Only using re-generative braking instead of an on-board electric generator to charge the vehicle is degress to human advancement. However good to see re-generative braking technology applied in modern cars.
Since you're a well-known personality putting forward their car, perhaps if you contact the manufacturer they could hook you up with a diagnostic console that would give much more precise live info on what the car is using or generating?
..oh and I wouldn't call this a failed experiment. You clearly showed that the dial went to the extreme end of the 'charge' indicator. it just didn't do it for long enough to add a 'bar' to the battery charge.
It's annoying that you have to tell the car what to do. It's probably quite easy to forget to put it in to correct mode every time you approach a large hill.
@alexvegas Having driven a Prius quite a lot in a mountainous region I can tell you that you get used to it quickly. It would indeed be ideal if the car could better predict the amount the back pressure that is appropriate but it needs more information (such as GPS and elevation map). You don't always want to charge heavily when going down a hill because that velocity can be better used going back up the hill. There is a certain inefficiency due to energy escaping as heat while charging.
I think you were expecting too much from the "bars" moving. I mean, on the first hill, if you only used 1 bar driving all the way there, it would be pretty incredible to get that bar back just by freewheeling down a hill. Even if you got 10% of the energy output back, that'd only be 1/10th of a bar - and those bars look like they update a whole section at a time - meaning you wouldn't see any difference on the display.
Or I've completely misunderstood, which is wholly possible.
I think you're right. The value of regenerative breaking would be in its accumulation - maybe in the power generated and therefore energy saved over something like a year.
Our Rav4EV has regenerative braking, in two modes, including the B mode of the iMiev. We have installed a Palm device which provides very detailed information.
The figure of ten percent is not far off, for a regen. We have managed to collect sixteen percent regenerative energy during one period.
He is putting energy back in, but looking for a one-bar increase is meaningless. One bar to get there, one-tenth of a bar on the regen, for the same distance.
Does the iMiev not have two stage regen then? free wheel to get some regen, then brake pedal for more regen up to the point where it kicks in the brake pads?
That's a bit odd that you have a 'brake' mode. I would have thought pressing... the brakes would do that! Does that mean that pressing the brake doesn't regen?
For safety's sake, most (if not all) electric cars separate braking on the brake pedal from regen, so if the electronics fail for any reason you can still use the brakes to stop.
AIUI, the iMiEV usually freewheels like an automatic car for coasting, but when it's in "Brake" mode it instead engages regen all the time, so it drives more like a manual car with engine braking.
I'm fairly sure based on some of the descriptions of the recent trouble with the braking on the Prius that it works as SquareoftheyearFM describes. It would be good to know for sure what the iMiev does.
You're gonna see get another bar added mostly only if you've just used the bar you're adding. If you consumed just 1 bar for traveling 15 miles, then you're gonna need aprox. the same downhill distance to get it back.
It does get back on my Vectrix, but only if you just consumed the bar or if you're going down a very long road.
That would only be true if the car had a built in cell/mobile phone, the noise you can hear is a mobile phone hunting for it's nearest repeater tower, a mobile will "ping" it's nearest tower every few minutes in order to get the best signal, it will also do this as it senses a change in signal strength, since a car is moving quiet fast the phone will ping more often as the signal strength changes faster than if you are walking.
A quick and easy solution would be to place the phone in a tin foil lined bag/box while recording, this will act as a Faraday cage and block the signals coming from and going to the phone.
I think from an earlier video having the same problem but both occupants reporting to have had their phone off someone floated the idea that the car is sending back messages to Mitsubishi on performance and usage. It is a 'test' car after all. But Robert or anyone at Mitzy will know more I'm sure.
The noise you hear is not (from energy) coming from the cell phone towers; it's originated (from energy) coming from the phone. Burying the phone in a box will make the phone transmit harder to try make its presence known to a cell tower. The phone's battery will drain quicker. Best turn a phone off (or remove it altogether) instead.
You need a digital volt meter to know for sure and what type of batteries are you using?
anewlow23 3 weeks ago
bad news for gas stations :D
mptrax 7 months ago
@WeirdoMikey
there should be circuit to prevent it from charging.
lampuiho 11 months ago
What's with the echo and reverb you use in the video.
TheFutureLooksGrimm 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Only using re-generative braking instead of an on-board electric generator to charge the vehicle is degress to human advancement. However good to see re-generative braking technology applied in modern cars.
heartlessvietboy 8 months ago
You should be able to get a dual registering energy meter measuring import and export of energy to really see the actual savings.
Paxmax 2 years ago
Since you're a well-known personality putting forward their car, perhaps if you contact the manufacturer they could hook you up with a diagnostic console that would give much more precise live info on what the car is using or generating?
SciStarborne 2 years ago 4
..oh and I wouldn't call this a failed experiment. You clearly showed that the dial went to the extreme end of the 'charge' indicator. it just didn't do it for long enough to add a 'bar' to the battery charge.
alexvegas 2 years ago 6
It's annoying that you have to tell the car what to do. It's probably quite easy to forget to put it in to correct mode every time you approach a large hill.
alexvegas 2 years ago
@alexvegas Having driven a Prius quite a lot in a mountainous region I can tell you that you get used to it quickly. It would indeed be ideal if the car could better predict the amount the back pressure that is appropriate but it needs more information (such as GPS and elevation map). You don't always want to charge heavily when going down a hill because that velocity can be better used going back up the hill. There is a certain inefficiency due to energy escaping as heat while charging.
WotansFeuer 2 years ago
Were you wearing your seatbelt when going down the second hill? Didn't look like it.
retread01 2 years ago
lol ..busted, call the police!
great channel Robert,but you kept this one quiet,didnt even know it existed til u posted a gearless vid/link on your usual channel.
keep up the good work
mrlowdangle 2 years ago
I think you were expecting too much from the "bars" moving. I mean, on the first hill, if you only used 1 bar driving all the way there, it would be pretty incredible to get that bar back just by freewheeling down a hill. Even if you got 10% of the energy output back, that'd only be 1/10th of a bar - and those bars look like they update a whole section at a time - meaning you wouldn't see any difference on the display.
Or I've completely misunderstood, which is wholly possible.
tjdrico 2 years ago 2
@tjdrico
no i think you've got it right.
mooxim 2 years ago
I think you're right. The value of regenerative breaking would be in its accumulation - maybe in the power generated and therefore energy saved over something like a year.
feckingbillgates 2 years ago
Our Rav4EV has regenerative braking, in two modes, including the B mode of the iMiev. We have installed a Palm device which provides very detailed information.
The figure of ten percent is not far off, for a regen. We have managed to collect sixteen percent regenerative energy during one period.
He is putting energy back in, but looking for a one-bar increase is meaningless. One bar to get there, one-tenth of a bar on the regen, for the same distance.
freddotu 2 years ago
I have every sympathy with someone who's experiments sometimes fail... Still always worth watching Robert though!
DonkeyWerks 2 years ago
Does the iMiev not have two stage regen then? free wheel to get some regen, then brake pedal for more regen up to the point where it kicks in the brake pads?
SquareoftheyearFM 2 years ago
That's a bit odd that you have a 'brake' mode. I would have thought pressing... the brakes would do that! Does that mean that pressing the brake doesn't regen?
Octamed 2 years ago
For safety's sake, most (if not all) electric cars separate braking on the brake pedal from regen, so if the electronics fail for any reason you can still use the brakes to stop.
AIUI, the iMiEV usually freewheels like an automatic car for coasting, but when it's in "Brake" mode it instead engages regen all the time, so it drives more like a manual car with engine braking.
Anaerin 2 years ago
I'm fairly sure based on some of the descriptions of the recent trouble with the braking on the Prius that it works as SquareoftheyearFM describes. It would be good to know for sure what the iMiev does.
ewanmacmahon 2 years ago
What's great about regen is that it makes driving so easy; one-foot'ed almost all of the time. Nice in traffic.
PlanetTesla 2 years ago
'tis a very clear picture.
Nice to be able to enjoy the scenery in the background along with the content of the video.
webazoot 2 years ago
Very Nice Bobby :-)
AshleyBazSivorn 2 years ago
I very much like the "Polish" on this video.
good work as always mate.
We will have to try and get Mythbuster Grant to
Mopperty 2 years ago
@Mopperty Rig up a gizzmo to see how much power you get back out!
Mopperty 2 years ago
You're gonna see get another bar added mostly only if you've just used the bar you're adding. If you consumed just 1 bar for traveling 15 miles, then you're gonna need aprox. the same downhill distance to get it back.
It does get back on my Vectrix, but only if you just consumed the bar or if you're going down a very long road.
AndY1ksi 2 years ago
Bob I love the video's but you need to turn the mobile off while your doing them
Redshift21 2 years ago 10
@Redshift21 current theories are it might be the car itself...
SquareoftheyearFM 2 years ago
That would only be true if the car had a built in cell/mobile phone, the noise you can hear is a mobile phone hunting for it's nearest repeater tower, a mobile will "ping" it's nearest tower every few minutes in order to get the best signal, it will also do this as it senses a change in signal strength, since a car is moving quiet fast the phone will ping more often as the signal strength changes faster than if you are walking.
Redshift21 2 years ago
A quick and easy solution would be to place the phone in a tin foil lined bag/box while recording, this will act as a Faraday cage and block the signals coming from and going to the phone.
Redshift21 2 years ago
I think from an earlier video having the same problem but both occupants reporting to have had their phone off someone floated the idea that the car is sending back messages to Mitsubishi on performance and usage. It is a 'test' car after all. But Robert or anyone at Mitzy will know more I'm sure.
SquareoftheyearFM 2 years ago
On board telemetry might well be a possibility in a test car.
Redshift21 2 years ago
The noise you hear is not (from energy) coming from the cell phone towers; it's originated (from energy) coming from the phone. Burying the phone in a box will make the phone transmit harder to try make its presence known to a cell tower. The phone's battery will drain quicker. Best turn a phone off (or remove it altogether) instead.
badmanners411 2 years ago
That would work too : )
Redshift21 2 years ago