D vs. L on the highway

Neither one holds any advantage over the other on the highway. All L does is just enable extra regeneration to allow for one pedal driving. If you're on the highway with the cruise control on, you will use the exact same amount of energy for your given speed and climate control settings in either setting. I keep mine in L just for the convenience of having the 1 pedal driving upon cancelling the cruise.

Wolfy said:

Neither one holds any advantage over the other on the highway. All L does is just enable extra regeneration to allow for one pedal driving. If you're on the highway with the cruise control on, you will use the exact same amount of energy for your given speed and climate control settings in either setting. I keep mine in L just for the convenience of having the 1 pedal driving upon cancelling the cruise.

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Agreed, only thing I would add about it, D seems a little smoother to me on freeways with CC engaged. Bumps in the road seem to cause L to regen often, then recoup the speed, where D sort of ignores the little adjustments. D on downhill stretches most of the time will re-generate as much as L, unless it is a steep mountain road, then L is a great way to recover what you use climbing, not to mention maintaining speed without using friction brakes.

D and L seem to use about the same accelerating, and at constant speeds.

Nothing wrong with using either, and interchangeably at freeway speeds, and when you do need to disengage CC, it is smooth in D, but pretty abrupt unless you have your foot on the Go pedal when you disengage.

In stop & go rush hour, nothing beats L.

Yup. There's no difference in D or L, but there is a difference when D and L is combined with a particular driver's behavior. As long as you're maintaining a constant speed, regenerative braking plays almost not role in range or efficiency.

Personally, I prefer L even on the freeway. Though I know the difference isn't significant, knowing that the moment I lift off the accelerator in order to hit the brake pedal in an emergency, the car is already decelerating is reassuring.

Tim said:

Does anyone have proof?

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I highly recommend "D" on the highway. At highway speeds the regen is going to slow you down much more suddenly than the idiot behind you expects, who is expecting the behavior of a normal automatic transmission car. And while you might gain a bit more range in "L" it won't be as efficient overall and feels jerky in heavier traffic when you have to keep adjusting for distance to the car in front of you.

Jerkiness is not an issue if you make tiny movement with your foot. My driving is very smooth.

Marspilgrim said:

I highly recommend "D" on the highway. At highway speeds the regen is going to slow you down much more suddenly than the idiot behind you expects, who is expecting the behavior of a normal automatic transmission car. And while you might gain a bit more range in "L" it won't be as efficient overall and feels jerky in heavier traffic when you have to keep adjusting for distance to the car in front of you.

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How is that any different than any other form of braking or deceleration? If they rear end you, that's their fault. The brake lights will come on under regenerative braking, so if they hit you, they were following too close for the speed and not paying attention.

p7wang said:

Jerkiness is not an issue if you make tiny movement with your foot. My driving is very smooth.

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I find L with Cruise Control is jerky on bumpy freeways. Has nothing to do with my foot.

I find L is best for my normal daily driving. My brain is now reprogrammed to one pedal driving, so it throws me off when I lift and don't get the braking I expect because I'm in D. I feel more comfortable and safer to be consistent and stay in L always.

ARob said:

I find L with Cruise Control is jerky on bumpy freeways. Has nothing to do with my foot.

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Interesting. I've never felt the jerkiness; however, it could be connected to the fact that the Bolt EV keeps much closer to set cruise control speeds in L than it does in D. In L, the speed rarely differs 1 mph from what is set. In D, I've seen it vary as much as 2 or 3 mph.

Marspilgrim said:

I highly recommend "D" on the highway. At highway speeds the regen is going to slow you down much more suddenly than the idiot behind you expects...

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"L" mode won't "slow down more suddenly" all by itself. It will only do that if you lift your foot right off the accelerator pedal, exactly the same way it would if you suddenly put your foot on the brake pedal. You can slow down just as gradually as you want in "L" mode, you just have to be judicious with it and use it enough to train your foot.

I've never felt any jerkiness at all when using cruise on the highway. I have a 2019 so I don't know if maybe they were improved at some point. I don't slow down any faster in L than I do in D because I've learned how far to press the accelerator pedal to slow down as fast (or slow) as I want. As an example, if I can tell by the traffic ahead that I'll want to turn cruise off and take manual control, I press the accelerator pedal before turning off cruise and then back off the pedal to get as much deceleration as I want. When you get used to it, it's no different than coasting or using the brake pedal once you get the feel for how far you need to press the accelerator. Even if you're not used to it, you can cheat and press the accelerator while cruise is still on until you get a very slight increase in speed and then shut off the cruise. Then you can lift slowly and your foot controls the deceleration from there and there's no "bump" when you turn off the cruise.

Mike

Tim said:

About half the members of the Facebook Bolt EV Owners Group say . . .and the other half say the opposite.

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Consider the source. My mother used to say, "You may get in just as much trouble while hanging around with smart people, but what you learn will be entirely different."

jack vines

MikeyBolt said:

I've never felt any jerkiness at all when using cruise on the highway. I have a 2019 so I don't know if maybe they were improved at some point.

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Possibly a difference in MY 19+.

I find it a very subtle difference in ride. If the road is smooth, no difference, But, most of the highways in my part of the world have seems, cracks, or minor damage. Every bump seems to cause CC to make minor adjustments. It is more pronounced in manual mode as he foot is slower to respond. Again, it is hardly noticeable, but over time, I seem to have become sensitive to it. Maybe it is just in my mind, but it is real to me.

NortonCommando said:

***
There is NO efficiency advantage to driving in L.
***

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And keep in mind, this is very different than saying there IS an efficiency advantage to driving in L.

So I wonder whether, in that group dynamic, a majority of people are actually making the argument that there is no efficiency advantage driving in either mode because that is the actual, correct statement.

NewsCoulomb said:

So I wonder whether, in that group dynamic, a majority of people are actually making the argument that there is no efficiency advantage driving in either mode because that is the actual, correct statement.

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On Facebook the group members have been claiming advantage for either D or L. As for myself, I'm going to do like you, Eric, and drive everywhere in L. The reason is that L is so nice and smooth, while D + regen paddle is jerky.

To each his own. I rather enjoy one pedal driving. In city driving I developed a more efficient driving style. I regen to stops, where if I had stayed in D, I think I would slow down later as I did with my ICE, using my brake pads a bit. I suppose I could get the same results in D, but I don't think I would without one pedal driving.

GregSnell said:

I find L is best for my normal daily driving. My brain is now reprogrammed to one pedal driving, so it throws me off when I lift and don't get the braking I expect because I'm in D. I feel more comfortable and safer to be consistent and stay in L always.

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Totally agree, driving in L/One pedal driving gives you so much control over your specific speed.

Had a hard braking incident yesterday on the highway, being in L, the car slowed down quickly as I lift my foot and stepped on the brake. I probably stopped faster and safer because of L, esp since the tires have low rolling resistance.