What Is One-Pedal Driving? We Answer 13 Questions About One-Pedal Driving in Our EV While Towing

This week, we answer all the questions about one-pedal driving in an EV. Be sure to watch the video in the player above as we demonstrate in this three-camera shoot just how it works.

However, there are two questions answered in this article that are not answered in the video. If you watch the video, be sure to skip down to the bottom of this article to read the bonus questions and answers.

Question 1: What is one-pedal driving?

One-pedal driving is a feature in most EVs that allows you to operate without using the brake pedal.

Question 2: How do you activate one pedal driving?

Cars have different ways of activating one-pedal mode. In both our 2012 Nissan Leaf and our 2017 Chevy Bolt EV, we found the one-pedal mode was labeled “L” on the gear selector. This non-intuitive label leads people to conclude this is low gear—the car only has one forward gear. Once you get over the label and really give it a try, you may love it as much as we do.

Question 3: How is one-pedal driving different with a trailer?

Just like towing with any other vehicle or with an EV in regular drive mode, you need greater distances to stop while towing. Plan ahead and use longer following distances in traffic.

Question 4: Should you practice one-pedal driving in a private place before trying it on public roads?

Nope. Well, if you want to try it first in an empty parking lot we shouldn’t discourage you, but it really is easy to get the hang of it. Go ahead and try it the next time you leave home.

Question 5: How long does it take to learn how to use one-pedal driving?

You can learn the basics of one-pedal driving on a single round trip to the grocery store. It takes a bit longer for it to become intuitive. Keep it up for a few days and you’ll likely never go back.

Question 6: How is the feel of stopping different with one-pedal driving?

When stopping with brakes, there is a bit of a jerk or rocking back sensation we’ve come to expect when the car finally stops. The harder the stop, the bigger the jerk. It is challenging to stop without the tiniest rock back.

In one pedal mode, the car eases to a stop with no jerk at all. That said, the car will end up several feet forward of where you’d likely have stopped with the brakes.

Question 7: Is one-pedal driving safe?

Yes. Last year, Tesla decided to give its safest drivers the first crack at beta testing its full self-driving mode. One of the criteria for getting on the list was using one-pedal mode and never touching the brakes to stop.

Question 8: How does weather impact one-pedal driving?

Generally, we should all be more careful in bad weather. Rain, sleet, snow and ice make driving more dangerous no matter what we’re driving or how. Still, one-pedal driving is likely safer because stopping is done with more even friction by the motor than we apply with our feet on the brakes, reducing the risk of slipping and sliding.

Question 9: Do you use one-pedal driving while in reverse?

Nope. It only works in the forward gear.

Question 10: Does one pedal driving improve mileage and range?

Yes. But not as much as you might expect. When you use one-pedal mode all of the energy your car is capable of recovering stopping and going down hills is captured. When you use your brakes, the energy captured by the traditional brake pads is converted into waste heat and lost irrecoverably.

However, when you use your brake pedal the car first engages the motor to do the stopping until you firmly engage the brake and the car determines you want more stopping power than the motor can provide. Then the brake pads are engaged. Since most of the stopping is done by the motors, most of the benefit of regeneration is captured even when you drive the traditional way.

Question 11: Why do you like one-pedal driving?

Very quickly after adopting one-pedal driving, we felt like it was simply more natural. It is simply easier not to have to move your foot back and forth between the brake and the gas pedal. Add smoother stops and greater efficiency and we were hooked.

Bonus Questions and Answers

The following questions and answers are not addressed in the video.

Bonus 1: Can you use the brake when driving in one-pedal mode?

Yes! This is important to remember. Most EVs in one-pedal driving mode won’t stop fast enough in an emergency situation without using the brake.

Bonus 2: Do the brake lights come on if you slow without tapping the brake pedal?

Yes. The brake lights come on when you slow the car by easing up on the gas pedal—even before your foot is completely off the pedal.

Now that we’ve shared what we’ve learned about one-pedal driving mode, tell us about your experience. Do you love it? Do you hate it? Why?