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[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

The regen limit mostly depends on the platform. The new platform (FST/Gen3) has a motor controller that can implement regen with integrated traction control, whereas the Sevcon controller in Gen2 bikes (SDS and XMX) is programmed with a regen limit that is supposed to be safe for all traction situations, because the bikes don't have traction control to cut back on regen if it causes a rear wheel lockup.

Regen (in my experience) and according to most riders who've been able to test it does not differ between SR,DSR and S,DS. It might differ from FX/FXS models especially at low SoC but not by design. Basically, there is a battery/powertrain limit, but it is not typically what older bikes are hitting IIUC.

[DonTom]

That makes sense as the regen is a percentage of the output power, if Zero have kept that percentage the same (supposedly up to 10% in the older models). Thus even with older models a 14.4 should have more regen than a 7.2 (although perhaps less noticeable due to the weight difference) and an R model should have even more regen than the non-R.

More in KWs of charge for sure with the larger or more powerful motors.

The Energica shows the KW charge and discharge as I ride. I just wish they would make that display larger, as I like to view that most of anything on the "My Energica"  app. while riding. It's also on the bike's screen. But in either place, small digits that are difficult to see.

I have seen my Enerigia regen charge at above 25 KW.  Displays  as "-25KW". About as much as I can get from CCS fast charging. But it is just as easy to use the battery at above 25KW just to get back up to the same original speed.

BTW, my guess is that my Zeros regen recharges at around 3KW. Does anybody here know? Is there an app that will display it, as the Energica has?

No dount the SR/F and SR/S charge at a higher rate from regen than the smaller Zeros.  Perhaps 6KW? And since the bike is heavier, that also helps add to regen. But the losses will be higher as well, when speed is regained. At least in most cases.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[Crissa]

Best recharge I've gotten is 5% going down Alba, and no, I wasn't slowing down.  It's only a couple miles, tho.

-Crissa

[DonTom]

Best recharge I've gotten is 5% going down Alba, and no, I wasn't slowing down.  It's only a couple miles, tho.

-Crissa

I wonder if the 2014 coasts better than the later models.  What percentage of regen do you use?

I have never noticed a SOC gain without slowing down--except perhaps in my DS when it had a bad battery and charged more than twice as fast as normal in SOC-- and I am not even sure about that. But  if down hill steep enough, perhaps it is possible to get a little recharge at a steady speed. But certainly isn't the norm by my own experience.

On my Zeros, downhill, I normal have one positive bar, which means I am using some energy just to maintain a steady speed while going down hill.  If we could totally disconnect from the motor, then we should be able to coast and perhaps even increase speed and not use anything from the battery while going downhill.

Now all I need to do is design and patent  it!

The other question is could it gain enough as it is only needed when we go down hill which is when we get the very best range anyway.

-Don-  Reno, NV
 

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

The motor requires a field to be applied to detect motor position, so it can apply torque correctly when you want to exit the coast. So some energy goes into that.

Whether that explains the 0% regen drag or not, I cannot full say, but it must be some amount.

[Crissa]

I have played with 40-60 and 20-60; throttle/brake regen.  I flip to and from Sport when I need more braking, and to and from Eco when I want more on throttle.

I found during the winter having high regen on the brakes made it grab too hard and I fishtailed more often.  And I found that below 40 I didn't feel any additional drag from the throttle.  It has alot of drag normally, and it seems if I set it lower than 30 I don't feel it and I don't get as much regen.

-Crissa

[DonTom]

I have played with 40-60 and 20-60; throttle/brake regen.  I flip to and from Sport when I need more braking, and to and from Eco when I want more on throttle.

I found during the winter having high regen on the brakes made it grab too hard and I fishtailed more often.  And I found that below 40 I didn't feel any additional drag from the throttle.  It has alot of drag normally, and it seems if I set it lower than 30 I don't feel it and I don't get as much regen.

-Crissa

What I have been doing is using custom mode for everything other than putting the bike up the ramp on my RV, when I use Eco.

On my custom, I have it set for very high deceleration regen, something like 75% IIRC, and 100% for braking. I use the throttle to control the amount of regen which I find to be the very best way after getting used to it.

I also keep my Energica at max regen and in sport mode.  Again, I control it all from the throttle.

It's probably more difficult for me to get used to because I go from ICE bikes to electric quite often. But still not much of an issue.

What I like most about regen is the way it doesn't compare to gas bikes. Going down from VA City the other day, very curvy,  the Energica would compare to an ICE bike if I could keep it in first and 6th gear at the same time! But that is not possible.

The electrics seem a lot safer on the tight curves. And I don't have to think about downshifting to which gear.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[gt13013]

BTW, my guess is that my Zeros regen recharges at around 3KW. Does anybody here know? Is there an app that will display it, as the Energica has?

Yes, Zero App gives it, if you choose to display the power. It displays as positive when you accelerate, and negative when you use regeneration. And you will see that you can put much more than 3kW into the battery when you regenerate!

[DonTom]

Yes, Zero App gives it, if you choose to display the power. It displays as positive when you accelerate, and negative when you use regeneration. And you will see that you can put much more than 3kW into the battery when you regenerate!

Thanks. Strange that I never noticed it, but I normally don't have the app running from my Zeros while riding, even though I do have the mounting hardware installed for the cell.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[Curt]

The regen limit mostly depends on the platform. The new platform (FST/Gen3) has a motor controller that can implement regen with integrated traction control, whereas the Sevcon controller in Gen2 bikes (SDS and XMX) is programmed with a regen limit that is supposed to be safe for all traction situations, because the bikes don't have traction control to cut back on regen if it causes a rear wheel lockup.

That's good to know about FST. It's quite a technology advancement to link the TC and regen.

I think cars do this really well; my Bolt EV in single-pedal driving mode and regen paddle applied slows down quite rapidly even on downhills, and I've seen regen upwards of 40 kW which is comparable to the consumption during average acceleration.

My experience with the FX is that regen can have quite a noticeable braking effect, but the energy recovery is minimal. Coming down a long hill like Page Mill, the gauge may tick up by 1%, particularly if it has very recently ticked down. I've never seen it tick up more than 1% on any downhill.

[DonTom]

I've never seen it tick up more than 1% on any downhill.

And hope not to, unless your battery is still in warranty.  I discovered it means the battery is crapping out to get several more SOC than usual from Regen while riding downhill.   I was getting large SOC gains on my DS 6.5, perhaps because the reduced KWH capacity charged up a lot faster from the same regen KW (or while normally charging). Now, I rarely even see a point increase on a long downhilll with my new 7.2 KWH battery. And I have never seen a SOC  increase happen on my SR (16.3 KWH) with power tank from a long downhill stretch.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[Crissa]

Don, there are steeper hills, although Page Mill is pretty steep.

-Crissa

[DonTom]

Don, there are steeper hills, although Page Mill is pretty steep.

-Crissa

I've been on Page Mill Road several times. So I know the hill, but I have never been on an electric bike on it. I used to live in the San Mateo area, and visit friends who lived in Los Altos Hills. And we used to ride in the hills a lot.

If you can  go down, very slowly,  a very long steep hill, without any throttle, you're probably charging three times as fast as your OBC with most regen settings.   But that still takes quite  a while to advance two digits. You usually will run out of hill by then, at least with a sizable battery that holds more KWH's, as they take longer to recharge (in SOC, not miles).

At higher speeds, you're using more battery than you gain even while  going downhill, has been my experience. Mt. Rose Hwy and Hwy 50 east of  lake Tahoe (into Carson City) is longer and steeper than Page Mill Road. But cannot go slow at such places because of traffic.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Crissa]

Like I said, I've gotten 5% going down Alba, and it's only a few miles long.

-Crissa

[DonTom]

Like I said, I've gotten 5% going down Alba, and it's only a few miles long.

-Crissa

The smaller battery there charges faster. And 2014 used a much different motor, IIRC. Probably yours coasts better than the newer models.

-Don-  Auburn, CA