Best / most efficient regen braking setting?

[Chris Bronsdon]

I've owned my MG4 for over a year and had always previously set the regen braking at the lowest level - 1.
I don't like the highest setting, especially on motorways as the car decelerates rapidly without (I assume?) turning on the brake lights.

I've just discovered the adaptive regen setting and found it worked well on a long journey.

What do others use?
Any suggestion on what is the most efficient setting?

 

[siteguru]

Depends on journey type ... around town I'll use the default 3; on long journeys I'll use either 1 or A.

Note: once the regen %age exceeds about 7% then the brake lights do come on. This is a legal requirement, in that when the deceleration rate exceeds 1.3 m/s2 then the lights must come on.

 

[Chris Bronsdon]

Thanks, I didn't know the brake lights came on with more rapid regen breaking. That makes sense and is good to know.

 

[decrep]

I always, select OPD at startup, regardless of trip type.
I just prefer to drive with the accelerator pedal and not have to use the brake pedal. When you get used to it, it's sooo smoooth.

 

[Chris Bronsdon]

I always, select OPD at startup, regardless of trip type.
I just prefer to drive with the accelerator pedal and not have to use the brake pedal. When you get used to it, it's sooo smoooth.

Is OPD available on the MG4?
How do I find it?

 

[siteguru]

It depends on how old your car is ... if it has a rear wiper then it probably also has OPD.

 

[decrep]

Hit the bottom button on you screen, think it looks like a car, then the top left button, lets you select OPD

 

[ReintjeWA]

I leave it on default regen 3 most of the time, but switch it to A when driving on the freeway and using ACC/TJA as I find it makes the car decelerate a little more gently.

I use the left star button to change regen setting (a/c controls on the right star button).

 

[Rolfe]

Thanks, I didn't know the brake lights came on with more rapid regen breaking. That makes sense and is good to know.

When I was driving the car up to the body shop for a paintwork repait my friend was following in her Fiesta to drive me home again. She said, you keep braking, your brake lights keep coming on. I explained about the regen. I hadn't bothered to switch away from the default because it was only seven miles, but I should have done.

 

[Pryde]

When I was driving the car up to the body shop for a paintwork repait my friend was following in her Fiesta to drive me home again. She said, you keep braking, your brake lights keep coming on. I explained about the regen. I hadn't bothered to switch away from the default because it was only seven miles, but I should have done.

I tend to use regen 3 in town but switch to 1 on a roads and motorways as I like to coast and it helps to keeps the brakes clean

 

[mikgle]

I've owned my MG4 for over a year and had always previously set the regen braking at the lowest level - 1.
I don't like the highest setting, especially on motorways as the car decelerates rapidly without (I assume?) turning on the brake lights.

I've just discovered the adaptive regen setting and found it worked well on a long journey.

What do others use?
Any suggestion on what is the most efficient setting?

I use the medium setting, is it 2? The highest setting is too much I find. As the regen is not 100% efficient ( iv read somewhere it is about 70% efficient). the most efficient setting is the lowest, if that works for you. Ideally not use it all until you get to your destination, otherwise you are slowing down only to speed up again and each time you do that you lose some energy in friction..

 

[TonyF]

I like my OPD. I don't know if it's more efficient, and I haven't experimented because it's been efficient enough, and I like my OPD. Besides, I didn't buy an XPower for efficiency...

It would be interesting to test.

 

[Phil]

Here is one of my regular trips, of the 10 kWh used I get 3 kWh regen which pays back some of the 1kWh my A/C used (it’s fairly hot here in Oz atm). I rarely adjust my driving mode from Normal.

 

[Themist0]

I tend to use regen 3 in town but switch to 1 on a roads and motorways as I like to coast and it helps to keeps the brakes clean

Same here, 1 on motorways and as I come off I increase to 2 and then 3 as I get to the junction.

 

[decrep]

I use the medium setting, is it 2? The highest setting is too much I find. As the regen is not 100% efficient ( iv read somewhere it is about 70% efficient). the most efficient setting is the lowest, if that works for you. Ideally not use it all until you get to your destination, otherwise you are slowing down only to speed up again and each time you do that you lose some energy in friction..

I think this is plain wrong. The regen setting mainly is mainly about feel. it makes little difference to brake use. On level 1 brake slightly and watch the power meter, it still goes -ve, so you're actually still using regen.

The lower setting is only more efficient if you have little control over your right foot, and you are slowing down and speeding up. I rest the side of my foot against the side of the footwell and can maintain a constant throttle quite well.
So it depends how you drive, I doubt most people would notice much difference in efficiency. So just set it the way you prefer to drive.

 

[bedsev]

I think this is plain wrong. The regen setting mainly is mainly about feel. it makes little difference to brake use. On level 1 brake slightly and watch the power meter, it still goes -ve, so you're actually still using regen.

The lower setting is only more efficient if you have little control over your right foot, and you are slowing down and speeding up. I rest the side of my foot against the side of the footwell and can maintain a constant throttle quite well.
So it depends how you drive, I doubt most people would notice much difference in efficiency. So just set it the way you prefer to drive.

I'm not sure I trust that negative means regen, in snow it goes negative but I'm sure regen is supposed to be off. I'll have a look next trip to see if the energy usage screen shows it as regening.

 

[TonyF]

I'm not sure I trust that negative means regen, in snow it goes negative but I'm sure regen is supposed to be off. I'll have a look next trip to see if the energy usage screen shows it as regening.

Isn't it only OPD that's off in snow? I admit that I didn't read that bit closely - it's not as though I'm likely to experience snow anytime soon

 

[Themist0]

I think this is plain wrong. The regen setting mainly is mainly about feel. it makes little difference to brake use. On level 1 brake slightly and watch the power meter, it still goes -ve, so you're actually still using regen.

The lower setting is only more efficient if you have little control over your right foot, and you are slowing down and speeding up. I rest the side of my foot against the side of the footwell and can maintain a constant throttle quite well.
So it depends how you drive, I doubt most people would notice much difference in efficiency. So just set it the way you prefer to drive

I’m not sure about this as coming off motorways, a regen of 1 wouldn’t stop me in time.

 

[Anon70]

For smooth adaptive cruise or brake cleaning then set to 1
Snow mode sets it to 2 so it is not so grabby
For in town and to get most regen or OPD effect 3

Have used A a couple of times but prefer to be in control as the MG software is not the sharpest tool in the box

 

[PerthPete]

My MG4 which I’ve had for 6 weeks defaults to 3. But I’ve adapted to OPD which is great when you get the feel for it. Won’t need brake pads for a long time.
Also, having a 51, I like the idea of having as much regen as possible.