New owner - Regen - On, Off or Auto? What does it do?

[Tango22]

Had my 2024 GTS ST for a couple of days now and getting used to things slowly - it's also my 1st EV as well as my 1st Porsche

Watched a few videos on YouTube and most of them simply show the driver turning regen on with the steering wheel button and cycling through on/off/auto.

So n00b question - what's the difference between them all and how do each of them affect driving?

Finally, what do you have yours set at, normally? I'm aware it resets to 'off' each time you exit and then enter the car again.

Thanks for any replies!

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[slothinker]

It took we a while to fully appreciate this option. Here's how I use it:

When driving around town without Cruise Control active (target speed being set) (assuming you have this option), I set the Regen button to Automatic (hold down for a couple of seconds). This allows the Taycan to react if I'm approaching too close or too fast to a car in front of me. (Say driver is a car in front slams on his/her brakes.)

The only other time I use the Regen button is when rolling/driving down a steep grade (there is a 6-mile long slope near me) ... I press/unpress as a way of 'breaking' the effect of gravity on the Taycan's speed rather than use the brakes.

 

[anonymouse]

Welcome to the wonderful world of EVs.

Personally, I can't see the point of this adjustment and I just leave it on the default.

The Taycan will decide itself how much regen to apply (almost always opting for the maximum available) vs how much physical brake to apply (rarely any) when you press the brake pedal.

What the adjustment seems to do is slightly change the behaviour so it slows more when you take your foot off the accelerator. This gets a little closer to the "one pedal driving" of a Tesla but not all the way. I am quite happy with the default setting and moving my foot between accelerator and brake as needed.

Some early and badly-designed EVs (eg early Audi eTron SUV) used to provide flappy paddles which adjusted the amount of regen. I thought that was even more pointless. Basically they did this because Soccer Mom was buying an "electric engine" and expected all the controls in the same place as their previous ICE, so Audi had to figure out something to use the paddles for. Thankfully Porsche didn't add this clutter to the console.

Someone will be along to claim that "coasting is more efficient" etc but I think that is bogus. And only range bores care if you get another couple of higher values on the miles guess-o-meter.

In summary: I leave it at default and get on with spirited driving which is what a Porsche is for.

 

[Tango22]

Welcome to the wonderful world of EVs.

Personally, I can't see the point of this adjustment and I just leave it on the default.

The Taycan will decide itself how much regen to apply (almost always opting for the maximum available) vs how much physical brake to apply (rarely any) when you press the brake pedal.

What the adjustment seems to do is slightly change the behaviour so it slows more when you take your foot off the accelerator. This gets a little closer to the "one pedal driving" of a Tesla but not all the way. I am quite happy with the default setting and moving my foot between accelerator and brake as needed.

Some early and badly-designed EVs (eg early Audi eTron SUV) used to provide flappy paddles which adjusted the amount of regen. I thought that was even more pointless. Basically they did this because Soccer Mom was buying an "electric engine" and expected all the controls in the same place as their previous ICE, so Audi had to figure out something to use the paddles for. Thankfully Porsche didn't add this clutter to the console.

Someone will be along to claim that "coasting is more efficient" etc but I think that is bogus. And only range bores care if you get another couple of higher values on the miles guess-o-meter.

In summary: I leave it at default and get on with spirited driving which is what a Porsche is for.

Thanks!! So default - do you mean press and hold until the dash symbol shows auto regen? Or totally leave the regen button on the wheel alone, so there is no 'Regen symbol' on the dash?

 

[Tango22]

It took we a while to fully appreciate this option. Here's how I use it:

When driving around town without Cruise Control active (target speed being set) (assuming you have this option), I set the Regen button to Automatic (hold down for a couple of seconds). This allows the Taycan to react if I'm approaching too close or too fast to a car in front of me. (Say a car in front slams on their breaks.)

The only other time I use the Regen button is when rolling/driving down a steep grade (there is a 6-mile long slope near me) ... I press/unpress as a way of 'breaking' the effect of gravity on the Taycan's speed rather than use the brakes.

Many thanks, that makes sense - yes.

 

[anonymouse]

Thanks!! So default - do you mean press and hold until the dash symbol shows auto regen? Or totally leave the regen button on the wheel alone, so there is no 'Regen symbol' on the dash?

I just get in and drive.

 

[Tango22]

I just get in and drive.

So don't even touch the button on the steering wheel - gotcha, thanks!

 

[MrJones02]

I like it with regen "on" ... around here the speed limit changes frequently, allowing the regen to slow me down works perfectly.

I can't get used to the coasting, when I'm getting close the the car in front I always expect the car to slow down if I get off the accelerator, like an ICE car. Its a bit of a game for me to touch the brake pedal as little as possible

If only it would remember the last used setting, that would be nice.

 

[refazi]

Kinda hilarious that you don't even know what car you bought... it's ST which stands for SportsTurismo not SC...
Congrats! and as the others mentioned, it's unless button that's why it was replaced in MY25 to be next track

 

[Tango22]

Kinda hilarious that you don't even know what car you bought... it's ST which stands for SportsTurismo not SC...

SC was a Typo. I think it's a Porsche I've bought though.......or maybe it was an Audi? I can't actually remember.....

 

[refazi]

It's mostly a Porsche.. enjoy!

 

[Fish Fingers]

Had my 2024 GTS ST for a couple of days now and getting used to things slowly - it's also my 1st EV as well as my 1st Porsche

Watched a few videos on YouTube and most of them simply show the driver turning regen on with the steering wheel button and cycling through on/off/auto.

So n00b question - what's the difference between them all and how do each of them affect driving?

Finally, what do you have yours set at, normally? I'm aware it resets to 'off' each time you exit and then enter the car again.

Thanks for any replies!

My Taycan was my first Porsche / EV.
Sold it now, but in the 3 years had it, I used 'Auto'. Works well on typical UK roads (mixed driving).

In 'auto' when you take your foot off the pedal it will coast whenever it can for efficiency (no obstruction in front), but it will 'brake / regen' when there is a car slowing in front.

'Off' is like an ICE car that coasts and 'on' is more similar to one pedal driving (which Tesla ownership have).

I always used to get in the car and hold the button for 2 seconds for auto by default.

 

[ovonrein]

The only other time I use the Regen button is when rolling/driving down a steep grade (there is a 6-mile long slope near me) ... I press/unpress as a way of 'breaking' the effect of gravity on the Taycan's speed rather than use the brakes.

But when you press the brake on a Taycan, regen is the first thing that happens - long before the brake callipers bite. The slope would have to be very steep to overpower the regeneration.

 

[ovonrein]

Someone will be along to claim that "coasting is more efficient" etc but I think that is bogus.

I bite. Regen is clearly not efficient when it isn't needed. And a genuine need becomes apparent soon enough - when the driver hits the brakes. At which point the Taycan applies regen anyway. So, strictly, the regen option for the throttle isn't required. Porsche adds the option for people - like my wife - who want to feel the old "engine braking" when they lift off the throttle. (Strangely, my wife hates the one-pedal drive.) It is just a drive-feel thing.

 

[princess_toadstool]

personally i keep it on auto for the best of both worlds. I'll coast if noones in front and will auto regen (auto slow down) if someone is in front and they start braking.

I treat it as a kind of free version of ACC.

Annoys me that it doesn't save what mode it is in in normal mode (as do a lot of stupid design decisions with the software, but that's a different discussion). but it saves it in my individual mode which i flip to each time i drive.

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