[TomOwens]

I have read of other's concerns about the lack of brake lights while driving in 'L' for more aggressive regeneration. And I must say that I too worry about this a bit when there is someone behind me and I'm slowing without braking.

My proposed solution would be a firmware enhancement to turn on the brake lights when regen power is above a certain threshold ( 20kW ? ) and the vehicle is in 'L'. Are there any down sides to such a plan?

Thoughts?

 

[lezouave]

+1 Whatever they are doing in the Gen 2 Volts which have this feature, they should do to the Gen 1.

 

[Loboc]

This is fixed in Gen2. I doubt that it is firmware/software compatible with Gen1. Personally, I don't believe that Gen1 would decelerate enough to even activate the brake lights if equipped as a Gen2. (I owned a '13 Volt.)

Brake lights come on when:
- Brake pedal is depressed
- Regen causes >-0.12g deceleration any of L, D, paddle or combination.

 

[canehdian]

This horse has been beaten to death - see the countless other threads.

In short
1) gen1 volt does not regen more than the standards for brake light illumination allow - it goes right up to the maximum allowed without brake lights. Gen2 does activate lights when over that threshold, but for the same regen level in gen2 as gen1 the lights are still not going to be on.
2) any manual transmission driver can decelerate with greater force than L, also with no brake lights.

This is not a vehicle issue. It is a driver issue. If you are not comfortable decelerating at a reasonable rate without lights activating - use the brake pedal to illuminate your brake lights. No one is forcing you to use L.

 

[lezouave]

This is fixed in Gen2. I doubt that it is firmware/software compatible with Gen1. Personally, I don't believe that Gen1 would decelerate enough to even activate the brake lights if equipped as a Gen2. (I owned a '13 Volt.)

Brake lights come on when:
- Brake pedal is depressed
- Regen causes >-0.12g deceleration any of L, D, paddle or combination.

What is the regen g-force of the 2013?

 

[canehdian]

What is the regen g-force of the 2013?

Among the countless other threads is this post:
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...on-when-using-quot-L-quot&p=209526#post209526

which translates to 0.07g - which if you notice is the maximum of the shall not be illuminated category there.

 

[lezouave]

Thanks for the info. You sound annoyed.

 

[saltsman]

This is not a vehicle issue. It is a driver issue. If you are not comfortable decelerating at a reasonable rate without lights activating - use the brake pedal to illuminate your brake lights. No one is forcing you to use L.

use the regen pedal to illuminate your brake lights...

 

[Phazoni]

Thanks for the info. You sound annoyed.

He sure does. Canehdian, don't answer and just skip the threads if you don't like the topic.

 

[16513]

I think Can's answer is appropriate because asking for a factory fix on a Gen 1 just ain't gonna happen. There are some motorcycle braking accessories that could probably be adapted to answer the problem.

 

[Aus1]

I think Can's answer is appropriate because asking for a factory fix on a Gen 1 just ain't gonna happen. There are some motorcycle braking accessories that could probably be adapted to answer the problem.

True this what is refreshing about Tesla's attitude - VS suborn old way thinking GM, software should be updated gratis.
A Car is expensive and it's not like a mobile phone to throw away and buy a new one .... heck even mobile phones have more updates and features added than an expensive GM car. GM expects you to trade up every time.
GPS Map updates are joke in Australia etc.
At most car press releases when a journalist asks will their be GPS map and infotainment updates - the silence is deafening.
At least Tesla is giving it real go with updates, while GM is still in the dark ages along with many other manufactures on this front.

 

[BAZINGA]

That was one reason I didn't drive in L in my Gen I's. First there was NO NEED I could generate the same level of regen with the brake pedal. Why, driving in L it made my wife car sick when a I would lift and the car would slow more than I wanted/needed so I'd add some throttle the undulations were enough to cause car sickness.

 

[Fyodor]

I think Can's answer is appropriate because asking for a factory fix on a Gen 1 just ain't gonna happen. There are some motorcycle braking accessories that could probably be adapted to answer the problem.

And I think it is appropriate because everything that could possibly be said on the subject has been said, multiple times, in the threads that the OP admits to having read. Revisit it if you must, but don't ignore the groans.

 

[Sheldon]

> This is fixed in Gen2... Brake lights come on when:
> - Brake pedal is depressed
> - Regen causes >-0.12g deceleration any of L, D, paddle or combination.

I just upgraded from gen1 to a gen2. I didn't like driving in "L" in the gen1 because the brake lights did not come on. It sounds like this is fixed in the gen2? How much deceleration is 0.12g, as compared to the gen1 driving in "L"?

 

[Fyodor]

> How much deceleration is 0.12g, as compared to the gen1 driving in "L"?

Canhedian quotes 0.07 g above for Gen1, which is the legal upper limit for not having brake lights, so Gen2 has nearly twice the deceleration.

 

[vawlk]

I don't have a problem with the lights not coming on, I actually like it. You just have to train the driver behind you a bit first. After 1 or 2 slower decelerations, they back off a bit more. Brake lights are the reason for the accordion effect in traffic that causes the stop and go.

Occasionally I will get a honk or a bad look but I really don't care. Most people that are mad were following too closely anyway.

 

[Taser54]

NEVER had a problem with other drivers while I have the Volt in L and I'm in Maryland, the land of unpleasant drivers.

As for the brake light feature, if concerned about it, tap your brake pedal. The brakes doesn't have to actually decelerate the car, just light up the brake lights.

 

[hellsop]

Canhedian quotes 0.07 g above for Gen1, which is the legal upper limit for not having brake lights, so Gen2 has nearly twice the deceleration.

So basically, the Gen 1 *already does* what Gen 2 does. It puts on the braking light every time more than 0.12g of deceleration is happening. It's just that on the Gen 1, the only way to do that is with the brake pedal. Or run into a tree. In which case you have other signals to drivers behind that you're stopping now.

 

[lezouave]

I beg to differ! If the brake lights come on when running into a tree, it's just a coincidence caused by the driver's foot's proximity to the brake pedal. Correlation is not causation.

 

[Fyodor]

So basically, the Gen 1 *already does* what Gen 2 does. It puts on the braking light every time more than 0.12g of deceleration is happening. It's just that on the Gen 1, the only way to do that is with the brake pedal. Or run into a tree. In which case you have other signals to drivers behind that you're stopping now.

Maybe more - lights come on at 0.08 and above. But yes, that's another way of looking at it.