We recently shared with you how the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV – the one with the updated 66-kWh battery that promises more range – performs in the cold. Now we want to show you how you can drive your GM electric car using only the throttle thanks to its clever regenerative braking system. It allows the electric motor to turn in the opposite direction to create resistance while sending electricity back into the battery. Here’s how it works.
While the Chevrolet Bolt EV is starting to show its age in its segment, it’s still holding its own in the EV game. More recent contenders like the updated Nissan LEAF offer what they call an e-Pedal, while the Korean trio of electric cars – the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV and Kia Soul EV – offers the possibility of alternating between three levels of regenerative braking. These systems slow the vehicle down so hard that they allow you to drive your electric car without using the brake pedal at all.
The Chevrolet Bolt EV has a different way of going at it. Some automotive outlets complain about the fact that the Bolt is rudimentary for not offering such a gimmick, but it’s actually possible to obtain similar results in the Chevy. Here’s how.
By default, when the car’s transmission is set to D, releasing the car’s throttle will create mild regenerative resistance. This slows down the car somewhat, and sends an average of 10 to 16 kW of energy back into the battery. You nevertheless still need to use to car’s brakes in order to bring the vehicle to a full stop.
GM also equipped the Bolt with a tiny paddle located on the left side of the steering wheel. Pull and hold it, and you’ll double that resistance, sending an average of 25 to 30 kW of energy into the battery. However, contrary to the LEAF’s e-Pedal, you still can’t control the entire car’s braking performance using only the paddle. You’ll still need to use the physical brakes. 
To achieve one pedal driving, set the Bolt’s transmission to the L position. This will engage maximum regenerative braking while sending up to 60 kW of energy back into the batteries. In this feature, the car can entirely be brought to a stop using no brakes at all. Additionally, one can still use the Bolt’s paddle for even more resistance. The 2020 Chevrolet EV can therefore be driven using only one pedal like you can in a LEAF or a Niro EV.
Such driving habits will not only increase overall battery range, but also ration your physical brakes, further extending their lifespan. However, it’s recommended to remove the regenerative system during long highway driving, as it adds negative resistance and decreases range over time.
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Comments
It is very easy to do. You can master it is a very short distance.
If you have driven a golf cart it is very similar once you get the feel for the stopping distances and don’t tailgate.
I expect all EVs to allow coasting when the vehicle is moving fast enough to continue rolling without acceleration. And I also expect a special “hold” feature at stop lights that keeps the EV fixed with no pedal input, even at a slight incline, and allows the driver to let go of the brake pedal. This may consume some energy to hold the traction motor from moving, but will greatly reduce brake wear, and allows the driver to rest the right foot, especially at very slow moving traffic. This last feature can be added when the “L” is selected.
The regenerative braking is my favorite feature of my 2017 Bolt.
It is very intuitive and easy to use. I really miss it when I drive my ICE vehicles.
I periodically intentionally apply the brakes to keep them exercised and the discs clean.
EV’s do not have a throttle pedal. Only Gas engines have a throttle.
Also the motor does not rotate in the opposite direction during regeneration. It operates as a generator. If the motor was to change direction the tires would also have to rotate in the opposite direction and this would be a bad situation.
Thanks Mike for pointing out the motor does NOT rotate backwards. Who is writing this stuff anyway? Too simplify, when the re-gen is commanded the two leads (+ & -) are “disconnected” from the drive motor and connected to the battery. Now the motor acts as a generator charging the battery, driven by the wheels,which takes energy and thus the vehicle slows down.
As a side note, when the battery is at or near full charge very little re-gen takes place as you do not want to over charge the battery system. When the “electric” distance is down to approximately 80% of full charge the re-gen begins to be real effective. Even the little backwards circular rotating icon (showing re-gen is happening) changes from White or Clear to Green to show max re-gen is happening.
Technically correct is, of course, the best kind of correct.
It has got to more than double the life of the brakes!. I have a 2019 Bolt with 12,000 miles and probably only applied the brakes 20 -30 times, usually when some pulls out in front or stops suddenly. I just returned from a 25 mile trip today and never once touched the brakes. I may apply them lightly when backing out of the garage. I know I’ll never have to think about about doing the brakes in the 3 year lease time.
Steve Ruth
I have a 2017 Bolt I owen! Love the car, with driving in low I never touch the brakes, just for backing out of garage, for faster stops use the paddle and more regen. also have a 2018 Volt that I use the regen paddle with should never need brake pads ever.
I own 2 Bolts and find GM’s approach to regen driving better than other manufacturers. Like most electric car owners I prefer driving in L mode so 1 pedal driving is extremely easy. The wife likes using her Bolt in D and uses the paddle behind the steering wheel. Having options is also what many reviewers have liked about our Bolts. Recently read that GM will be doing away with the shifter our cars have in favor of push buttons. Just hope we get to keep the L mode.
Just of note you don’t have to be in L for one pedal driving. The regen paddle will stop the car in D mode as well. Also in D mode the car applies regeneration with application of the brake pedal. So to extend brake life in a Bolt EV is not a matter of L vs. D. It’s a matter of aggressive vs. not aggressive braking.
Does the regen mode also apply the brake lights when slowing? If not, you may be getting an unwanted rear seat passenger when you least expect it!
My Bolt’s break lights do come on during regenerative braking. I’m sure only for more rapid deceleration I haven’t determined what deceleration rate lights them up. Probably at a point similar to an ICE slowing by engine compression.
I own a Chevy Bolt Premier 2019 and there is a major safety problem with one pedal driving.
When the car comes you a stop the brake lights do not activate.
You must hit the brake offshore pedal to light them up for the driver behind you m
I can’t believe GM missed this.
They need to potty a patch on the program so when the car is in L and the speedometer reaches zero, the taillights are activated.
No one told me about this? I figured it out at night when I noticed things weren’t illuminated buy the break of lights and I pushed the break peddle and everything behind me lit up.
I now push the break prior peddle at lights.
Sorry for the spell check errors.
Standard transmission cars do not show break lights when your foot is not on the break either. Not sure this is a problem. I am sure that GM reco.mends you use the breaks.
I’ve had a Bolt since 2017. For the most part, one pedal driving is intuitive: let up to slow down, press down to start moving. That’s pretty much it.
Things to keep in mind:
1. You can’t slow down as much using regenerative braking if the battery is completely full. There a setting called “hilltop reserve” on the energy screen that may be used to stop the charge before the battery is completely full. Hilltop reserve leaves room in the battery to absorb the full energy produced regenerative braking as soon as the car is switched on. The trade-off is a little less driving range because the battery is kept less than 100% full.
2. The brake lights turn on automatically when you lift off the accelerator pedal and the computer detects a 0.2 G deceleration. The down side is the brake lights shut off automatically as the car stops (no more deceleration) unless you put a foot on the brake pedal while the car is stopped. To prevent unintended rolling and to alert drivers behind you that you’re not in motion, it is good to develop the habit of keeping your foot on the brake pedal when stopped.
The bake light situation could probably be fixed with software update. The brake lights should latch on at 0.2G deceleration and stay on until the accelerator is pressed, or a press and release of the brake pedal is detected. There is probably a lot of bureaucratic red tape and required safety testing preventing making a retroactive change to Bolts already on the road, but it would be really nice to have.
Another cool feature of the one pedal driving is the Bolt’s computer will use the electric motor’s force to hold the car steady on a hill to prevent unintended rolling if you happen to ease up on the brake pedal. This is the electronic equivalent of the No-Rol hill holding brake valves that Studebaker had in the 1960s – except the Bolt’s system works much better.
It is pretty seamless, and you probably would not notice the system is there unless you happen to catch the message that occasionally pops up at the bottom of the driver information screen when the system engages.
I am currently in negotiation for a 2020 Bolt. I currently drive a BMW i3 Rex, which I am keeping. The i3 has one pedal driving standard, no levers, no special settings at all, it just is. Why Chevy opted for something so gimmickry escapes my logic. Guess I’ll just have to go through the extra steps because I really like one-pedal driving.
What extra steps are you talking about? To get one pedal driving you can just use the regen paddle or shift the car into L. It’s very basic and simple. What’s more is that one pedal driving is not usually more efficient so the Bolt EV gives you the choice of which I greatly appreciate. In fact I wish the Bolt EV had a third coast mode. Its incredibly simple to go between D and L on the fly.
As I said, maybe I wasn’t clear enough. I was making the comparison between the BMW i3 I own and the addition of the 2020 Bolt I am buying. The extra steps I referred to was the fact that in the BMW one pedal driving is standard, you use the foot operated potentiometer to regulate the regen rather than having to use “L” or a paddle. I drove a Volt with the paddle and I thought it was fine, that was until I bought the i3 and it was “standard”. Different strokes I guess. My wife doesn’t like the regen because she doesn’t like the way the car slows down without brakes. Go figure. When I drive my Veloster, I have to remember to use the brakes, even the paddle shifters don’t bring it down as fast.
To Steve Ruth: The motor does not have “+ & – leads It is a 3 phase permanent magnet synchronous motor. It is fed variable frequency Alternating voltage. The rotor is locked in speed to the rotating magnetic field. As you climb a hill, the rotor slides back in phase by an angle and that increases the drive current. Speed does not change unless you command the change with the accelerator. When you descent the hill, the rotor moves ahead in phase with the rotating field and the motor becomes an alternator, pumping current back into the electronic inverter which converts that energy to dc and lets current flow into the battery. To change driving speed you command the inverter to change frequency.
“However, it’s recommended to remove the regenerative system during long highway driving, as it adds negative resistance and decreases range over time.”
Logically believable, but experientially I find L improves long distance range on highways too. Just back from 1400 mile trip. Extended experimentation, but with admittedly limited controls or reproducibility. Sure about your claim?