Hybrid braking warning lights?

[bcooke]

Should all hybrid vehicles have rear warning lights when they are in regenative braking mode?
Metro transportation buses in Northern Virginia, have a group of center mounted yellow lights that flash when they slow down.
Is it possible to add that to a Maverick?
When it switches to "charge" in the display.

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[HeyBales]

I think bad idea for ALL regen.
You'd have the brake lights constantly going off - that's going to cause problems just like people braking with left foot as they even accel with right.

Not a recognized color for what's going on - perhaps in some areas, but is there a sign on that bus stating what the color lights are for?
That's a distraction if it wasn't for such a big bus probably, and the locales knowing what it means anyway.

Besides - for most of the drive modes the regen is around where other cars are in their transmission slow down rate anyway. It's not that far off.
So there is nothing special going on between the hybrid truck and other vehicles maintaining their speed on some downhils, while a smattering of other vehicles may have to touch the brakes to do so just depending. Or they can pop-off Overdrive, or downshift many times.

Now - there aren't as many manuals on the road now - but even they had the ability to match the Grade Assist the hybrid does to maintain speed, if they down shifted.

But it would be smart to put some smarts into the system when Low is used, or the Grade Assist is doing max regen equal to Low mode, to match average vehicles going into the brakes to maintain speed.

I've come off the highway many times and the vehicles in front of me with no brake lights (and not HEV or EV) and coasting and I'm catching up to them - my Normal mode regen is less than their engine air braking. I have no problem braking in a tad more regen or hitting the Low button for a tad more to match them.

 

[rk06382]

Should all hybrid vehicles have rear warning lights when they are in regenative braking mode?
Metro transportation buses in Northern Virginia, have a group of center mounted yellow lights that flash when they slow down.
Is it possible to add that to a Maverick?
When it switches to "charge" in the display.

I worry sometimes worry about the Adaptative Cruise Control. If the car in front puts on their brakes to slow down for a traffic light, The ACC can brake hard. Maybe this is why so many Mavericks are rear ended.

 

[MaverickDragon]

Should all hybrid vehicles have rear warning lights when they are in regenative braking mode?

Apparently, on your 25 it already does, per another poster on the forum:
Hybrid Brake Light Activation without using the brake pedal

 

[Dad]

I think bad idea for ALL regen.
You'd have the brake lights constantly going off - that's going to cause problems just like people braking with left foot as they even accel with right.

Not a recognized color for what's going on - perhaps in some areas, but is there a sign on that bus stating what the color lights are for?
That's a distraction if it wasn't for such a big bus probably, and the locales knowing what it means anyway.

Besides - for most of the drive modes the regen is around where other cars are in their transmission slow down rate anyway. It's not that far off.
So there is nothing special going on between the hybrid truck and other vehicles maintaining their speed on some downhils, while a smattering of other vehicles may have to touch the brakes to do so just depending. Or they can pop-off Overdrive, or downshift many times.

Now - there aren't as many manuals on the road now - but even they had the ability to match the Grade Assist the hybrid does to maintain speed, if they down shifted.

But it would be smart to put some smarts into the system when Low is used, or the Grade Assist is doing max regen equal to Low mode, to match average vehicles going into the brakes to maintain speed.

I've come off the highway many times and the vehicles in front of me with no brake lights (and not HEV or EV) and coasting and I'm catching up to them - my Normal mode regen is less than their engine air braking. I have no problem braking in a tad more regen or hitting the Low button for a tad more to match them.

Good points made here.

 

[MaverickDragon]

Good points made here.

Maybe, but for the OP, it's an already addressed situation.
When braking in regen (without the brake pedal being depressed, because that always activates the brake lights) the brake lights come on.
See link on thread #4..

 

[Dad]

Maybe, but for the OP, it's an already addressed situation.
When braking in regen (without the brake pedal being depressed, because that always activates the brake lights) the brake lights come on.
See link on thread #4..

Thank you!

 

[HeyBales]

Maybe, but for the OP, it's an already addressed situation.
When braking in regen (without the brake pedal being depressed, because that always activates the brake lights) the brake lights come on.
See link on thread #4..

Is it all the time, or certain levels of regen?

That question was asked but never answered in that other thread.

Or is it only on what the system sees as a "hill" and does the auto-Grade Assist for keeping the speed?

 

[HeyBales]

I worry sometimes worry about the Adaptative Cruise Control. If the car in front puts on their brakes to slow down for a traffic light, The ACC can brake hard. Maybe this is why so many Mavericks are rear ended.

The ACC for calmer situations can use Regen slowdown for speed - but if the brake pressure is being applied as in an emergency situation - the brake lights are going on.

Same as the Hill Start Assist on inclines, and the Auto Hold - the brake pressure is applied and the brake lights are on.

 

[bcooke]

The ACC for calmer situations can use Regen slowdown for speed - but if the brake pressure is being applied as in an emergency situation - the brake lights are going on.

Same as the Hill Start Assist on inclines, and the Auto Hold - the brake pressure is applied and the brake lights are on.

I have not seen mine co.e on yet.
Bill

 

[MaverickDragon]

Is it all the time, or certain levels of regen?
That question was asked but never answered in that other thread.
Or is it only on what the system sees as a "hill" and does the auto-Grade Assist for keeping the speed?

I could be wrong, but it would make sense to activate the brake lights based on the deceleration rate. With foot off the go pedal, the car slows down, just like a car with a standard automatic.

I think it highly likely that brake lights only light up when the brake pedal is touched, or the brake hold is on, or ACC activates the brakes.
Otherwise, the deceleration rate doesn't get close to typical braking.

With ACC engaged, if the vehicle is actually braking hard, that would mean the brakes are engaged, so it would imply brake lights. I don't have ACC on my XL so I can't test it, but if someone wants to, just stick a mirror on their tonneau cover or tailgate and the brake lights will show up in the rear view mirror even in the daytime.

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

I have not seen mine co.e on yet.
Bill

Here you go Bill.
Here is the Ford adaptive cruise control in action on a Ranger. Automatically applying the brake lights when it applied the brakes to slow down.
More than likely the same system as the Maverick.



As far as regen goes, not much more dangerous than when people used to downshift on a manual transmission. No brake lights applied then.
BUT NO CELL PHONES EITHER.

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