The “L”ow Down (shifting into L - Low when approaching a stop)

[Mavster Mechanic]

L (on the Hybrid) heats the battery VERY fast.

Heat is bad for the battery pack.

L is putting more stress and strain on the HV battery.

OK in winter maybe it's fine.

But don't use L without good reason or for long periods in above 70°F / 20°C or you're asking for shorter battery life.

That and there's no brake lamps but you are slowing as hard as someone who is using brakes.

Think of it this way:

The design intent was to use it to MAINTAIN speed on hills.

Plus who trusts AI?

It's wrong as often as it's right.

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[Glen Baker LLC]

NASA is collaborating with Google on various projects involving artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. NASA leverages Google's AI expertise to enhance its space exploration efforts, including data analysis, planet discovery, and even designing spacecraft components.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

The "L" (Low) mode in the Ford Maverick enables one-pedal driving, a feature common in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids, including my 2013, 2015, and my daughter’s 2018 Chevy Volt. This mode allows drivers to accelerate and decelerate using only the accelerator pedal by engaging regenerative braking when you ease off the pedal, slowing the vehicle.

One-pedal driving is most useful in stop-and-go traffic, where I rely on it frequently. However, I avoid using it at speeds above 50 mph in my 2023 Maverick. On highways, releasing the accelerator in L mode causes the vehicle to decelerate more quickly than when the mode is off, requiring more energy to regain speed compared to coasting. While it doesn’t harm the vehicle, I prefer to disable it at higher speeds for efficiency.

In town, L mode shines. With practice, you can master feathering the accelerator to coast smoothly to a stoplight, nearly coming to a complete stop. However, L mode won’t bring the vehicle to a full stop, so the brake pedal is still necessary for complete stops or emergencies. Always use the brake when needed for safety.

Notwithstanding lack of brake light engagement pressing the L button at 70 (or whatever) gives 100% regen braking. I'll use it when traffic allows to charge the HVB over the 40% ice max to aid in town driving. As far as in town driving in L mode truck will stop if you have adaptive cruise on and a speed set (not easy to trust adaptive cruise to complete stop about 4-8 feet behind stopped vehicle though). If you touch brake the adaptive cruise is turned off. You can resume the cruise with go pedal. When HVB is max regen charged the adaptive cruise will use the engine brake and hydraulic to complete the stops. Again I cannot bring myself to not use the brake pedal......

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

NASA is collaborating with Google on various projects involving artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. NASA leverages Google's AI expertise to enhance its space exploration efforts, including data analysis, planet discovery, and even designing spacecraft components.

And cops use it.
And hospitals use it.
And doctors use it.
And lawyers use it.

I read some lawyers got caught in court for using AI to write their legal brief; or whatever you call it. Trouble was, it was generative AI which means AI generated cases as precedent that didn't exist.

Anyone else have a problem with that?

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

To me, "data" is something observed. Not this:

Generative AI can:

• Generate new data: Create realistic content like images, text, or audio from training data

And apparently generate new case law.

Because "Brown vs. the Education Board" exists, AI just assumes Brown vs. the Water Board"' and "Brown vs. the Infectious Disease Board" naturally exists too!

 

[MakinDoForNow]

I understand the engine braking, but why would it shift to a much lower gear a few minutes after shifted into L, which already shifted it to a bit lower gear. I don't need the engine revving like crazy, just want a little engine braking. I wish I could select the lower gear instead of the computer deciding where (and when) it wants to.

I think what it does is not shift into a much lower gear it just turns off gas and the ice rpm is determined by the rpm of the wheels.

 

[Meeka]

NASA is collaborating with Google on various projects involving artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. NASA leverages Google's AI expertise to enhance its space exploration efforts, including data analysis, planet discovery, and even designing spacecraft components.

NASA also uses EM! Eeewww!

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

NASA Not About Space Anymore

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

Bottom line AI is here to stay, it isn't going away. You can try and avoid it. Good luck with that.

 

[HeyBales]

I think what it does is not shift into a much lower gear it just turns off gas and the ice rpm is determined by the rpm of the wheels.

He's talking EB.

Which I think like the hybrids - is now touching on the speed control on Hill Descent - if you touch on the brakes to maintain a speed or let off the Go pedal, system tries to hold your speed to a point.

On EB's, it can downshift to obtain that extra resistance.
On hybrids, it can dig into higher regen, which of course if HVB is charged up means engine spun up.

So just confusion.

SETTING THE HILL DESCENT SPEED

To increase or decrease the descent speed, press the accelerator or brake pedal, Once you reach the preferred speed remove your feet from the pedals.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

I recently consulted ChatGPT on a question I had about using the L transmission setting when I’m approaching a stop sign or red light.

For those of you not familiar with ChatGPT it is in AI based data repository that essentially searches all available data on subjects and provides the detail you have requested.

The different AI tools all work fairly similar but also differently. They can only search public info, like doing Google search- but they often smash together information from multiple different sources. The real power is they put information together grammatically correct.

BE AWARE that they are OFTEN WRONG. Just a couple days ago someone pasted an AI response of 20x90cm when the truth is 20x30cm. (the space allowed for foot placement when playing disc golf).

Also, each AI model has its strengths and weaknesses.
-Grok absolutely checks what Elon Musk has said (and often throws in his most recent ramblings into answers on unrelated topics).
-Claude is great for coding questions.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

(L) seems like it keeps the eCVT in a lower "gear" for the ICE engine for improved engine braking. So I'm a bit skeptical of it actually improving around town efficiency as the engine hangs out in a higher RPM range with it enabled versus not.

If you're in L and it engine brakes- it's not feeding gas to the engine, it uses the air compression which happens in all gasoline engines to add resistance (in regular driving the air gets compressed with gas then the spark plug makes it blow up and push the crankshaft)

 

[jerrisn]

L (on the Hybrid) heats the battery VERY fast.

Heat is bad for the battery pack.

L is putting more stress and strain on the HV battery.

OK in winter maybe it's fine.

But don't use L without good reason or for long periods in above 70°F / 20°C or you're asking for shorter battery life.

That and there's no brake lamps but you are slowing as hard as someone who is using brakes.

Think of it this way:

The design intent was to use it to MAINTAIN speed on hills.

Plus who trusts AI?

It's wrong as often as it's right.

All hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) have battery packs that charge through regenerative braking, which generates heat in the batteries. These batteries are automatically cooled to manage this heat. I’ve owned three Chevy Volts—my 2013 and 2015 models both exceeded 100,000 miles and still achieved their original 40-mile electric range. My 2018 has 80k miles and gets 50+ miles. I frequently drive in "L" mode, which increases battery charging, and this is how the Ford Maverick hybrid is designed as well. While you can drive conservatively to minimize wear, battery aging is inevitable, and no amount of care will make a battery last forever. Even with Ford’s 8-year/100,000-mile hybrid warranty, you’re likely to get well over 200,000 miles from the battery, so it’s best to use the vehicle as intended without overthinking battery preservation.

 

[Ryom]

If you're in L and it engine brakes- it's not feeding gas to the engine, it uses the air compression which happens in all gasoline engines to add resistance (in regular driving the air gets compressed with gas then the spark plug makes it blow up and push the crankshaft)

I'm aware of modern fuel injection shutoff, DFCO or whatever any particular manufacturer calls it.

Further on in this thread I stated that with the accelerator pushed in a bit to cruise at a steady speed, activating or deactivating (L) substantially changes the input/output effect of the accelerator. There is definitely something going on past regeneration and engine braking with (L) on the hybrid.

I'd like to be able to create a custom "mode" that has max regen (preferably with stop lamp activation), but uses the battery aggressively for acceleration like sport mode without also keeping the engine running, as well as improving the steering and pedal responsiveness like sport does.

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