Electric Vehicles and One-Pedal Driving

Nearly all automakers are making a big shift toward electric vehicles with plans to go all-electric within the next decade. Buick has plans to release their first EV in 2024, and GMC currently has their first-of-its-kind Hummer EV. While most hybrid and electric vehicles are very similar in operation to combustion engine vehicles, they do have several differences in features. One of those is one-pedal driving. Keep reading to learn how this feature works and why it works so well for EVs.

How Does One-Pedal Driving Work?

One-pedal driving is just what it sounds like: using only the accelerator pedal to both start and stop. It works well for plug-in hybrid electric and fully electric vehicles because of their regenerative braking system. Regenerative braking is a method that electric motors use to give power back to the battery, effectively offering a small charge each time the vehicle brakes while creating friction that slows the vehicle. With one-pedal driving, you can achieve regenerative braking without even tapping the brakes. When you need to slow down, simply take your foot off the pedal. Your vehicle reacts by slowing the vehicle at about 20% braking, making for a smooth and steady stop.

Of course, operating a vehicle with just one pedal takes some practice. If you’ve been driving for more than a few years, it’s a force of habit to use the brakes – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You can’t rely on one-pedal driving for emergency braking, so you still need to be aware of the second pedal. However, once you get the hang of it, you can increase the EVs range by several miles just by using the single pedal while driving. It makes stopping much smoother because you’re relying on a computer instead of human power to slow the vehicle. If driving with one pedal never feels quite right to you, that’s no worry either. It’s totally optional in every EV, and you can still reap the benefits of regenerative braking with both pedals with the only downside being less efficiency.

Electric vehicles are set to arrive within the next few years at Ewing Buick GMC. The Hummer EV is already released, although in limited numbers, and the Sierra EV is coming soon as well. Contact us for more information about when we expect electric vehicles to arrive. Once they do, we’d love to show you one-pedal driving and other exciting EV features. In the meantime, view our current inventory and get ready for hybrid and electric vehicles to arrive.