[PLP]

I've had no issues whatsoever driving with a 2000 lbs trailer at highway speeds (70-75 mph) using L on the longest downgrade off ramp in my area. I've seen 70 kW regen for ~20 seconds tops. I don't live in a mountainous area, but I think a lot of people are overly cautious about a vehicle they don't understand well. If the battery or motor get too hot, the Bolt will reduce the amount of regen and power available to keep within safe limits

I completely agree - it is fail safe.

Here is what I observed. On normal driving, driving say 60 miles on highway, 20 C day (70 F), the battery temp stays pretty steady (23-24 C), but the gearbox gets to about 80 C.
Now, add extra load (as one said here - towing 300 lb is not the same as having 300 lb in the trunk due to extra friction of the trailer wheels and air drag) and warm day - I am not sure how far the temp would go and how much cooling the A/C can provide. Yes, all systems are cooled, but would that be enough for long run?

Your case - sure, not a problem at all. Occasional full regen. Holds it OK.

I was warning about heavy load and frequent acceleration followed by full regen (meaning using L).
I would still say - use D for normal, flat road driving. For hills - depends... maybe L or maybe CC. Or stay in D but start decent at lower speed and let the energy transfer into speed.

 

[Sean Nelson]

I was warning about heavy load and frequent acceleration followed by full regen (meaning using L).

I just want get it on the record here that "L" mode doesn't mean any more acceleration or regen than "D" mode does unless you choose to drive it that way.

And the corollary to that: "D" mode doesn't mean any less acceleration or regen than "L" mode.

It's about your driving style, not about what mode you're driving in.

 

[PLP]

Kind of agree on it... except the fact that it is easy to lift off too far in L to cause full regen and not realise it due to the heavy load in the back (trailer pushing), not to mention sudden load change and disruption of the car-trailer balance.

In D, though, you get blended braking at a certain point.

Yes, it depends on the style. And the L style could be trickier to perform with the trailer.

 

[Sean Nelson]

Kind of agree on it... except the fact that it is easy to lift off too far in L to cause full regen and not realise it due to the heavy load in the back (trailer pushing), not to mention sudden load change and disruption of the car-trailer balance.

That's exactly like saying that braking in "D" mode is dangerous because you might have to push down harder on the brake pedal than you realize in order for the car to apply enough regen force to slow down with a heavy load. They are one and the same, and the counter-argument to both is also the same: in the course of normal driving you develop a feel for the accelerator and brake pedal forces needed to accelerate or decelerate the car in a variety of scenarios, including grades. When you have to apply an unusual amount of brake or accelerator pedal pressure, it's obvious if you have a decent amount of driving experience in the Bolt.

In D, though, you get blended braking at a certain point.

Yeah, after you've pushed the brake pedal down hard enough to exceed 66kW of regen power, which is within 4kW of what you get in "L" mode with no accelerator pedal pressure and the regen paddle pressed. There's almost no difference between what happens when you push the brake pedal in "D" mode and what happens when you let off the accelerator pedal in "L" mode.

I know that a lot of people shy away from driving in "L" mode because it's not a familiar way to drive the car. But I can assure you that when you drive that way all the time it becomes second nature and you can immediately sense when things are behaving differently.

 

[PLP]

I am talking about unintentional use of harder braking in L vs D at the moment you suddenly take your foot off the pedal.
The full force - sure, whenever needed use it. But only the moment you may, being less experienced - maybe..., suddenly move the foot away, it will cause a sudden slow down.

Man, I am not talking about you, or other experienced people. I would not even want to listen to myself, as when it comes to me - I want the old cars back. No ABS, no power steering, maybe even no brake boost - I drive the car and I feel everything what is happening.

My intention was to warn a fresh Bolt user who is "OK" with L who may find oneself in a tricky situation when they suddenly lift off the pedal in a 40 mph turn while towing 1200 lb behind and the steady ride becomes hard to manage and is ready to swing.

Also, I wanted to simply say - avoid L for better control. I am not sure about difference in kW in D vs L and when the friction brakes engage, it is better to have all 4 wheels acting vs just 2 like in L.

That is all.

 

[2019EVLT]

All I know is I've been pulling my boat about 90 miles to the lake for about a year now, several times each month. The route is about 1/2 interstate and about 1/2 state highway with rolling hills and narrow bridges. I always drive in L mode, usually with cruise control on. I've been very comfortable pulling the boat, and I find that CC does a great job maintaining speed over the rolling hills. My previous car (Ford Fusion) had an annoying way of slowing the car on the way down a hill, then jerking back to acceleration to get out of the valley. I find that the Bolt CC does a very smooth job with the deceleration vs acceleration. Never notice that the boat is behind me. Of course, I haven't encountered any emergency stops in that time. There's always a chance for disaster.

 

[Sean Nelson]

Also, I wanted to simply say - avoid L for better control. I am not sure about difference in kW in D vs L and when the friction brakes engage, it is better to have all 4 wheels acting vs just 2 like in L.

See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. When you press the brake pedal in "D" mode you're only braking with 2 wheels up until you hit the point at which regen maxes out. If you had to brake harder than that in "L" mode then you'd be switching your foot over the the brake pedal anyway, so in fact there's virtually no difference between them.

What I would say is this: don't avoid "L" mode because you think it that something about it makes the driving dynamics different. It doesn't. "L" and "D" modes both brake using regen to almost the same degree, there's really no difference in what the car actually does in response to drive inputs in both cases.

If you're unfamiliar with "L" mode and haven't yet developed a feel for it, then yeah - using it in border cases like trailer towing, slippery or low-traction conditions, etc. is probably not a good idea.

But too many people seem to have the mistaken impression that "L" mode is somehow intrinsically different in terms of how the car behaves, and that's just not true. A competent "L" mode driver is just as safe and can do all the same things as a driver in "D" mode - you just have to give yourself the time to develop the feel for it, just like new drivers learning to use power brakes.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. When you press the brake pedal in "D" mode you're only braking with 2 wheels up until you hit the point at which regen maxes out. If you had to brake harder than that in "L" mode then you'd be switching your foot over the the brake pedal anyway, so in fact there's virtually no difference between them.

This may* be true on dry pavement, but is it still true when ABS or traction control steps in?

*I say "may" because the only evidence I have that it is true is from people claiming as much on internet forums

 

[Sean Nelson]

This may* be true on dry pavement, but is it still true when ABS or traction control steps in?

That's a good question. I can't think of a way to actually test that the way I've tested how regen braking works in D and L mode. My own personal attitude is not to overdrive the conditions so as to avoid relying on those systems to "save yo @ss".

 

[PLP]

This may* be true on dry pavement, but is it still true when ABS or traction control steps in?

*I say "may" because the only evidence I have that it is true is from people claiming as much on internet forums

I did some tests... on snow and ice.
Driving in D - coasting regen (no brake application) makes no difference, ice or dry. Enough friction to roll.
Diving in L - ABS does not kick in and you do not get any warning if one, or both wheels, start slipping. Regen will be lower and the braking feeling is lesser.
The moment any systems get activated is when you start turning or you touch the brake pedal.

That was with speeds at or below 35 mph. I tried a few times in L and the paddle at over 45 mph with one wheel on ice and same result. Less of slow down and less regen. No warnings, until you touch the brake.

Not sure if that answers the question.

But it may indirectly explain my initial point of not-using L when towing.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Not sure if that answers the question.

But it may indirectly explain my initial point of not-using L when towing.

If you're driving on clean pavement, there's no difference in how the actual braking works between D and L mode, just with L mode you won't have your foot on the brake pedal already when you discover you need to brake more than full regen power gives you. Trailer or no trailer.

 

[dhall]

Yes you posted this on Reddit. I will say the same thing as I did over there.

Let us know the range hit.

Love the trailer (I'd like to tow with mine as well). I've seen photos with sailboats, little trailers, etc, but like Digi, I'm very curious about real world experience of the range impact at road trip speeds. I haven't seen any clear reports about this. I've been getting 4 - 4.2 kWh/mile for road trips. If towing knocks that down substantially, I'm not sure towing would make sense for me.

 

[dhall]

Love the trailer (I'd like to tow with mine as well). I've seen photos with sailboats, little trailers, etc, but like Digi, I'm very curious about real world experience of the range impact at road trip speeds. I haven't seen any clear reports about this. I've been getting 4 - 4.2 kWh/mile for road trips. If towing knocks that down substantially, I'm not sure towing would make sense for me.

Obviously I meant 4-4.2 miles/kWh...

 

[CrudeOil]

That is an interesting camper. What else is in it?

Nothing haha. Its basically a tent on wheels that you can haul your camping gear in/on.

 

[jmcbrew]

That is a pretty neat trailer. I was checking out their website, and it looks like the current generation is running quite a bit heavier at 725 pounds. Quite expensive for a tent trailer. I just sold a small pop up camper that I bought new in 2013 for $7,500. It had a refrigerator, furnace, sink, air conditioning, two heated mattresses, and an indoor/outdoor stove. The new Kamparoos start around $9,000 With none of that. Even so, I like it. I would have to find a good used one for a nice price, though. There are some other small tent trailers that interest me, but they all suffer from being overpriced due to low production.

 

[GJETSON]

Tesla Model 3 Averages 255 Wh/Mile Towing Camper At 55 MPH

The test consisted of a 55-mile loop from Glendale to Santa Clarita, California, with 90% of the trip covered on highways (10% city) at 55-mph average speed.

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