When to use electric park brake?

[Peenemunda]

Hello All,

I am a new 2016 PHEV owner and also a first well newish automatic driver. I have a quick question. when i come to traffic lights is it worth putting the handbrake and electric park brake on?

will this save any of the battery? i thought pressing this shuts the EV side off?

or do i just sit with the foot brake on?

Thank you

 

[jaapv]

I just hit "P" The simplest way of all.
I don't think the parking brake shuts down EV. Pressing the foot brake hard does.

 

[Peenemunda]

Thank you for the advice.

 

[littlescrote]

Putting it into Park to engage the transmission brake is a good idea to shut off the motor drive (pressing the brake pedal hard also achieves this, you can check power flow on the dash) as it prevents dazzling the driver behind with the brake lights. It's courteous and recommended in the UK Highway Code.

It's also a good idea to use the handbrake whenever you can, as it exercises the calipers that otherwise get little use and are prone to seizing.

 

[Peenemunda]

@littlescrote
Thank you I am now doing this as I noticed I wasn't pressing hard enough to stop the engine flow indicator.

 

[kpetrov]

What you guys are talking about!? What is the meaning behind the expression shutting the EV side off?
If you lift your foot from the acceleration pedal even without baking the current to the el. motor is off and you are gliding or regen. braking depend on your settings.

 

[Nibbo]

Putting it into Park to engage the transmission brake is a good idea to shut off the motor drive (pressing the brake pedal hard also achieves this, you can check power flow on the dash) as it prevents dazzling the driver behind with the brake lights. It's courteous and recommended in the UK Highway Code.

It's also a good idea to use the handbrake whenever you can, as it exercises the calipers that otherwise get little use and are prone to seizing.

This is news to me, are you saying after I have stopped at traffic lights I can press the footbrake hard to engage the electronic parking brake.
Can I then take my foot off the brake and wait for the lights to change and then press the accelerator when I am ready to move off?
I have in the past tried to put the vehicle in neutral and pulling on the handbrake so I am not dazzling cars behind but I am worried that when I pull away I will accidentally put it in reverse as I sometimes do (stupid backwards direction lever).

 

[mellobob]

On both my 2018 and 2020 cars there is a HOLD button right behind the electric brake. If you press that, you get auto hold ... I find it very handy in stop and go traffic.

 

[AndyInOz]

What you guys are talking about!? What is the meaning behind the expression shutting the EV side off?
If you lift your foot from the acceleration pedal even without baking the current to the el. motor is off and you are gliding or regen. braking depend on your settings.

While stationary, in any of the drive modes, the car is in 'creep' mode, which means that power is being fed to the electric motors all the time while you are stationary.

If you take your foot off the brake pedal, the car will drive forward in this mode.

 

[jaapv]

Putting it into Park to engage the transmission brake is a good idea to shut off the motor drive (pressing the brake pedal hard also achieves this, you can check power flow on the dash) as it prevents dazzling the driver behind with the brake lights. It's courteous and recommended in the UK Highway Code.

It's also a good idea to use the handbrake whenever you can, as it exercises the calipers that otherwise get little use and are prone to seizing.

This is news to me, are you saying after I have stopped at traffic lights I can press the footbrake hard to engage the electronic parking brake.
Can I then take my foot off the brake and wait for the lights to change and then press the accelerator when I am ready to move off?
I have in the past tried to put the vehicle in neutral and pulling on the handbrake so I am not dazzling cars behind but I am worried that when I pull away I will accidentally put it in reverse as I sometimes do (stupid backwards direction lever).

No, pressing the footbrake hard only shuts off the current to the motors, it does not engage the parking brake. That is by pressing the button P on the console. Using the handbrake and N in this situation is not a good idea for the reason you mention. In fact, the handbrake is of limited use on this car.Even if stopped on an incline, it will auto-hold for a second from rolling backwards, enabling you to drive off without using the parking brake.

 

[kpetrov]

What you guys are talking about!? What is the meaning behind the expression shutting the EV side off?
If you lift your foot from the acceleration pedal even without baking the current to the el. motor is off and you are gliding or regen. braking depend on your settings.

While stationary, in any of the drive modes, the car is in 'creep' mode, which means that power is being fed to the electric motors all the time while you are stationary.

If you take your foot off the brake pedal, the car will drive forward in this mode.

How sure are you in your statement? How much power is fed to the el. motors in this 'creep' mode?

I believe power is fed to the electric motors only when you take your foot off the brake pedal.
When you coast power is fed as well but in order to remove the drag from the motors.

 

[greendwarf]

If the car is stationery but in Drive with the handbrake on and you switch to Neutral the drive releases and the car rocks back as the power to the wheels is removed.

 

[ThudnBlundr]

If the car is stationary with your foot on the brake pedal, putting it in neutral has no effect as no power is sent to the motors. You can see this on the dash. It's only when you release the brake pedal that power is sent - again you can see it on the dash.

 

[SilverD]

Hi
)n 2020 model I have noticed that with foot lightly resting on brake pedal, enough to stop forward movement from stationary diagram indicates power going to wheels. higher pressure on brake pedal cuts out power to wheels. It may have something to do with brake light activation adjustment. the 2020 model has the button behind park brake button to lock brakes without touching brake pedal and is released when accelerator is depressed. Saves blinding cars behind with brakes lights when stationary.

 

[Nibbo]

So, let me see if I have this right, before I go experimenting.
In order not to dazzle drivers behind you when stopping at junction, traffic lights etc...

1. Press the brake hard to cut off the EV.

2. Press the 'P' button to apply the brake and remove my foot from the brake pedal.

3. Just press accelerator when I want to move off which will disengage the brake and restart the EV?

Is that right?

Thanks

 

[littlescrote]

1 & 2 are correct. To drive off again you will need to press the brake pedal and select D again, just as you would any other automatic transmission.

 

[Nibbo]

1 & 2 are correct. To drive off again you will need to press the brake pedal and select D again, just as you would any other automatic transmission.

Thanks for confirming; like a lot of PHEV drivers I occasionally select 'R' by mistake especially when I am in a hurry so I will stick to dazzling. :lol:

 

[kpetrov]

There is a lot of misinformation in the last statements.

First, one don't need to press the brake hard in order to put the vehicle in P "park" position. Better the vehicle be stationary though.
Second, foot lightly resting on brake pedal may not even activate the brake, moreover the first stroke of the pedal activates regenerative braking.
(Just tested on mine, put it in D started the forward motion then very lightly on the brake slow it a bit and just a hair more pressing on the brake shuts the power and the vehicle stops. No hard pressing at all necessary and once you release it the vehicle is on the move again. No EV system is ever shut by brake pressing, hard or not.)
Third activating the "brake hold" button (behind the parking brake button) keeps your brake lights on, so you can't save the drivers behind from going "blind" by using the auto hold function.

If one wants so much to save the drivers behind from going blind on brake lights should leave the vehicle in D with parking brake activated put it in P or N that's the only option.
Leaving it in P expose the transmission to expensive damage in hit from behind scenario. N works only on flat surface.

In normal automatic transmissions some drivers are switching to N on traffic lights in order to reduce the load on the transmission and the engine.
(questionable technique regarding transmission and engine life saving but not damaging, I am doing it myself) In our PHEV no such benefit from N at all.

If one is blinded by brake lights... probably should not be driving at all and how is one dealing with an oncoming headlights in this case is a mystery.

 

[kpetrov]

If the car is stationery but in Drive with the handbrake on and you switch to Neutral the drive releases and the car rocks back as the power to the wheels is removed.

That's mean your handbrake don't work and you are doing the experiment on a slope.

 

[greendwarf]

If the car is stationery but in Drive with the handbrake on and you switch to Neutral the drive releases and the car rocks back as the power to the wheels is removed.

That's mean your handbrake don't work and you are doing the experiment on a slope.

As your previous post demonstrates by your own action - this is not true! If still in Drive the electric motors are trying to turn when braked, however when you move to Neutral the transmission "wind-up" (for want of a better term) releases and the car rock backs slightly without turning the wheels - simples!