Recuperation Modes

DerekS

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Has anyone done the math to determine, definitively, which mode is best for range? On, Off, or Auto?

I've been running it ON since I got the car, but I am curious if the longer coast time in OFF ends up a net win for range. Or perhaps AUTO.

I'm considering coming up with a specific test route and running all 3 to compare but if someone else has already done this I'd prefer to just know which mode is best. :)
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I drive with it off but turn it on when a slight burning off of speed is needed quickly.
I do miss the one pedal driving in the tesla but I do not miss the herky jerkiness of it
 

NC_Taycan

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The setting isn't important - what is important is how you drive the car. Best range is achieved at a constant speed from start to finish. Any acceleration or recuperation involves energy conversion losses. So, however you get as close to a constant speed as possible is what matters. For different drivers that will mean different recuperation modes. I also suspect we are talking a few miles difference between best and worst here - just not worth worrying about.
 

feye

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The setting isn't important - what is important is how you drive the car. Best range is achieved at a constant speed from start to finish. Any acceleration or recuperation involves energy conversion losses. So, however you get as close to a constant speed as possible is what matters. For different drivers that will mean different recuperation modes. I also suspect we are talking a few miles difference between best and worst here - just not worth worrying about.
Yes, lower speeds without any breaking (incl recup) gives best range.
 


NC_Taycan

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Yes, lower speeds without any breaking (incl recup) gives best range.
And yes speed is key. ICE or BEV, wind resistance is a function of velocity squared (assuming stationary air). You will get more range driving at 55 MPH vs. driving at 75 MPH.
 


NC_Taycan

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Since Range mode defaults to recuperation off, that seems like a pretty good indicator that Porsche thinks that is the most efficient mode.
Correction - that seems like a good indicator that Porsche thinks drivers will most efficiently drive the car with recuperation off.

It's not the mode that matters, it's how the driver drives the car in the selected mode that matters. With recuperation on you can achieve the same result as coasting with recuperation off, but it takes a bit more attention to your right foot. If you don't want to devote effort to that attention, then recuperation off will be more efficient for you.
 

Jhenson29

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So what is recuperation used for, if not range?
TLDR; Overrun recup settings are for driving dynamics, not range.
————
Recuperation is used to “recover” kinetic energy to charge the battery.

There are two options for reducing kinetic energy. One is to dissipate it as heat through the friction brakes.

The other is to use the electric motor. But now the motor has to dissipate the energy somehow. This can either be done as heat through resistors or by sending it back to the supply (assuming the supply can do something with it), e.g. with an inverter putting it back on a supply line or in the case of the Taycan, back into the battery.

It should be preferred to use the motor and battery over the friction brakes for the following reasons.
  • the friction brakes will generate more heat than the motor and battery (heat which has to be removed from the system)
  • the friction brakes, being mechanical, will have more wear
  • putting the energy back into the battery will increase the range (relative to friction braking)
Reread that last one. Recup does increase range, but only relative to other braking alternatives, and it’s only one of the reasons to use it.

In general, it’s going to better to not brake in the first place, which means no recup. But that guy stopped in front you may not appreciate that.?

Note I’m referring to all recup, both braking and overrun.

You’re probably asking more about the overrun settings. My opinion is that these settings are more about providing different driving dynamics than they are about range.

As a separate note, I’ll add that the current recup limit is imposed by the charge rate limit on the battery. The motors can regen as much as they can motor. So, the system could have braking resistors added to get even more electric motor braking. But that’s still just dissipating it as heat which will still need to be removed from the system somehow (and is still just lost energy, but possibly still better than the friction brakes since it’s not mechanical).
 
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struther

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TLDR; Overrun recup settings are for driving dynamics, not range.
————
Recuperation is used to “recover” kinetic energy to charge the battery.

There are two options for reducing kinetic energy. One is to dissipate it as heat through the friction brakes.

The other is to use the electric motor. But now the motor has to dissipate the energy somehow. This can either be done as heat through resistors or by sending it back to the supply (assuming the supply can do something with it), e.g. with an inverter putting it back on a supply line or in the case of the Taycan, back into the battery.

It should be preferred to use the motor and battery over the friction brakes for the following reasons.
  • the friction brakes will generate more heat than the motor and battery (heat which has to be removed from the system)
  • the friction brakes, being mechanical, will have more wear
  • putting the energy back into the battery will increase the range (relative to friction braking)
Reread that last one. Recup does increase range, but only relative to other braking alternatives, and it’s only one of the reasons to use it.

In general, it’s going to better to not brake in the first place, which means no recup. But that guy stopped in front you may not appreciate that.?

Note I’m referring to all recup, both braking and overrun.

You’re probably asking more about the overrun settings. My opinion is that these settings are more about providing different driving dynamics than they are about range.

As a separate note, I’ll add that the current recup limit is imposed by the charge rate limit on the battery. The motors can regen as much as they can motor. So, the system could have braking resistors added to get even more electric motor braking. But that’s still just dissipating it as heat which will still need to be removed from the system somehow (and is still just lost energy, but possibly still better than the friction brakes since it’s not mechanical).
Agreed. I have recup on to mimic the driving the dynamics of a traditional ICE sports car. I find the Taycan does this very well, which is why the default is ON for Sports Plus. Not about range efficiency, it is about how the car behaves. I think this is why I found the transition from my previous car to this one so natural, with the added benefit of ridiculous torque.
 

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Agreed. I have recup on to mimic the driving the dynamics of a traditional ICE sports car. I find the Taycan does this very well, which is why the default is ON for Sports Plus. Not about range efficiency, it is about how the car behaves. I think this is why I found the transition from my previous car to this one so natural, with the added benefit of ridiculous torque.
Since driving my Taycan I fell in love with coasting, and get always very irritated for a moment when I switch in Sport mode...
 

benver

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Since driving my Taycan I fell in love with coasting, and get always very irritated for a moment when I switch in Sport mode...
That's probably a very short moment :CWL:
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