: 71% ** Driven: 110.9 Mi ** Start-Batt: 100% ** End-Batt: 23% ** Mi / kWh: 4.98 ** GOM Reading: 22 Mi ** Range Left: 33.1 Mi ** Total Range (From 100% charge): 144 Mi ** Total Range (From 100% charge): 143.922 Mi
***********************************

Low regen
***********************************
Jul 30, 2025 at 20:22 ** 71°F ** Wind: 7.677 mph from NE ** Humidity: 65% ** Driven: 116.5 Mi ** Start-Batt: 100% ** End-Batt: 18% ** Mi / kWh: 4.92 ** GOM Reading: 16 Mi ** Range Left: 25.59 Mi ** Total Range (From 100% charge): 142.09 Mi ** Total Range (From 100% charge): 142.188 Mi
***********************************
 
With my Tesla, I have only two settings:
  • Default regeneration - no appreciable difference between "Chill", "Standard," and "Hurry."
  • Shift "N" no regeneration
Bob Wilson
 
Puppethead said:
Last week I tried my regular 110+ mile daily drive in low regen in my MINI Cooper SE and it didn't seem to have any effect on my range. Weather conditions weren't as similar as I'd hoped, but overall trip distances were close to same. My route involves a lot of freeway driving.

I will say the low regen had a significant impact on car handling, which may be a MINI thing since it's a sportier EV. Not only did it take longer for the car to stop on low regen, but the handling around corners and in roundabouts was much wilder, I felt more like I was autocrossing all the time since there was much less traction control.

Here are my specific numbers.

High regen
***********************************
Jul 28, 2025 at 20:07 ** 82°F ** Wind: 3.233 mph from SW ** Humidity: 71% ** Driven: 110.9 Mi ** Start-Batt: 100% ** End-Batt: 23% ** Mi / kWh: 4.98 ** GOM Reading: 22 Mi ** Range Left: 33.1 Mi ** Total Range (From 100% charge): 144 Mi ** Total Range (From 100% charge): 143.922 Mi
***********************************

Low regen
***********************************
Jul 30, 2025 at 20:22 ** 71°F ** Wind: 7.677 mph from NE ** Humidity: 65% ** Driven: 116.5 Mi ** Start-Batt: 100% ** End-Batt: 18% ** Mi / kWh: 4.92 ** GOM Reading: 16 Mi ** Range Left: 25.59 Mi ** Total Range (From 100% charge): 142.09 Mi ** Total Range (From 100% charge): 142.188 Mi
***********************************
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I wonder if the mini regens off the brake pedal. If not you would probably get better results off the higher regen settings. My 2018 Leaf did not regen off the brake pedal if I remember correctly so using higher regen to bring the car to a stop would be more efficient. The id.4 by contrast regens quite aggressively when the brake pedal is used, even in the mild regen setting. That may make all the difference.
 
The MINI SE regens automatically off the accelerator, as soon as it's released the regen happens. As far as I know the brake pedal is independent, so using the brake pedal doesn't trigger regen, which is tied solely to the accelerator. I tested keeping the accelerator depressed and hitting the brake pedal, and no regen happened. Interestingly, the SE also cut out the acceleration automatically.

There's also all kinds of traction control intelligence to provide optimum handling using braking, but not sure how much is regen and how much is friction braking. I do know the cruise control uses regen a lot. I wonder if the automatic regen uses the current setting, my guess it does based on feel.
 
Paul K said:
Like most EV adopters I was turned on by the regeneration factor and always used the max setting. From my ICE days I had become a "hyper miler" which involves looking well ahead and coasting up to red lights, stop signs or slow moving traffic ahead. It was after a few years that I noticed that with strong regen active it was hard to drive smoothly in medium to light city traffic. It was requires quite delicate foot control to avoid see-sawing between acceleration and braking which wastes energy.

My id.4 has only 2 regen settings: "barely there" and "fairly strong". I have started using the barely there for most of my driving for a much smoother driving experience especially when hyper miling. The id.4 regens strongly off the brake pedal when needed. I'm only using the strong setting in heavier stop and go traffic where one is see-sawing all the time anyway.

In hilly driving in out in rural areas I tend to let the speed drop going up the hills and increase going down which also uses less energy. I might add I always check my mirrors as this type of driving is impossible with a type A driver following a car length behind. They'll always pass and cut in front which is very annoying in town when the light turns green by the time I get there but I have to wait for the now stopped type A to get going again.
Click to expand...

You are correct. I think one of the biggest misconceptions of new EV owners is that Max regen is most efficient. You have to be ultra careful with the throttle to be as efficient as when you have less regen chosen. The key as you said is using the throttle as sparingly as possible, looking ahead. If you are in high regen and you lift your foot off the throttle too quickly when you don't need to, then you require more throttle use to get back up to speed, which is bad.
 
Both my BMW i3 and Model 3 have driving modes that 'soften' acceleration. In more aggressive modes, there can be energy wasting, driver induced oscillations.

Bob Wilson
 
Regeneration (energy recovery) during braking is not implemented the same in various EVs. Until the latest Tesla Model Y (Juniper and perhaps other recent updated Teslas), regenerative braking is engaged through the accelerator. The brake pedal remains solely for using the traditional braking hardware. Lucid uses this method as well. My 2023 Model Y uses this method.

Others brands let the EV coast with minimal or no regeneration. Pressing on the brake pedal first engages the regeneration. As the brake pedal is pressed further, the traditional braking hardware is engaged.

Most EVs today offer various levels of regeneration, but incorporate regeneration into the braking system as well. My previous Honda Clarity could be set to different levels, but could not quite do one pedal driving.

Regeneration is much better than using the traditional braking hardware which just converts the kinetic energy into heat and brake dust. However, it can only recover a fraction of the energy.
 
Hello, you have accurately described an experience familiar to many advanced electric vehicle drivers, particularly those who approach driving consciously and strive for maximum efficiency. Your story combines both technical aspects (regeneration, mode selection) and behavioral aspects (the influence of other road users), and it all seems very logical and well thought out.
 
The comment about avoiding unnecessary acceleration is spot on, but it's not necessarily an argument against strong regen. You just need to adjust your driving style to fit the level of regen you're using, particularly how quickly you take your foot off the accelerator.
 
I think of it this way braking and acceletaring destroys energy, no matter how efficient that process is. Maintaining a constant speed on the flat is the most efficient.
 
This is all new and surprising for me. I have been driving a Kona EV for 6 years. I LOVE MAX REGENERATION. I have 3 level options. Max is wonderful. And when I have cruise control on, especially in start and stop city driving it is very smooth. I don’t have to use the break peddle or accelerator peddle at all and the car maintains a set distance behind the car in front of me very smoothly.
And here’s something no one has mentioned. I get a monthly health report from the car including a Power report which lists the different power usages- total power, climate control used, motor power consumption, electric devices power consumption, and regenerated power.
Here’s the kicker- every month about 70% of the total power in Wh is regenerated from going downhill or slowing down at stop signs or lights.
Did you get that? Last month the total power used was 904 Wh. The gain from regeneration was 642 Wh. And the ride is plenty smooth in my opinion.
For me it’s a no brainer.
 
I think when trying to decide which regen level to use, the answer is "it depends". I can't speak to every ev, however on my EV6 (AWD) and its 4 levels of regen, I always had it on max, or i-pedal. But I noticed on long, highway drives (2hrs+), that my range was slightly less with it on this setting. I investigated and sure enough, when on max, all of the all-wheel drive was always engaged, but when I dropped a regen level on the highway and was driving steadily, the front motor would disengage (not draw power), thus explaining the difference in range.

All that to say, I now drive in town with the i-pedal on, and then on the highway I drop it at least one level to maximise my range. I also noticed that the cruise control did this automatically.

Overall though, as others have said above, your going to get more range by driving carefully and conservatively than by any regen setting.

Of course max, or i-pedal, regen helps save your brakes significantly as well. My previous VW e-golf that I had for 6 years never had to have the brakes changed; pads or rotors. So to each their own. :)

Just thought I would throw in my two cents,
Jon.
 
IslandGuy said:
This is all new and surprising for me. I have been driving a Kona EV for 6 years. I LOVE MAX REGENERATION. I have 3 level options. Max is wonderful. And when I have cruise control on, especially in start and stop city driving it is very smooth. I don’t have to use the break peddle or accelerator peddle at all and the car maintains a set distance behind the car in front of me very smoothly.
And here’s something no one has mentioned. I get a monthly health report from the car including a Power report which lists the different power usages- total power, climate control used, motor power consumption, electric devices power consumption, and regenerated power.
Here’s the kicker- every month about 70% of the total power in Wh is regenerated from going downhill or slowing down at stop signs or lights.
Did you get that? Last month the total power used was 904 Wh. The gain from regeneration was 642 Wh. And the ride is plenty smooth in my opinion.
For me it’s a no brainer.
Click to expand...
I have a 2019 Kona EV, which I love! Tell me how to get this health report you mention
 
Ace's Mom said:
I have a 2019 Kona EV, which I love! Tell me how to get this health report you mention
Click to expand...
It is sent monthly via "Bluelink" (if are subscribed).
If not, you are not missing much... this is the same report that mentions (to me) that by travelling a distance of 466km consuming a total of 1,222 Wh:D
 
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