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Comment by badc0ffee | Hacker News Reader

"One-pedal driving" means the vehicle slows to a complete stop when you release the accelerator pedal.

(I had never heard of this before just now.)

It's quite common in electric cars these days. Makes driving much more pleasant, and once you get used to it there's minimal need to swap back to the brake pedal.

Neither had I. I've heard of clutch braking, where you downshift to slow the vehicle, though that won't bring it to a stop. Truckers use that sometimes because it saves wear on the brakes, and it's banned some places. I suppose regenerative braking could have a similar effect, but why not have that turn on the brake lights the same way pressing down on a brake pedal does?

> it's banned some places

"Engine braking" bans usually target jake braking [0] (opening the exhaust valve at the end of the compression stroke), which greatly increases the effect of engine braking at the cost of producing a very loud noise [1] (which is why it's often banned in residential areas). As far as I'm aware, such bans do not limit the use of "normal" downshifting to decelerate.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_release_engine_bra...

[1]: https://youtu.be/z3bLqjPBlx8

> why not have that turn on the brake lights the same way pressing down on a brake pedal does?

It does at least in the cars I've driven.

Sounds incredibly dangerous to me

What do you do if you have to stop asap rather than coasting? Emergency brake?

There's still a separate brake pedal.

Okay, so it's a misnomer

For me, the majority of one pedal driving is exactly this. No brake pedal needed. Requires looking and thinking ahead when driving. Obviously if something unexpected happens, the brake pedal it is.

This is how I already drive my gas powered vehicle so I don't really get the difference

But then again, I'm always shocked when I've driven in the USA, Americans ride the brake pedal it's crazy

I'm talking no brake pedal is needed even for stopping at roundabouts, intersections, etc. The regen braking will take you to a complete stop. Much less brake force than the conventional brake so it's crucial to have enough space in front of you.

I guess it's a different way of controlling the vehicle but I don't think I would enjoy or feel comfortable in a car that starts decelerating the moment the accelerator is released

I mean coasting is one thing and of course you will lose speed doing that, but this sounds more aggressive than just naturally losing speed from coasting

Tangent, but why do you call it an emergency brake? I've always known it called a park brake: the thing you engage when you park your car.

Make a foot shape with your hand and tap on the touchscreen. Only takes few days to get used to.

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