Part I: Think I-PEDAL Is The Most Efficient? SURPRISING Test Results!! Kia EV6 / Ioniq 5

[@sketchsketchsketchsketch]

No surprise. It seems many misunderstand how regen works in virtually all EVs and hybrids. Notice how the car says it’s charging when you step on the brakes? That’s because the actual physical disc brakes in such a car are only used for panic stops and (in some cars) at very low speeds. In other words, the brake pedal doesn’t only control the friction brakes. Regen modes only affect how you interact with the car-i.e., what the accelerator pedal does. If you drive at the same speeds and accelerate and decelerate at the same rates, it doesn’t matter whether you achieved that with or without using the brake pedal, you’ll get the same result. For some drivers, higher-regen modes may actually result in worse efficiency. The most efficient way to drive is to keep speed constant (regeneration can only capture *some* lost energy), and that’s easier to do when you can coast.

[@kentkannegieter2960]

The paddle that you pull (+) to increase regen settings from 0-ipedal can be held to create brake regen and stop the car without changing the regen setting. I drive on level 1 and pull the paddle as a brake rarely touching the brake pedal. This technique works in regen value 0 also.

[@bobcaldwell9238]

In testing Auto re-gen you have to take into account the Smart Recuperation settings of Strong, Normal and Gentle. That effects the level of re-gen in Auto mode. So you would need to do your Auto tests at least three times to compare those combinations to determine which auto regen mode is most efficient. What is/was your Smart Recuperation setting in your test? I’m not sure what the default is. Normal? Anyway Victor of Cars Jubilee explains all this in one of his videos but he doesn’t test each setting to determine which is most efficient. Also, while driving in Auto you can change the level of re-gen with Auto as you drive using the paddles. So it’s never been clear to me how all this works together. You can really geek out trying to figure out the most efficient way of driving under various circumstances. You also didn’t test the efficiency in the various driving modes - Eco, Normal and Sport. I would expect Eco to be most efficient regardless of i-Pedal, Level 0 or Auto. But is it?

[@Longsnowsm]

I didn't know the Hyundai and Kia's let you set the option of different regen settings. That is a big bonus in my mind because there are times where it is better to coast and other times where I want to use regen. Since I know my routes and the places where to apply those techniques I am pretty sure I can save some energy if I have the option to apply the different techniques. Thanks for taking the time to share this information and testing.

[@richardb9591]

Very good informative video - thanks for producing and sharing it. My thinking is that the most efficient way to drive the EV6 / Ioniq 5 / GV60 / eGV70 is to use Auto Regen set to a "floor" of Lvl 0 or Lvl 1 and let the system ramp up automatically to as high as Lvl 3 as you come up on slower or stopped traffic. If/when you're coming up on a stop sign or a red light light without any vehicles ahead you can use the left paddle to temporarily raise the Auto Regen "floor" to Lvl 2 or Lvl 3. In either scenario you can pull & hold the left paddle to bring the vehicle to a complete stop rather than using the brake pedal. I encourage all owners of these HMG vehicles to give these methods a try.

[@sal1nger]

Great video, man, very helpful. You earned a subscriber. I own an EV6 first edition (matte gray) and agree that i-Pedal is best for city driving. I set it to Auto for highways since I find the system to be very intuitive and applies just the right amount of regen to slow the car in heavier traffic. In Auto mode you can also lower the level of regen using the paddles if you find it too aggressive. This type of modulation is what makes Hyundai/KIA's regen system so great.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

🙏

[@pianomn]

You are very good, clear, easy to understand in your entire presentation, thank you. I luv the I-pedal in the city but i drive with the cruise on the main highways.

[@passionatehealthykitchen]

Very clearly explained. I was surprised by the Auto mode performance in city streets. I bought the Ioniq 5 just yesterday. I was driving on the highway mostly on 0 as I felt ipedal or 3 or 2 or 1 feels too heavy and is not worth using as there is not much braking involved. I am not sure of the Auto mode. Not sure if Ioniq 5 has it but I think it might as both EV6 and Ioniq 5 differs only in terms of the design and technology should remain the same. So conclusion is to use the Auto mode in City traffic and use 0 regen level for highway driving. Thank you for your efforts.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

👍🙏😀

[@tomerino]

The I5 also has the auto regen mode: Just hold the right regen pedal for a couple of seconds to activate/deactivate it 👍

[@passionatehealthykitchen]

@@tomerino Got it. Thank you 🙏🙂

[@reiniernn9071]

I drive on highway in regen zero mode. When braking needed I do use the flipper to add regen...as low regen as possible for loosing some speed fast enough due to the surrounding traffic.. I never use the brake pedal unless really necessary because max regen is not eneough. My ioniq 5 is now nearly one year old...and an AWD long range.

[@rogercaughell4282]

Loved this video! Clear. concise, well concluded. Given the crazy volume of variations, this sets a great foundation for even more questions/observations.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

👍🙏😀

[@bodine21215]

Just got my Gravity Blue EV6! Your videos have been an excellent resource for me! Keep making great videos!

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

🙏

[@MartinNyholmJelle]

You have level 3-2-1-0 in Auto mode also (reverts to 1 if its in 0 at car power off). You must notice the blue bar below the Auto text. If Auto is in grey color you are controlling the regen and the car is 100% like manual regen (if there was totally empty roads, you would, in effect, have 0 effect of auto). If radar (same as Adaptive Cruise Control really) picks up a car ahead the Auto text turns green, and the car can apply additional regen level as needed (the blue bar grows to show this). So you feel more effect the lower your regen level is set for.. if you have 0 selected it can go though 1-2-3... if 3 is select.. not that much is left :D

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

🙏

[@goose2050]

Totally agree with your driving settings, I pedal city and 0 on highway drive😊

[@AMan-he9sz]

Thanks for making this video. Please remember that braking with the brake pedal ALWAYS produces some regeneration, irrespective of other settings.

[@virum1]

When in auto you can adjust how much the starting Regen will perform.. while in auto you can bring the amount to almost zero and it will adjust based on your driving.

[@dbrowns895]

I also use the left Regen paddle to brake more aggressively when needed.

[@jasongordon1449]

I wonder how this test would do on a RWD, where i-pedal can't use both engines

[@rickhartsock3129]

Excellent video! Love the numeric analysis! More, please!

[@bradleymcafee7913]

I've been keeping my regen at 3 and charging the capacitors to full blue bar while driving mixed commutes to work on the hwy and streets. I usually end up around 4.8 to 5.6 mkw. EV6 wind AWD.

[@NikSargent]

Thanks for this - your data-driven (no pun intended) videos are super helpful for folk like me who are considering the leap into EV for the first time, but also have a bit of OCD over how it all works and performs. Really love it - thank you.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Thanks for watching!

[@VerticalBlank]

Thank you, very informative. I have an EV6 on order for delivery in Jan 2023. My takeaways are: - auto is a great all-rounder - use i-pedal around town if you like - use lvl 0 on motorways if you like

[@sinu309]

Are you getting the EV6 2023 model?

[@VerticalBlank]

@@sinu309 I don't know. I ordered in March 2022 and the order form doesn't mention the model year, so I expect not.

[@GeoffBee1]

I only received my Ioniq 5 a week ago but I have been using the regen in Auto for most of my driving, which is on rural roads. If I find the car is going too fast downhill, I increase regen with a flick of the paddle, if it is dragging then I flick the opposite paddle. So far this method has felt adequate for (almost) 1 pedal driving. Though I'm increasing or decreasing regen, the display indicates Auto mode throughout and I can certainly notice the difference in the amount of regen.

[@dbrowns895]

I have the same car. I use Auto Regen level 2. This is a more comfortable deceleration setting when you take your foot off of the accelerator.

[@terjesorheim]

Nice video. I've driven in all modes and think auto is a nice setting in my day to day driving (in the city). But on highway I allways use the cruice control that helps me keep the speed more consistent and the ride more relaxing :) I will do some more testing my self too.

[@leemann2155]

New to EVs with a 2024 Ioniq 6 AWD Limited. I love the i-PEDAL and completely agree with your findings. Around here in South Florida, traffic is heavy, but often traffic lights are a mile or more in-between. I can drive locally all day long in i-P. The couple of highway trips were done in AUTO, but I'm definitely going to try Lvl 0.

[@budscheroni]

Thanx for that Video and for your efforts to check this out. That was what I was looking for, but I had not the time to test all modes on same conditions.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

🙏

[@zk1270]

Thank you!! Finally some real review for the efficiency of the kia ev6, I just ordered a kia ev6 gt-line Yatch blue like yours😍.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Good luck with your EV6!

[@BrightChocolate]

Great video. I have the same car but with white seats. Really love the Auto Regen. It eases up on the brakes after a stop and does not feel as sticky as a iPedal

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

😀🙏

[@muhammadsidibe2523]

Thank you so much time for taking your time to make this video, i have an kia niro ev, i was to lazy to do this experiment myself so i thank you 😂😂 , i watched like 4 other videos they either did it incorrectly or didn’t show the stats in a reasonable manner. THANK YOU

[@mrwizworks]

I use i-pedal all the time. much less wear on the brakes. in emergency situations, or other, if you need to stop fast you can still use the regular brake if needed. What I have found is that using i-pedal mode, you need to essentially retrain how you drive. ie. more gradual accelerations, and feeling the "sweet spot" where there is (for lack of better wording) neutral energy - not being accelerated, and not going heavy into regen - you can guage this in the dashboard display where it shows regen vs. power output during acceleration. I have managed to see 5.2mi/KWh on my EV6 as I got used to finessing how I drive in I-pedal mode. I also keep the car in "ECO" mode with i-pedal as well. If I need a burst of power in a hurry, I can quickly engage "Sport" mode and pass people like they're standing still, and with authority! After the need for temporary high power, I toggle back to ECO mode and keep it there. I find this maximizes my range.

[@MichelF]

When you perform emergency braking the system never uses the motor(s) to brake, only the brakes are used.

[@volcalstone]

​@@MichelFfrom what I heard when you step in the brakes it will use regen first then applies the physical brakes.

[@MichelF]

@@volcalstone in normal conditions yes, but not with an emergency stop (pedal to the floor situation).

[@MrSnicol]

Whenever I get into a fossil car I hate having to use the brakes and miss regen. Nice test thanks!!

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

👍🙏😀

[@BigMaxGames]

I have an Ioniq 5 Ultimate (Canadian badging) and I've had identical results... Great video, thanks for sharing your findings

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Nice to hear someone else got the same results!

[@derekdyer3929]

Good morning. I was able to get 4.7 mi/kw from home to work this morning in Auto regen level 3. Maxed out at 5.2 and averaged 4.7. It is 70mi one way, large hills and decent traffic. Opted for manual regen with left paddle when I could and bad drivers caused long slow accelerations up the hills. Started with 100% battery 289mi of range and ended with 81% battery and 225 mi of range. All in all I am very impressed with this car so far. Thank you for the tips and in depth information on this.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

64 mioe rabge 7 0 miles trip each 6 mióe mkre eaçh way 12 moee miañge road trip

[@tylerhall4570]

I can't get that much at all.. I'm driving a 2023 EV6 GT-Line RWD. How do I get that much?

[@derekdyer3929]

@@tylerhall4570 hard to say, depends on how you drive and route, every chance i got to use max regen with the paddle I would use it. But that was with traffic morning and evening and sticking to 67-70 mph.

[@Pierceb2]

Try starting with Eco Mode and I Pedal or Auto Regen mode or Level 3 Regen. Think about your driving style too like coasting, no gunning it out of stops at intersections, driving at or below the speed limit and keeping a good distance from car in front of you. Also climate controls matter so use eco mode, slower fan speeds and take advantage of ventilated seats w heating and cooling. Experiment on repeated trips. On hot days put windows down to ventilate car to outside ambient temp too but while driving close windows to eliminate drag. There are many videos on hype mile-ing that might give you some ideas. Very hot or cold days will also negatively impact your mileage too.

[@Marvaloza95]

Travelling 140 miles back and forth for work? That's ridiculously far tho. I hope the pay is worth all that travel. But 5.2 is amazing!

[@rose415]

TY, I have an Ioniq 5 and I find it fun driving ipedal until I get to highway, I was surprised a bit by all your test results. Great video TY

[@jackwilson2304]

Thank you for this informative video. I have an ev6 arriving 6/10/22 and am clueless about a lot of the features. This video helped a great deal.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

🙏👍 enjoy your ev6!

[@DemonEyes23]

Great video. Going to see if my ioniq 5 has an auto mode as I have been using the ipedal almost exclusively

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Pull and hold the right paddle. That should put it in auto mode. Stay tuned for another video on this subject coming out tomorrow.

[@DonMulligan1]

Great vid! I'd love to see the results of driving the surface street route with regen at Level 2 and liberal use of left paddle braking. My anecdotal observations would indicate that that will be your most efficient mode. Also... something that I was initially unaware of.... in auto mode you can select from 3 different levels of "auto!" Looks like you were in the Level 3 Auto mode. (eta: I saw you've done another vid with Auto at lower levels)

[@igotheals]

thank you so much for this great analysis of the regen modes! I just recently got an EV6 GT-Line RWD and I've been very interested in the performance of these different modes. much appreciated!

[@christheswiss390]

I believe you are missing a possible application of zero regen and how to drive it: I come from driving an Audi RS4 with steering wheel mounted gear paddles. In normal driving, I would alwas decelerate using my paddle shifters. When I didi a test drive of the EV6, I automatically used the 0 to level 3 regen modes exactly the same way: "downshifting" the paddles to decelerate and upshiftig to accelerate. This lets you use the coasting functionality, while also engaging regen consistantly, thereby increasing mileage. It worked like a charm. Needless to say, the test drive made the purchase of the EV6 GT line a no-brainer!

[@paulaxford6754]

It may have been covered in a previous comment but first I assume you know that normally the brake pedal uses regen almost exclusively when its favorable to efficiency. Second, the Ioniq 5 (and likely the EV6) has a feature where that brake-blended regen is disabled when in Level 0 for the first 10+ brake applications, the purpose being to clean the disks. So, the fixed regen tests would have been better done in Level 1 even though technically Level 0 should have provided a small advantage had this oddball feature not been present. Thanks for the clearly-articulated video however!

[@hotprop92]

And where did you read about this 10+ brake application thing?

[@paulaxford6754]

@@hotprop92 It's on page 6-16 of the 2023 owner's manual. "Selecting 0 step of the regenerative braking system, the brake disc cleaning function is operated around 10 times."

[@13dma1rz]

Thanks for a great video. Getting an Ioniq5 next week and will definitely play with the settings.

[@Ddronron1]

Thanks so much for your thorough test and methodical analysis. I really appreciate the time you took to do this work!

[@1sword4you]

You can engage Max regen temporarily on demand and come to a full stop by holding the left paddle while driving in auto or zero without switching modes

[@jimji2774]

Yes it will bring you to a stop like level 4 by holding the left paddle but you cannot change its force like using your foot on the brake so can be a little dangerous in traffic at least until you gain experience.

[@guidolavespa6737]

that's excatly what I observed! Thank you for this test!

[@JosefHu]

Impressive video & detail!

[@photogravity]

I have a 2023 Ioniq 6 SE RWD and with just under 4500 miles on the odometer my efficiency since new is at 4.6 mi/kwh. I drive in iPedal mode almost all the time and use the cruise control a lot, even when driving in town since the car has such good adaptive cruise control. I have done a good bit of highway driving with it, probably 60-70%, and when I compare it to my 2021 Chevy Bolt Premier, I am constantly in wonderment that the car is this efficient. If I didn’t travel I would be quite happy with the Bolt, but since DCFC speeds are horrible with the Bolt, the Ioniq 6 has become our travel car. BTW, I drove my Bolt about 13,000 miles across the USA and Canada (Mid-Atlantic to Newfoundland to Vancouver Island and back to the Mid Atlantic) in the fall of 2022 and the Bolt performed exceptionally well except for the excessively long charging stops. The Ioniq has solve the long charging time issue, for sure.

[@rogerbaim6070]

Thank you for that well thought out comparison of the efficiencies of the various regenerative systems. Out of curiosity, I wonder if ECO mode would have delivered different results from driving in "NORMAL". I do have one favor to ask. Could you do the street and highway tests ONE MORE TIME using Adaptive Cruise Control in the same drive mode, rather than regenerative braking? It's my preferred driving experience, since it's the most semi-autonomous. Much appreciated!!

[@lplt]

i leave it in auto. when you start your car it will remember your setting unline i-pedal. what i heard was auto and level 3 are the most efficient

[@caraziegel7652]

Wow! of course, i'm in a Kona, no AWD. I drove a manual mazda for 17 years - i prefer starting in 0 and using the paddles to slow down when i need it.

[@jimji2774]

As others have said auto regen mode is not enough information since it uses whatever level you were in when you opted for auto until you come upon traffic. Try choosing auto from various 1-3 regen levels and see how different it is. Level 1 with auto seems a little crazy because it slows you very gradually until you are awfully close to the car in the front and then suddenly stops you. Level 2 works better for auto imo since it is a more consistent braking feeling.

[@denu1879]

Good video, thanks for the assessment, i usually drive in level 3 regen. Didnt even know there was an auto mode, will try the ipedal mode more.

[@CFG39]

The issue with I-Pedal in Hyundai/Kia models is that it keeps the front motor engaged all the time. I wish they’d allow stronger regen without locking the front motor on all the time. You can easily adjust the accelerator to coast regardless of regen level selected. The front motor adds additional drag even when not being used for power as PMSM motors cannot freewheel, always exerting a force as the rotor spins even when “coasting”, for this reason Tesla uses induction front motors on the 3/Y as they can freewheel without the need for the mechanical clutch Hyundai/Kia uses.

[@Kellric7]

very interesting, I'll try this in a few years when my GT comes :p

[@peterball7789]

Enjoyed your efficiency review very much. I'm not looking to buy an EV6 (probably a Niro EV or a LEAF). As you mention, the drag co-efficient of the vehicle makes a difference to efficiency, but driving dynamics and style are probably more important. Interesting results you achieved particularly in the EV6 auto setting.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

nis 🗜️an leaf ñew onné 226 miles év dót kñów ràngré

[@davidriman4334]

I beg to disagree about no regen in coast mode. The first part of slowing is then only done by regen when one starts pressing the brake pedal. Pressing harder will add the friction brakes when maximum regen capacity is reached.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Thank you for your comment!

[@lasselasse2440]

​@@THEDRIVERDOWNLOADThat's all? He is right with his statement. And then you have to be able to move the car properly. If recuperation is only activated by pressing the brake pedal, consumption is always lower. You just have to let the car roll, brake slowly and don't drop the anchor in the last few meters.

[@BioniqBob]

I used the paddles as needed, like gearing down in an ICE.

[@AGMinTiverton]

I am new to the Ioniq 5 and liked level 3 until I was going down an incline and SMOKED the brakes by keeping the pedal up. I DO NOT WANT the REGEN wearing out my brakes but yet want REGEN charge. Now I'm very confused about what to do, but after seeing your video I guess AUTO would be best all around.

[@gorgeplo]

I love to use coasting (lvl 0) then the closer I get to the stop sign I will increase the regen level till i stop I get maximum regen and I do not use my accelerator pedal well ahead of the stop zone it's so easy to drive that way same on the highway when it stop in front of me I start increasing regen levels and brakes if I have to but as long as my tampon zone is not too short usually I coast or brake less than in front of me to decrease the distance between me and the car in front and that's enough time to let the traffic pick up speed again no need to let ACC (or AUTO regen mode) stop me in advance to keep the maximum space between us

[@stevenwoods5072]

You might want to mention that some models such as the Hyundai RWD SEL have 1 motor, not two which will affect mileage as well as driving experience as the two motor versions will be faster but less efficant.

[@georgeg2568]

Great video, you are always an excellent source of information and I am now a subscriber! I have an EV6 on order (btw, MSRP prices are honoured here in Canada) and am eagerly awaiting its arrival... next year! I understand that level 1 regen returns the most regen from using the actual break pedal, unlike level 0 in which all regen is off. If you're planning any further testing, I was wondering if level 1, Auto, with break pedal use, would be any more efficient than the others...

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Thank you for your feedback and congratulations on your EV6 - I’m excited for you! And thrilled that you won’t have to deal with the craziness of markups…

[@synthdrummer]

I really don't think the regen level affects the behavior of the brake pedal. Only the neutral "gear" disables regen on the brake pedal. (I own an Ioniq Electric and have test driven Ioniq 5 and EV6.)

[@fatmanchew909]

I don't see how an average elderly adult would be able to handle such drastic changes to driving modes. Just having my dad try to drive an ICE vehicle with knob shifter made him also run the car into the garage because he forgot to put it in park. Having them trying to remember which mode uses 1 pedal driving vs having to use the brakes can be catastrophic.

[@Smart.Potato]

Honestly I drive which I find most comfortable in regen 0 mode. My car feels light and most of the time I’m not using the accelerator. And when I want to stop I press the brake pedal, it still gives me regen.

[@jf0314]

Thanks for the video. Would be interesting to see if the values change on a longer interstate route. I wonder if Auto setting takes into consideration if you're outside a city.

[@imgabnun]

I woul think the main advantage of auto-regen is that 1 of the motors is disabled. I would think the car consumes half the energy than with 2 motors (i woud not now the motor-energy consumption ratio) this would be why the good numbers and that the algorithm plays a much smaller rolle on mileage performance. I would think that if we could select the regen level and the motors being used we could get even better mileage.

[@johnsacks7398]

I find I get the highest mi/kWh with my GV60 if I keep regen at zero and manually increase the brake with the left paddle as needed.

[@HaraldSchlindwein]

I wonder if you get the same efficiency of Auto mode with one-pedal combined with adaptive cruise control and distance assistance on the motorway

[@We.are.robots]

Interesting! I'd love to see if the highway and city results would differ if using cruise control on both of the routes. Does this alter the regen settings further?

[@LearningFast]

Will the I-Pedal mode bring the car to a complete stop? It looks like the upcoming Toyota BZ4X won’t do that at all. I have a Tesla Model 3 and with the newer ones you can’t adjust the regenerative braking at all. It is always on unless you buy an aftermarket part to adjust it. Technically the most efficient way to drive on the highway is to maintain a constant speed the entire time. That is why all of the modes will give basically the same result.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

I Pedal in the EV6 will bring the car to a complete stop.

[@garybean2205]

@@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD I did notice in the manual screen shot there is a caution to press the brake pedal on inclines.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

@@garybean2205 thanks for pointing that out!

[@luqstar]

Thanks for this very informative video. One thing to consider is which mode provides the least wear n tear on the brakes…

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Good point! I-Pedal has the least wear and tear on brakes.

[@micharosenzweig3527]

@@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD Sorry I beg to disagree. in Auto mode the brake pedal regens exactly same as i-pedal, so no added wear & tear on the brake pads.

[@RedSunofNW]

Braking makes all the different. Unless you do the test on a track without any other cars. And stop and go at exactly the same spots. The speed has to be the same too throughout all modes. It will come out the same. We just drive the EV as ICE car. My buddy doesn't even utilize and smart feature. She doesn't use SCC. The EV gets 4.3 kWH average with ECO, regen 3

[@MichaelMasonJr]

Good video however I think you only proved that regen level 3 is the way to go on this route. I wonder how the car would do with auto regeneration level 1 or 2. Also when breaking I believe you get both regenerative breaking and friction breaking for harder stops. The car shows that it is recapturing power in my ionic 6 when using break.

[@slonWDFPF]

Thank you very much for the test...

[@elliotbaltazar]

Great video! I have a question; is the orange car behind you a Lego model kit?

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Yes it is! It's a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. My son put it together!

[@elliotbaltazar]

@@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD I love it!!!

[@finsmaniac02]

So my thinking is that nothing (regen setting wise) should have that much effect on the highway if you are driving with as steady speed as possible. Whether that be ACC cruise, very steady foot, etc - it will take as much power to keep the car at speed regardless of your method. If anything, heavy regen might be bad if you don't have a steady foot - with foot fluctuations causing purposeful slow downs (for regen) and then getting back to speed will cost more power than you got back on the slowdown (regen not 100 percent efficient). City driving is totally different obviously, and I am eager for more investigation! I read "auto" as "regen starts at level x, and can increase to level x+n based on what the computer thinks will be most helpful". I like it better than a set value because the set values can feel very heavy (slowing for regen) when I don't need any breaking help. So I am eager to hear opinions of auto starting from level 0 and auto starting from the other levels also (I am thinking my preference will be auto from 0 or auto from 1). Great video, looking forward to more!

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

🙏

[@donallen48]

Brilliant. Thank you!

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Glad you liked it!

[@paulbirrell5805]

Great video. Learned a lot. Very informative.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Glad it was helpful!

[@reiniernn9071]

I miss one test, can you add it once? Thats the full automatic drive on ascc (cruise control) , especially on the highway. But I also use that setting quite often in urban environnement. The car will automatically stop when the car in front of you stops....only halting yourself when you're the first car for a trafficlight, And....regenerating is always worse (energy loosing ca 25%) than no regen in mileage range. BUT....always better than using your brakes because that is turning energy into heat for 100%. In other words...running no regen (zero) should be changed with the flippers the moment you need more braking than zero . In other words...it is braking more or less with the flippers in stead of braking pedal....that braking pedal I only use when I cannot halt the car fast enough with the flippers at the steering wheel.

[@MihneaStoian]

Applying the brake pedal will first engage the regen and only if more braking power is needed will it start applying the actual friction brakes. Forgot to mention - on RWD models iPedal will be closer to the other 2 since there is no front motor to keep engaged. In city iPedal on RWD is about the same as Auto on AWD, it seems. I personally use this all the time and just modulate the pedal as needed to coast. On the highway I tend to engage the adaptive cruise control and let the car just do its thing, which disregards the regen setting. The Auto setting feels very inconsistent to me as it keeps modulating the regen level based on traffic in front.

[@guidolavespa6737]

Have you recognised that you can set 3 different levels with the paddles in Auto Mode?

[@dobrzpe]

you do know Auto has multiple settings, right? Right? also - i'm under the impression when you hit the brakes, it uses regen before applying any brakes. so, there is that too...

[@jimwilt4944]

Interesting, but I think you need a larger sample (longer course). I would also repeat the test to see if the results are consistent.

[@iariag1]

very good, but there are different levels of auto mode, which did you use?

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

I was in the level 3 auto mode. I will be testing out the others soon…

[@clivelittlewood]

@@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD I find 'level 1 auto' is the most efficient mode for EV6 RWD, turning to 0 auto only on highways.

[@youngmoon8762]

Good explanation!

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Thanks!

[@martyl1455]

Great video! What setting would work best in suburban driving, speed limit 35-50, with some mild to moderate hills and twisty roads along with flat areas, and traffic lights when going through the center of town?

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Auto might work best… but personally I like to play around with the settings to see which I find most comfortable…

[@emtambulance201]

Very helpful thank you

[@roderickpullen4102]

Very informative.

[@guyhenry3047]

Great data analysis! Science wins!!

[@AGMinTiverton]

I left out that I only use ECO and didn't know that AUTO applies to all of the levels.

[@asdfghjkl117]

I own an EV6 as well. Greater efficiency of course leads to extended range as well as lower cost per mile in terms of energy consumption. What this video fails to mention is the fact that while the iPedal mode may not be as efficient as the Auto modes, it may still be the most economical on the long term if one factors in the cost of replacing break pads and rotors. Indeed, one hardly uses brake pads and rotors at all with iPedal. This would lead to substantially delaying the need to replace pads and rotors, something that will likely cost well in excess of $1000 including labor if done by your local Kia dealer. I personally find regen-based deceleration physically more satisfying than conventional breaking. It oddly feel more "natural" to me. Pads on rotors now feel more archaic. EV’s being so quiet, I can actually hear the friction between the pads and the rotors at lower speeds. Regen braking is dead quiet and feels so smooth and high-tech in comparison.

[@robbyroboter38]

On my Hyundai Ioniq i always drive on 0 mode. And youre wrong: if you hit the breaking paddle you always charge the batterie first. Only on emergency breaking or on the last meter you brake with the conventionel breaking system.

[@nickcantarella6504]

Could u please do an analysis of driving, always using the Cruise Control (where conditions permit) with the frontal vehicle notification distance at max. And Re-engaging Cruise Control as necessary or needed. i notice this provides tremendous mi/kwh. Ty

[@edgrenzig]

I know Hyundai uses one pedal regen using the gas pedal, levels 0-4, but how does it use the brake pedal? Does stepping on the brake pedal in a Hyundai EV or Hybrid activate only the friction brakes. Or does stepping on the brake pedal activate “Brake Blending”? (that is Blending both regen and friction) If so, does stepping on the brake pedal, activate brake blending even if in any one of the 4 one pedal modes 0-4?

[@9791redoj]

Hm, nice try but not that convincing in its entirety. There are different levels of Auto. You were in Auto-3, hence the similar "heavy" feeling on the highway as in I-Pedal. Go to the lowest Auto setting, change the braking to "soft" in the car settings and you will get a feeling similar to 0-regen. In 0-regen you could still regen by pulling the left paddle instead of engaging the brakes. This should change your city results significantly. What about the results when driving with the LFA/HDA on? This can still be used in many city situations and it brings the car to a full stop when needed. All that without having both motors in use like in I-Pedal. Why should the regen be the highest in I-Pedal and therefore this mode the most efficient? Hyundai/Kia use regen in all modes (besides 0-regen) when applying the brake pedals until the maximum is reached. Only pushing down further lets the brakes do their work.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Thank you for your insights!

[@Trisbooger]

The regen breaking amount is just a driver comfort thing, it doesn’t actually change the usage of the friction brakes vs regen, so I think all you’re measuring here is driver behaviour.

[@rabbitwooden2184]

Nice video. 👍

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

🙏

[@Dave_1960]

Does the Kia EV6 engage both motors in eco mode when using i-pedal? I don't think my Ioniq 5 does. You should try your experiment in eco mode to see if there is a difference. The i-pedal may perform better in eco mode in the city.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Good point! I will have to test it out…

[@JackMoskowitz]

My Ioniq 5 uses both motors in I-Pedal.

[@gillkirkwood3706]

My I5 does as well - both motors.

[@brandonl8039]

It does, ipedal basically keeps both motors on at all times. Even in eco. If you don’t have the front motor engaged you can feel a noticeable gap from the time you try to brake until you get max regen. I suspect this is why they set Ipedal to keep both motors engaged, much more responsive regen braking.

[@Dave_1960]

@@brandonl8039 Thanks for clarifying. It makes sense that both motors need to be engaged or you won't get any regeneration from the front motor coming off of throttle. It would be interesting to see the efficiency of ipedal vs level 3 regen. in the RWD only models.

[@CINsyg]

In rwd version you would get bether results on i-pedel as it actually works in eco mode where AWD have an issue there

[@tzwc3571]

Wonder what results when one hyper mile working regen manually?

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Good question! I will have to test that out…

[@TheHaspro1]

Did you brake by foot pedal in Zero-Regen or with paddles? In Zero the first c. 10 brakings by foot in EV6 and Ioniq5 are done by friction brake and not electric motor, so you get no energy back into the batteries. This is to allow to clean and use the mechanical brakes occasionally. Every mathematical model shows that as little regen as possible is the most efficient way of driving, as the amount of regen never matches what has been used beforehand or afterwards. But in general it's not the setting that makes the difference, it's the driving style. I've done tests with 4 different EVs (as per now, one of them was the EV6) for my YT-Channel where I compared the two driving styles and the one with as little regen as possible (and the setting of zero-regen) was always more efficient in City-Traffic (consumption with high regen was between 6 and 21 % higher), so I matched what physics tells us. If you had used steering wheel paddles to brake then result would have been correct. So it seems a waste of time.

[@roger6246]

Hyper miling and then regen if you must stop. As you say, regen is not 100% efficient, maybe 90% at best, so limiting regen will maximize mileage. With solar panels on my roof I use i-pedal for city driving- I'm not burning any oil or sending any money to the putin's of the world. The automatic cruise control is really nice in heavy traffic- much less stress and only necessary to touch the pedals if the traffic comes to a complete stop.

[@ralf_stork]

Ioniq5 does NEVER use regen in level zero with the brake pedal. Even not after approx. 10 brakings. NEVER! The documentation is just wrong. The only way to regen in level zero is to draw the left paddle. But the regen power is limited with this approach (didn't test if using the brake pedal when holding the left paddle gives more regen). If drawing the left paddle gives too much regen, just use the power pedal to compensate. Regen is ALWAYS the second best solution. The effiency is not even near to 90%. It is around 65%. To use minimal regen level zero with slowing down by drawing the left paddle is the best method and most efficient. Using auto level zero is second best.

[@TheHaspro1]

@@ralf_stork It was confirmed by an engineer of Hyundai Austria that it does. I asked him specifically about this as I wasn't sure how this works exactly.

[@ralf_stork]

@@TheHaspro1 Please ask this engineer to produce a video showing recuperation with zero regen level when using the brake pedal. My IONIQ5 doesn't after more than 20 brakings. And I know of several other IONIQ5 owners where recuperation at zero regen level doesn't occur after using the brake pedal over and over again.

[@asdqwe321ful]

In what mode did you take the test? Eco? Normal?

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Normal

[@vancouverelectricvehicleas8942]

Thanks this was going to be my question but wanted to see if someone else did first. Thanks & great video as always

[@marcweinshenker5834]

My understanding of Auto, confirmed by my playing with it, is that it can be activated from any regen mode other than Max, and this underlying initial mode is reflected in the regen graphic, which I like to analogize to a tape measure. From your screen shots it appears you entered Auto from what looks like regen 3 judging from how far out the tape is pulled. This may be why it felt more heavy like I-pedal and not light like regen 0 under regular driving conditions. If you enter Auto from regen 0, then the tape measure looks more retracted and Auto has more regen range to apply when it activates (goes to green) when it sees a car ahead you, and then you’ll feel relatively more active slowing. So, unless I’ve misunderstood what you did, you may have a few more combinations to test using Auto mode. Still, the results of the combinations you presented are very good to know. As An aside, I use the tape measure analogy as a mnemonic to remember which regen paddle to use - the one on the right pulls the tape back in toward the right to decrease, while the left paddle pulls the tape out toward the left to increase.

[@THEDRIVERDOWNLOAD]

Yes, you are absolutely right about the different levels of Auto. I've been playing around with them to see how differently the car drives. In this video, I did enter Auto from Level 3. I haven't done a test with the different levels of Auto, so that would be interesting to see what results they deliver. Good point about the mnemonic - I thought it was counter intuitive that minus was on the right and plus was on the left - but the tape measure analogy certainly helps visualize that better!

[@MartinNyholmJelle]

Correct that auto has levels also

[@mjsabie8517]

I should be interested in the highway results at say a level 2 regen