Leaving it 'in gear'
Discussion
Just a curiosity thing more than anything else triggered by a post in GG about leaving cars in gear. Do electric cars have traditional style handbrakes and if so, do they supplement it by some form of 'being in gear'?
Was pondering this as my ID3 has a nice little button which puts it in park but also has a neutral option on the selector. Which I presume would allow it to be rolled/towed?
Was pondering this as my ID3 has a nice little button which puts it in park but also has a neutral option on the selector. Which I presume would allow it to be rolled/towed?
mikeyr said:
Just a curiosity thing more than anything else triggered by a post in GG about leaving cars in gear. Do electric cars have traditional style handbrakes and if so, do they supplement it by some form of 'being in gear'?
Was pondering this as my ID3 has a nice little button which puts it in park but also has a neutral option on the selector. Which I presume would allow it to be rolled/towed?
They're all electric park brake, they don't have a transmission brake like a traditional automatic.Was pondering this as my ID3 has a nice little button which puts it in park but also has a neutral option on the selector. Which I presume would allow it to be rolled/towed?
There is no engine with compression to hold an EV, an EV is always in gear, there is no clutch or torque converter. 99% only have 1 gear.
Saying that a PM motor will act as a generator if connected, so for neutral it will make the motor open circuit to remove the back EMF for towing. The force if it is left connected on a steep hill would not be enough as for most below 3-5mph there isn't enough regenerative braking.
mikeyr said:
Just a curiosity thing more than anything else triggered by a post in GG about leaving cars in gear. Do electric cars have traditional style handbrakes and if so, do they supplement it by some form of 'being in gear'?
Was pondering this as my ID3 has a nice little button which puts it in park but also has a neutral option on the selector. Which I presume would allow it to be rolled/towed?
My XC40 has a specific towing mode which you can set it to although the manual says it should only be used for pulling the vehicle on to a flatbed its not to be used for actually towing it. So not really a towing mode if you ask me.Was pondering this as my ID3 has a nice little button which puts it in park but also has a neutral option on the selector. Which I presume would allow it to be rolled/towed?
When I was chatting to an AA patrol man last year he said they had been issued with freewheeling hubs which they fit to EVs that they need to tow.
Most modern EV’s have an electronic parking brake and it’s automated. The i3 I had was as simple as it could be. Jump in and select drive and drive off - auto disengage. On the reverse, you could still be in gear and you can just turn it off and get out - auto engage etc.
Most use an electronic one for packaging, ease of use and simplicity.
Most use an electronic one for packaging, ease of use and simplicity.
dvs_dave said:
EV’s still have basically the same parking setup as any conventional car with an auto transmission.
‘P’ or Park locks the transmission (via a parking pawl), and the parking brake applies the electrically actuated ‘mechanical’ parking brake on the rear wheels.
I think it may have been fitted to earlier stuff, Model S, i3, Zoe, Leaf etc‘P’ or Park locks the transmission (via a parking pawl), and the parking brake applies the electrically actuated ‘mechanical’ parking brake on the rear wheels.
Newer stuff doesn't have it, TM3, VAG MEB etc
annodomini2 said:
I think it may have been fitted to earlier stuff, Model S, i3, Zoe, Leaf etc
Newer stuff doesn't have it, TM3, VAG MEB etc
It’s possible. My e-golf certainly has a conventional setup. Although is it not a safety thing that all vehicles need a means to lock the transmission, and a separate parking/emergency brake? What happens if there’s a complete power failure and you can’t engage the electric parking brake? You still need a way to prevent accidental rollaway. A fail safe solenoid operated transmission lock would still work in that circumstance.Newer stuff doesn't have it, TM3, VAG MEB etc
dvs_dave said:
annodomini2 said:
I think it may have been fitted to earlier stuff, Model S, i3, Zoe, Leaf etc
Newer stuff doesn't have it, TM3, VAG MEB etc
It’s possible. My e-golf certainly has a conventional setup. Although is it not a safety thing that all vehicles need a means to lock the transmission, and a separate parking/emergency brake? What happens if there’s a complete power failure and you can’t engage the electric parking brake? You still need a way to prevent accidental rollaway. A fail safe solenoid operated transmission lock would still work in that circumstance.Newer stuff doesn't have it, TM3, VAG MEB etc
They won't be able to set it to engage on power failure as it will either lock the wheels while rolling, or snap the pawl anyway.
The safety priority is when the vehicle is moving, so you've the hydraulic brakes and the EPB emergency backup.
Manual ICE cars do not have a transmission lock and have the same behaviour.
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