coasting in neutral? can this hurt the engine?

[ElectricEddy]

There is a gradual decline for about 4 km which I coast in "neutral" on my way home from work. I can maintain 70 km/hr and have even passed vehicles twice using this method. Has anyone else noticed that the car actually slows down if you press the accelerator :?: No regen power is created ( monitored through Leafspy and nav display). Any ideas why?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

There is a gradual decline for about 4 km which I coast in "neutral" on my way home from work. I can maintain 70 km/hr and have even passed vehicles twice using this method. Has anyone else noticed that the car actually slows down if you press the accelerator :?: No regen power is created ( monitored through Leafspy and nav display). Any ideas why?

because you are in neutral. neutral disconnects motor from inverter so you are freewheeling. if you were in drive, you would regen and lose speed...rather quickly I might add

 

[kubel]

Has anyone else noticed that the car actually slows down if you press the accelerator.

I've noticed this too but have come to the conclusion that it's entirely psychological. When you press the go pedal, you'll subconsciously want to shift your weight forward to counter the G's experienced in acceleration. When those G's don't come to reality, you'll find yourself leaning forward, making it feel like it's slowing.

Stop the car, put the car in park, press the go pedal, you'll feel the same sensation- at least I did. I always wanted to shift my weight forward, even though the car was stopped and wasn't going to go anywhere.

 

[irwinr]

Putting the car in "Neutral" does nothing more than tell the computer software to set the power level to the motor to zero. Which you can effectively do with your foot on the pedal much more safely than putting the car into a mode where you can't use regen braking or quickly accelerate if necessary.

Coasting in "neutral" is fine, but why touch the shifter to accomplish that? Especially since you have to "hold" the shifter to the left for a second for it to actually go in neutral, it's not instantaneous.

Seems quicker and easier to just learn the muscle memory of where "neutral" is on the accelerator (IE: The point where power is zero and no regen happening) and use that to coast.

That's how I do it and it works great.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Some people have issues with their legs and/or feet that make it difficult or at least uncomfortable to constantly make minute changes in pedal pressure to simulate Neutral. I use neither, unless it's a long easy coast and I'm concerned about range.

 

[garsh]

Has anyone else noticed that the car actually slows down if you press the accelerator

Yes, I've noticed this too. It's not psychological. Leaf Spy shows an energy use when this happens as well.

I don't have an explanation though. I just make sure not to touch the accelerator when I'm coasting in neutral.

 

[tkdbrusco]

I used to do this quite often but now I find it just as effective to feather the accelerator when I would have put the car in neutral. The only time I use neutral is when I know I have a gradual decline that will allow me to pick up a bunch of speed and then use B mode at the bottom.