How do You Drive your Miev?

[sandange]

This may have already been covered but I thought a post specific to this question would be helpful.

I’ve been experimenting using different styles


What kind of driver are you?

A sport driver – aggressive acceleration - pushing the cars limits?

An average driver – for suburban family transport, commuter

A hyper-miler - Striving to get the maximum range from your car

A style of your own – do share please



What Mode do you select?

Do you drive it like an automatic ICE – put it in drive leave it there and go?

Or prefer the B Mode – more aggressive acceleration and deceleration?

Do you drive it like a standard shift - constantly shifting between modes?


Curious minds want to know

 

[Don]

What kind of driver are you?

A sport driver – aggressive acceleration - pushing the cars limits?

An average driver – for suburban family transport, commuter

A hyper-miler - Striving to get the maximum range from your car

That's Me! - A typical drive incorporates some of all of those. When I'm not being 'sporty' I usually concentrate on getting the maximum range . . . . to make up for the power I wasted being sporty, no doubt

What Mode do you select?

Do you drive it like an automatic ICE – put it in drive leave it there and go?

Or prefer the B Mode – more aggressive acceleration and deceleration?

Do you drive it like a standard shift - constantly shifting between modes?

If the shifter was easier to manipulate (why do we need all those darned gates for what is essentially just an electrtic switch??) I suppose I might find a reason to shift it out of the B mode once in a while . . . . like if I wanted it to coast when I let up (wish I had a steering wheel paddle just for that) but I doubt I'd use it much. Once you are used to precisely doing what you want with your right foot, I see no advantage to using any of the other modes. I like getting the regenrative charge when everyone else is tapping the brakes and it seems to work really well for me - I'm typically getting 75 to 80 miles of range even with the A/C on

Don

 

[MLucas]

I consider myself an 'average driver' - I commute and thus need the Eco mode to get the most range but on the weekends I like to feel what the i can do and put it in either B or D. For short runs I'll put it in D because then I don't get so much Regen, but for longer runs B works fine and I notice my RR goes up quite a bit more than either Eco or D offer.

This comes to the next question, I use the mode selector as a stick shift. I don't mind the gates because I found that I don't need to move the selector to the left for the drive modes, simply push it up and down and this keeps me from going into reverse or park mode accidentally.

 

[jray3]

I'll say sport, and almost always leave it in B, never in E, but when I need the range, try to featherfoot it with the best of them. When I have a particularly long downhill where I don't want to regen, I'll shift into neutral rather than riding the "knife edge" of zero current in B. I find that regen improves the driving experience in my hilly area even if it's overuse sometimes actually costs more range than it saves.

 

[JrCRXHF]

It depends how far i have to go for the day i have hyper miled the car with great results other days i run the AC and shift it like a manual between D and B mode i have not found a use for eco mode.

But for the most part i keep things and the speed limit and getting there nice and steady amp control to the motor.

 

[fjpod]

I'm an economy minded driver. I run around town...maybe 10 miles per day, up to as many as 40. I generally charge every 3 or 4 days.

 

[sandange]

I have always have preferred a manual shift. Now having driven the Miev for 1 month I really like to be interactive with driving it
We drive a lot and are always trying to stretch the range
I may not be fast but at least you know I'm slow

So here's what I do

I always gauge the traffic ahead of me at 10-15 car lengths and decide what action I want to take.
I prefer to use echo on acceleration & keep it in the green scale,
except if I have to merge or pass some one then I'll shift to B

Coming to a stop I'll coast in N then down shift through D to E to B and barely have to use the brakes

If I'm rolling at speed on an open road and come to a slight down slope I'll pop it into Neutral and coast
when I see the Speedometer start to drop - Back to Eco

We have a lot of hills here in ski country
On a long down hill with varying degrees of slope I'll move between N - D - E - B to adjust how much slowing down I need.

On the up hill I stick to B and keep it in the green as much as possible

I guess you would call it hyper-miling - I just like going through the gears....or modes

 

[danpatgal]

I began driving exclusively in B, liking to have full acceleration and full braking available to me at the touch of a pedal. But B was a bit much braking for most situations and if I wanted to go to D or N (to coast), I had to toggle through the other gears to get there - which was a pain. So lately I've been using Eco, which has the advantage of "reminding" me to stay light on the accelerator. If I want to coast I just have to go past D to get there, and if I'm going down a big hill, I can pop it into B easily for stronger regen.

My style is generally mellow (someone behind me actually beeped at me this morning because they thought the gap in oncoming traffic was adequate - the i definitely could have made it, but I prefer to leave more space). I'm totally jealous of those who have been able to get in the 90's for RR. My best is 88 , which perhaps I can improve upon as the weather get's cooler (even without using the AC, I noticed the RR is affected by higher temperatures).

 

[MLucas]

Just wanted to remind everyone, that moving between N-D-Eco-B does not require the driver to move the Shift Lever to the Left. The Shift Lever will easilly slide up to N and back down to B with a simple push / pull movement. This will also keep the driver from accidentally putting the car into Reverse or Park as these modes do require the driver to move the shift lever to the left. To see what mode you are in and not take your eyes too much off the road, look at the 'fuel gauge' which also shows which mode you are in.

 

[JoeS]

To answer the question, we're all over the map:

When performance driving, especially on a twisty mountain road, I use B. If extreme, I even disable ASC. Fun car and very controllable :!:

When highway driving and not needing to optimize mileage, I keep her in D and not only keep up with traffic but stay ahead, showing that the iMiEV is no slouch.

When highway driving long distances and hypermiling, I alternate between D and N, optimizing mileage by shifting into neutral on even slight downhills whenever possible while trying to maintain a constant speed. On the level, never want to get the red needle into the blue zone, unless I really have to slow down. On steep downhills I alternate amongst N-D-Eco-B to keep the iMiEV within the speed limit (while regenerating, I've actually had the fuel gauge go up!). Usually under the max speed limit and stick to the right lane.

When driving in town and chattering with passengers, I keep her in Eco, as I don't multitask well.

No matter what, I almost never touch the brake until the car is under 10mph, using the shift lever to slow the car down … constantly playing amongst B-Eco-D-N and coast whenever possible to avoid stopping. Hey, I've only owned stick shifts all my life.

All bets are off in rush-hour traffic as I don't want the iMiEV to get a bad name and thus I stick with traffic. Since I'm retired I really try to avoid rush-hour and all those dumb jerky energy-robbing jackrabbit starts and rushes to the next traffic light just to jam on the brakes… slowly approaching a traffic light means a half-dozen cars jump in front of you. :evil:

My wife is a nice consistent featherfoot who calmly manages to avoid aggravating anyone and yet gets superb mileage on the iMiEV and usually drives in Eco around town and D on the highway.

We're undoubtedly confusing the hell out of our RR computer.

 

[dakine]

I drive like a Boss.

 

[RobbW]

Okay, sorry. I realize I'm reviving a dead thread, but I'm doing my best to tag on to existing threads rather than starting new ones. This thread is of particular interest to me as a new i owner. I have so many questions about the different driving styles and choices available. I'll try to list them below and anyone feel free to respond as you like:

1. Is there ANY concern with constantly running the i through the different modes on the go stick? A while ago, I tried my hand at hypermiling my ICE Hyundai Tucson and was constantly shifting between N and D. After doing this for awhile, I was told by someone at the time (don't remember who) that it is bad for an ICE transmission to be constantly shifting like that. I don't know if that is true or not, but after I started noticing a few peculiarities with my Tucson's regular automatic shifting, I stopped the hypermiling techniques. So, I'm kind of sensitive to messing anything up with running through the gates in the i all the time.

2. I see MLucas posted a reminder that the i can be shifted through the different drive modes without pushing the shift lever to the left. Going by memory from my drive into work this morning, I notice there is a stair-stepping motion to shifting down from D to B. While it is relatively effortless to move the shifter all the way down to B, it still has to move slightly to the left to do so. Likewise, moving slightly to the right as you shift up. I'm getting better at remembering/recognizing which drive mode I'm in without having to look down. However, I still have a fear of accidentally throwing the shifter up into R or P during a particularly hasty move. Are there ANY built-in safeguards that will absolutely guarantee there is no way to accidentally shift up into R or P from the drive modes? For example, does the i require you to be at a dead stop with the brake pedal fully engaged before it will even allow the shifter to move up north of N? If these safeguards exist, I will feel much more comfortable using the shifter with speed and determination to control my driving. I'd like the option to quickly throw the shifter from B up into N to coast at a moment's notice without the possibility of accidentally touching R and blowing something up!

3. From reading through several threads about maximizing range, it seems most i drivers on this board prefer driving in the B or D modes most of the time and specifically avoid the Eco mode. Why is this? Personally, I drive in Eco mode almost all the time (except for certain circumstances, which I will explain shortly). I find that Eco mode is kind of an automatic governor for my often leaded foot. Limiting the power used at any particular pedal position helps me conserve energy. It also helps me smooth out my acceleration from a stop rather than the constant jerky jack-rabbiting I'm used to in my ICE vehicles. I'll momentarily bump up into D if I ever need the additional instant power, but usually keep it in Eco for the majority of my forward motion.

Now, to expound upon my current driving style in my new i. Of course, this is constantly changing as I learn more about her. While I drive almost exclusively in Eco mode, I have recently (past two days) begun using the B mode for deceleration and braking. I'm constantly keeping a weathered eye on the road ahead to anticipate my driving needs. When approaching a stop, a ways back I will take my foot off the go pedal completely and let the Eco mode engage regen and start slowing me down. Approximately halfway between the point where I let off the go pedal and my intended stopping point, I will bump down into B mode for maximum regen and deceleration. I will then only apply slight pressure on the brakes (if even needed) to ensure a complete stop.

I would like to start engaging N more for coasting, if possible, but jumping "gears" to get to N from Eco or B feels wrong for some reason. Plus there's that fear of accidentally jamming into R. I can only assume this feeling of "wrongness" is a carry over from ICE driving. I never thought it was a good idea to jump gears in ICE cars, say from D down to 1, or from 1/2 back up to D. That always had a VERY pronounced effect on the vehicle and scared me thinking that I was breaking the gears somehow. Seeing as the i-MiEV only has a one-gear transmission, I'm guessing there's really no concern about breaking gears. However, if you're coasting down a hill in N at a pretty good clip and suddenly drop down into B for max regen, is that going to hurt anything?

 

[Don]

From reading through several threads about maximizing range, it seems most i drivers on this board prefer driving in the B or D modes most of the time and specifically avoid the Eco mode. Why is this? Personally, I drive in Eco mode almost all the time (except for certain circumstances, which I will explain shortly). I find that Eco mode is kind of an automatic governor for my often leaded foot. Limiting the power used at any particular pedal position helps me conserve energy. It also helps me smooth out my acceleration from a stop rather than the constant jerky jack-rabbiting I'm used to in my ICE vehicles. I'll momentarily bump up into D if I ever need the additional instant power, but usually keep it in Eco for the majority of my forward motion.

There is actually very little difference between the D mode and Eco

The Euro version of the car didn't get 3 driving modes. When they were engineering these for the North American market, they originally set up the Eco mode so that less than full power was available when you floored it - They advertised it this way, but evidently, that didn't work out so well, so the Eco mode parameters were altered. Try flooring it in D and again in Eco and you'll see there's no difference. I think Eco has slightly more regenerative braking than D, but still far short of the B mode

Not everyone is comfortable with the B mode all the time, but if it's something you can get used to I find it gives me the best range. I especially like the fact that once you really get used to it, it nearly negates the need for the friction brakes because it gives you regen whenever you lift your foot, as opposed to wasting energy by friction braking

Long story short - Everyone is different and they very wisely gave us a choice of how we prefer to use the car in a way that works best for each individual - Experiment some during your daily commute and see what works best for you . . . . have the wife do the same. Eco seems to be the best combination of coasting and regen for my wife . . . . but she uses lots more brakes than I do

I would like to start engaging N more for coasting, if possible, but jumping "gears" to get to N from Eco or B feels wrong for some reason. Plus there's that fear of accidentally jamming into R. I can only assume this feeling of "wrongness" is a carry over from ICE driving. I never thought it was a good idea to jump gears in ICE cars, say from D down to 1, or from 1/2 back up to D. That always had a VERY pronounced effect on the vehicle and scared me thinking that I was breaking the gears somehow. Seeing as the i-MiEV only has a one-gear transmission, I'm guessing there's really no concern about breaking gears. However, if you're coasting down a hill in N at a pretty good clip and suddenly drop down into B for max regen, is that going to hurt anything?

They only 'physical' linkage on the shifter is the cable which engages the lock pawl for the Park function - Everything else is just a software switch, so you can feel free moving the shift lever any way you like. Definitely no harm in switching down to B at any time . . . . but you can actually do the same thing by just lightly touching the brake pedal . . . . not hard enough to begin any friction braking, but the switch which activates the brake lights also engages max regen . . . . even more regen than switching to B

I don't know for a fact what would happen if you accidently switched it to Reverse while you were moving forward, but I strongly suspect it wouldn't be anything earth shattering or damage anything - Let us know what happens if you accidently try that! :shock:

Don

 

[RobbW]

. . . . but you can actually do the same thing by just lightly touching the brake pedal . . . . not hard enough to begin any friction braking, but the switch which activates the brake lights also engages max regen . . . . even more regen than switching to B

Only because it's nearly impossible to drive and look at my rear at the same time, I have no idea what my car looks like from behind during braking vs. regen. When you let your foot off the go pedal in either Eco or B mode and regen braking engages, do the brake lights come on? I'd be concerned if they didn't. Regen in B mode seems to slow you down so much that it might take drivers behind you by surprise if there was no visual indicator that your vehicle is slowing down.

 

[peterdambier]

Most of the time I used to drive in "B", sometimes "C" but I still dont know if it really gets me any further and only by accident have I ever been in "D".

I live 1/3 down from the backside of a hill. It is either up or down, very rarely flat and a good part is from traffic light to traffic light or from roundabout to roundabout. "B" is almost perfect for me and my right foot. I can drive and break with the gas pedal alone most of the time.

In "C" I very often have to use the break pedal but I am lazy. Climbing a hill in "C" is not a good idea and rolling down a hill I would not make it round the next corner without using the breaks. So "C" is not for me and "D" is only a compromise.

How about my left foot? It used to kick the kludge but now it is on old age pension.

My right foot has changed a lot. It has accustomed to microscopically small movements and to treading the gas pedal with a single toe only.

Driving rented automatic cars from time to time I am told I am driving distance records with a single filling of gas.

Ok, Snowwhite is a girl and I dont want to be rude to her but she loves to be the first at a green traffic light and she does not need much gas to do that. Lifting my foot from the break pedal is enough most of the time.

If I have enough kilowatts to spend it can be fun to show Snowwhite's tail to the roaring gas giants behind us but it is not worth the time I need for charging.

It is "B" only for me. My foot is accustomed to "B" and I would have to train it again for either "D" or "C". I feel like I can save more energy staying in "B" all the time.

 

[Don]

No - Regen by itself doesn't turn on any brake lights, so don't use it when you're being tailgated . . . . but by modulating the go pedal, you can slow as quickly or as slowly as you like . . . . keeping an eye on the mirror. In 15 months and nearly 12,000 miles, I've not had any problem (so far) and I use it 99% of the time

I would *like* a mod which flashes only the center brake light when regen engages - Not sure it it would be legal in all 50 states to do that . . . . or even how we would go about making it work, but it would be nice

Don

 

[dakine]

I just tool around like the man with music blasting, the windows down and air con on. I jam it up the single hill I go on, and pass suckers on the narrow roads like I'm in a Ferrari. Wife has already dented the rear bumper by backing into my truck in the driveway TWICE! I go a couple days without recharging, never a bit of range anxiety. Drive it like you stole it!

 

[danpatgal]

Personally, I drive in Eco mode almost all the time

I like E also for the very reason you state ... that it helps me keep from accelerating like most ICE drivers. On steep downhills I'll do B, on the highway I switch to D (E is a bit wimpy and I get less deceleration if I have to come off the accelerator quickly). You can simulate E in D or B modes if you're good (I mean skilled AND disciplined), but I'd rather have the Eco mode so I can think about other things, like my music, what I have to do for work, or my next electrification project.

I have no idea what would happen if you put the car in reverse at normal forward speeds ... I found this thread on the LEAF forum:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=235516

Seems like a non-issue for the LEAF, not sure if the i would react similarly.

 

[Vike]

I'm a fan of Eco mode myself, for reasons already stated. I prefer the more aggressive regen, though I find B a bit too much for regular use, and find the Eco acceleration more than adequate for most situations. I use D mainly when driving on the highway, moving around in busy traffic, or just for a bit of fun.

One interesting point, and you can try this yourself to confirm - fully mashing the go pedal yields the same behavior in all modes. It appears the designers figured if you really stomp on the pedal it must be because you really need to get away from where you are right now, and from a safety perspective I guess that makes sense. But along the same lines, I do find it odd that taking one's foot off the go pedal in B mode doesn't show brake lights, because it's pretty aggressive deceleration - I wonder why there isn't some rule/reg issue with that. In any case, for that reason, I don't use B if traffic's too dense.

As I've gained experience, I probably use B mode more than D. It's quite handy on a limited access road near our home with 50 mph limits but multiple traffic lights; in some traffic situations things can get a little spastic, and B lets me drive it largely with one pedal (though again, not if we're packed in too tight - want that brake light to warn Mr. Onmybackside).

What I do NOT do is constantly row the selector back and forth as some of our members seem to do. I realize it's just an electrical switch (sorta), but it's still a few moving parts, and movement means wear. This wasn't intended to be driven as a stick shift, and I expect there's a finite (hopefully large) number of cycles before things start getting ungood. Given how much of an issue parts and service are likely to be, I choose to err on the side of caution and try to avoid wearing out things I don't need to.

But that's just my preference - it's not a point I'd argue with any conviction.

 

[WyVern]

Personally I love using the regen on traffic islands, back up the dino burners on entry and then floor it on the exit and scurry off like a squirrel with its tail on fire.

Almost every time they get left significantly behind as I settle into a gentle cruise to the next junction and do it all again.