Braking from Neutral for Range Maximizing, 2011 Leaf

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brycenesbitt

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 31, 2016
Messages
151
I find if I switch the leaf to neutral (by holding the shift paddle left for a few seconds) I can coast really well, and save a lot of battery.
The problem comes when needing to brake, as it appears the regeneration does not work. I have to shift the paddle back to drive mode, then brake.

Is there a better way to do this?
 
so you are doing this because we can't turn off regen triggering when we let off pedal but we'd like it back when we are on the brakes?

I think this a question a lot of people have asked and wondered about before. I was hoping that the guy who created LeafSpy Pro would be able to figure it out and allow us to switch it off and on but I don't think he's found it yet, or at least, willing to risk sharing it.

We need a device like the Original Honda Insight had available through 3rd parties were you could control the amount of regen and power going to and from the battery while driving. I guess the nissan system is more closed that the Honda one?
 
I do this all the time. Coasting works great to increase my efficiency. I'll shift into N to coast, then D,D/Eco,B,B/Eco to maximize my regen in the space I need to stop. Barely use the brakes myself. Coming from a manual transmission, this constant shifting is very natural for me.
 
hackdroot said:
I do this all the time. Coasting works great to increase my efficiency. I'll shift into N to coast, then D,D/Eco,B,B/Eco to maximize my regen in the space I need to stop. Barely use the brakes myself. Coming from a manual transmission, this constant shifting is very natural for me.

I would do that too but i have a SL with the screen showing the pie chart and I manage my regen with the pedal but I don't have a B mode.. mine is a 2012 so I don't have that. Maybe I can try coasting with N and see what it's like. having a hand movement is better than looking at a screen. It's not a new concept to me but my OCD wasn't strong enough for me to bother with this method..
 
Unless you are willing to pop back and forth between N and D, you're not going to realize any savings if you frequently brake while in N. Also, you'll wear your brake pads out faster. Either give up on neutral coasting, or get used to frequently switching between N and D. BTW, ECO mode does more regen, so you can use that too...
 
alozzy said:
Unless you are willing to pop back and forth between N and D, you're not going to realize any savings if you frequently brake while in N. Also, you'll wear your brake pads out faster. Either give up on neutral coasting, or get used to frequently switching between N and D. BTW, ECO mode does more regen, so you can use that too...
I would assume that someone who is goofy enough to shift into N while driving probably knows about ECO mode (and even B mode in newer models) giving more regen , but it always good to ask and share.

They just want a way to switch off regen unless braking, that is what I got from the OP question. I don't know of a way to do that.
 
Geez... I'm starting to believe that no "mode", control, or gauge on the Leaf is good enough.....

I wonder how many people in the world are trying to invent a better wheel... :) :lol: :lol:
 
What I do is:

  • Switch to N mode when I see for example a red light ahead, or a long stretch of gentle downhill.
  • Switch to D then ECO (click twice) to start slowing down.
  • Finish off with a gentle braking operation with the brake pedal.

But if I need to brake quickly while in N, I know it will hit the friction brakes. That's what I'd like to avoid. I don't see why regen won't work when in N mode.
 
Regen doesn't work in neutral because it requires the motor to be engaged, so that it can act like a generator. The single speed reduction gear "transmission" in the LEAF is what disengages the motor from the rest of the powertrain when you put the car into neutral.

So, when you put the car in neutral, there's no longer a mechanical connection between the motor and the rest of the drivetrain. In other words, there's no rotational force to turn the rotor of the motor and therefore no power regeneration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhOEoXfxHMc&index=8&list=PL2ir4svMoaYj48N0VWoic25P9LaU2wlbA
 
Sorry, but for possibly the first time, YouTube was wrong. ;-) The motor is always mechanically connected to the reduction gear "transmission." The "gear" switching is all electronic mode changing in the motor, with no mechanical "shifting."
 
The OP does have a point, in that because the motor is always turning, it should be possible to engage Regen without having it driving the car. Maybe it has something to do with how the motor is energized to operate at all...
 
Hopefully this is not too far OT but my stupid question is do the brakes actually directly engage regen? On my 2017 it seems to me the brakes are just basic hydraulic brakes. I'm always in ECO mode so the regen is working anytime I have my foot off the gas while in D or B but I never thought the brake pedal would switch modes or cause the motor controller to change its operation to regen. Based on the number of green dots on the dash I can see the regen power changing with speed, etc but I never noticed it step up when I hit the brakes while decelerating. I'm sure the controllers sense when the brakes are applied and could activate some sort of regen operation. Is that the idea of this thread? To have the motor controller switch to some sort of regen operation when the brakes are applied while in N? I've always assumed the brake pedal was just connected to the brake master cylinder and the brake light switch. Is there more to it than that?
 
Seems to work well as we have a 2015 Leaf. Coming from manual like @hackdroot I'm very used to shifting and downshifting.

My 'drive flow' is this when coming to a downhill slope.

N
then I try to gauge the distance to a light, another car, etc. as I need to slow down.
then downshift to
D with no pedal push at all
then as I get closer to the obstacle (light or car), downshift to
B with no pedal push at all
then the final last 'mile'
Brakes.

So my theory, is that with D and B I'm actually using the Regen. Only when the brakes are applied do I actually wear the brake pads and rotors.

Am I correct here gang?

Oh also, as this is an Electric Car versus an Int. Comb. Eng. Shunting to Neutral on an automatic (or manual for that matter) is not usually very wise. In an EV, is this an issue at all?

Thanks!
 
You are correct about neutral and Regen, as long as you don't press the brake pedal hard enough to engage the brakes. There is no actual "shifting" of gears - they are always meshed, so using the "shifter" as you are doing is harmless to the car. It's all just varying the electronic pathways in the motor/generator.
 
klutzo, I follow the exact same methodology. I've been really impressed with how far the car will coast in N and how smoothly it handles the transition between D and N. D to B is little more abrupt but well within acceptable limits IMO. In a past life, I wrote firmware to control a brushless DC motor so I have some experience in this area and I am really impressed with how the Leaf motor controller operates. The Leaf doesn't use a DC brushless motor but the concepts should still apply and I think Nissan did a good job with this part of the car.
 
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