- Auto-braking: Stop calling it regeneration modes. All braking on EVs is regenerative, that's the point. All it is, is various levels of auto-braking, not varying amounts of regeneration. Was grinding my teeth listening to Dave talk to the bus company about that.
Stop grinding your teeth, start thinking about why there is always a set of conventional brakes on board. Because when it is not braking regenerative, but as form of traction control, antilock braking system or electronic stability control. That's why there is an important distinction to be made.
You're missing my point. Most automotive journalists, and @eevblog himself (from having watched his videos about his cards, and Sidney buses) aren't grasping the concept that all braking is regenerative. You don't have to set a 'regen' mode to enable putting energy back into the battery when you slow down due to any kind of braking.
There's zero difference (in energy returned to the car) between
a) having the car in 'agressive regen mode' and taking your foot off the accelerator and the car auto [regen] braking; and
b) having the car in 'no regen mode', taking your foot off the accelerator, and equivilent force [regen] braking with your foot
It's a supremely dumb name for the feature, because it implies to people you only get regenerative braking if you enable it, when in fact all braking is regenerative.
And, in both cases for extreme braking, or when the battery is full, there are brake pads like a normal system
From an 'other car' perspective, it's also less annoying, because (in the case of my VW eGolf), it will light the brakelights as soon as you lift off the accelerator if you're in mode 3 or B (modes are off-1-2-3-B on a VW)
From an energy point of view, it's actually more efficient to coast as much as possible, and keep the car in '0 - no auto braking/regen' mode. Rather than an on/regen/on/regen pattern due to losses in the charging systems