Electric cars prove we need to rethink brake lights

Re:Electric cars prove we need to rethink brake lights by FractalParadigm on Thursday May 25, 2023 @12:49PM (#36073040)

Unless said legislation/determination only applies to electric cars, they'll have to give manual ICE vehicles a look-at as well; my TDI for instance can engine brake so well that it behaves very similarly to regenerative braking, and the service brakes get used only where absolutely necessary. Transport trucks with exhaust or Jake brakes and a light(er) loads can get often get away with similar-to-EV single-pedal driving regardless of whether the transmission is automated or not.

This might be a hot take, but if you're actually paying attention to driving it's not exactly difficult to see a vehicle decelerating in front of you, brake lights or not.

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Re:Electric cars prove we need to rethink brake lights by hinkley on Thursday May 25, 2023 @01:03PM (#36073221)

I'm only on my second set of brake pads on my TDI and you're right. However in most real driving situations, engaging the engine braking requires feathering the brake long enough to get it to downshift.

So while my brakes aren't on the whole time, they are on when I first make myself a problem that needs to be managed.

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Re:Electric cars prove we need to rethink brake lights by mrguyorama on Thursday May 25, 2023 @03:18PM (#36074878)

>engaging the engine braking requires feathering the brake long enough to get it to downshift.

What? No, you put in the clutch, pull out of gear into neutral, rev match up to the engine speed for the lower gear, plop the shifter into it, release the clutch. What do you use the friction brakes for? Hell, you can skip the rev matching completely if you don't mind clutch wear and jerkiness.

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Re:Electric cars prove we need to rethink brake lights by FractalParadigm on Thursday May 25, 2023 @03:47PM (#36075223)

Even with a DSG-equipped car like the parent likely has, you can use the "manual" mode ("M" on the shifter) and downshift to as low as the car will allow. This also has the benefit of 'preparing' the transmission for further downshifting, as it will pre-select the next gear down instead of up. My car is indeed a 6MT, and downshifting happens exactly as described.

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Re:Electric cars prove we need to rethink brake lights by tcoppola on Thursday May 25, 2023 @03:21PM (#36074914)

I believe they're talking about a manual transmission TDI. In which you could simply downshift and engine brake, without engaging the brakes.

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