The Joys of Paddling

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apyds

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2013
Messages
70
According to a number of other threads on this forum, the juries out I think on exactly how effective the paddles on the PHEV are at recharging and even if it is not better to use your brakes.

However, am I the only one who loves to paddle? It has really stopped me from being a boy racer and I am driving far slower now trying to see how much energy I can recharge and slowing the car down using just the paddles. I'm sure the cars behind me don't appreciate it but who cares :cool:
 
You may care if you get rear ended due to the lack of brake lights. They serve a purpose.
 
avensys said:
You may care if you get rear ended due to the lack of brake lights. They serve a purpose.
Click to expand...


You're absolutely right; I should care. I do think, however, that Mits should have a system whereby the break lights do come on if you slow down using the paddles. That said, I still enjoy using them.
 
Oh it was _you_ I was following coasting around :lol:

Seriously though - yes - perhaps a half red break light state could be a new standard. Arguably it's "similar" to someone coasting normally where there wouldn't be break lights apparent...

I guess with the higher break regens the deceleration is more apparent for other road users compared to just coasting..

R
 
My dealer told me the brake lights come on when using paddles to regen -perhaps that should be the case on B5, but not sure yet whether they do ever come on...
H
 
TBH I don't really see this as a problem - the amount of retardation is not that great even in B5 and not really any different from driving a manual around town in 3rd instead of 4th.
 
Thanks Maddogs
I am looking forward to paddling, apyds - as I'm coming from a manual, it'll give me something to do with my hands and make me feel I'm doing something towards driving and help to keep me alert - automatics can be a bit lacking in driver input in my mind!
H
 
Hypermiler said:
Thanks Maddogs
as I'm coming from a manual, it'll give me something to do with my hands and make me feel I'm doing something towards driving and help to keep me alert - automatics can be a bit lacking in driver input in my mind!
H
Click to expand...

That's exactly the way I feel. I used to drive an automatic and hated the thought of going back to the same. Paddling has sorted that out.

The only thing I would say is that I hate the paddles location by the steering wheel. If I was to redesign this car I would definitely have no paddles and just have a gear stick with D,N, R and then a further five points for the regen braking. That way you could go from B1 to B3 and back down to B1, missing B2. When you turn left or right and the steering wheel is at 90 degrees there is no way at the moment to reach the paddles. Racing drivers have the gears next to the steering wheel because they do not have to make sharp turns. On a car like this its just not right.
 
jaapv said:
I just put it in B5 with the shift lever and use the accelerator for driving and braking. Very relaxed.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I did a test with my wife driving. Regen in B5, the brake lights did come on. The car is a high end spec built in Feb 2014 for Australia.
 
When I drive a manual car, I change down gears to slow the vehicle, only using the brakes if I need to stop more quickly. In my experience, B5 slows no more aggressively than changing down a gear or two in a manual. Nevertheless, it's good to know the brake lights come on anyway.

I too use the paddles. I prefer to have B5 most of the time and wish there was a way to make my car default to that. It's a pain having to reset it every time I get in the car, and then again every time I disengage the Cruise Control.
 
I use the paddles all the time and paddle down (or should I say paddle up? because hitting + paddle takes you to lowest level B0, I wonder if MM had any reason doing it awkward like this!?!?!) to B0 if I want PHEV to cost and then paddle up to higher level if I want to slow down PHEV. This way I can come down to almost complete stop without hitting brakes but generally find the need to touch brakes to bring PHEV to complete stop. It is a lot of work with your hands but I like it. Only thing I worry is the durability of paddles and electro-mechanical mechanism working behind it
 
ufo
In the uk, if you hit the left (minus) paddle it takes you straight to B3 and then I go up or down from there - does that not work for you?
And if you pull and hold towards you the right paddle it goes straight back to D.
Not sure if that helps you...
cheers
H
 
Hi
I posted this under a different to but realised it is probably most appropriate here so I've reposted:

I don't think Mitsubishi even considered that people might drive around normally in B mode. After all why would they since using the foot brake uses regen AND operates the brake lights.
My understanding is that this is included to replicate engine braking in lower gears when descending inclines since as far as I know all cars have this feature so it couldn't really be omitted.
As an aside, initially I assumed that NO friction braking would be used when regen could provide sufficient braking power (this is the case with a Prius) since that would be the most efficient way to operate. However, keeping in mind I'm mostly a gentle braker, I'm surprised how much brake dust is ending up on the front alloys. This makes me suspect that operating the foot brake DOES engage friction brakes AND regen braking together. The only reason I can think of if true is that Mitsubishi couldn't manage a smooth transition from regen braking to friction braking so engage both together instead.
 
Hypermiler said:
ufo
In the uk, if you hit the left (minus) paddle it takes you straight to B3 and then I go up or down from there - does that not work for you?
And if you pull and hold towards you the right paddle it goes straight back to D.
Not sure if that helps you...
cheers
H
Click to expand...

It is normal for it to go to B3 when you hit (-) paddle because PHEV always automatically starts with B2 when turned on so when you pull (-) paddle, it takes you to next higher regenerative braking level of B3 (This is the part I find strange, to increase the regenerative braking level, you pull (-) paddle, reverse logic !?! I would expect to pull (+) paddle to increase and (-) to decrease).
But I didn't know that if you pull and hold right (+) paddle it will skip all the intermediate levels and jump to lowest level B0 (or D, I realised that there is no regenerative braking at level B0, so B0 actually corresponds to D). I will try this today.
 
avensys said:
Hi
I posted this under a different to but realised it is probably most appropriate here so I've reposted:

I don't think Mitsubishi even considered that people might drive around normally in B mode. After all why would they since using the foot brake uses regen AND operates the brake lights.
My understanding is that this is included to replicate engine braking in lower gears when descending inclines since as far as I know all cars have this feature so it couldn't really be omitted.
As an aside, initially I assumed that NO friction braking would be used when regen could provide sufficient braking power (this is the case with a Prius) since that would be the most efficient way to operate. However, keeping in mind I'm mostly a gentle braker, I'm surprised how much brake dust is ending up on the front alloys. This makes me suspect that operating the foot brake DOES engage friction brakes AND regen braking together. The only reason I can think of if true is that Mitsubishi couldn't manage a smooth transition from regen braking to friction braking so engage both together instead.
Click to expand...

Even though I tend to agree with you about regen/friction braking, I am not 100% convinced that it does apply both regen&friction braking as soos as you hit the brake paddle. I am a gentle braker too and always try to improve on that. So when I hit the brakes very gently I see regen braking working by watching the eco meter going down in blue charge zone and remains there unless I hit the brakes harder to come to a full stop. if I hit the brakes harder to stop, I see eco meter going up to neutral line between blue and green zone even though vehicle is still moving. So it looks like at that moment it switches from regen to friction braking. But I can not claim that it is absolutely the case, have to try and observe more.
 
ufo said:
Hypermiler said:
ufo
In the uk, if you hit the left (minus) paddle it takes you straight to B3 and then I go up or down from there - does that not work for you?
And if you pull and hold towards you the right paddle it goes straight back to D.
Not sure if that helps you...
cheers
H
Click to expand...

It is normal for it to go to B3 when you hit (-) paddle because PHEV always automatically starts with B2 when turned on so when you pull (-) paddle, it takes you to next higher regenerative braking level of B3 (This is the part I find strange, to increase the regenerative braking level, you pull (-) paddle, reverse logic !?! I would expect to pull (+) paddle to increase and (-) to decrease).
But I didn't know that if you pull and hold right (+) paddle it will skip all the intermediate levels and jump to lowest level B0 (or D, I realised that there is no regenerative braking at level B0, so B0 actually corresponds to D). I will try this today.
Click to expand...

Well, I tried it on the way home. Yes you are right, if you pull and hold + handle it switches to D no matter what the regen braking level is. But the catch is that drive position D does not correspond to regen braking level B0, it actually corresponds to B2. I tested in many times. First I switched to D by pulling and holding + handle then pulled - handle, it switched to B3. I switched back to D by pulling and holding + handle then pulled + handle, it switched to B1.
 
Yes that's right - D is not B0. You can feel the car surge forward if you switch from D to B0 as it seems to perfectly glide in B0 and if there is a slight downhill, it runs really well. Ok, you are not generating anything for the battery but the car moves forward without using any power at all so I am starting to use B0 more and then just paddle up to brake.

Yes, when I test drove the car I found the + and - counterintuitive but the dealer explained that using - is like changing down a gear (but in that case why are the numbers the wrong way round!)

Is there any difference between B0 and neutral? I've never used the gear knob except to select drive or reverse. I always use the paddles to go into braking mode and back to D by pulling the righthand one.

Cheers
H
 
Yes, of course - that'll be why I've never tried it - how quickly one forgets how to drive a normal car! I am going to tend to drive in B0 as default for a while and see what that does for my range.
 

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