Driving modes available in electric vehicles

Electric Vehicles Sep 30, 2021

Hello People. This article is about Driving modes available in electric vehicles. Electric cars are now offered with different driving modes. Driving modes essentially offer you the chance to choose how you want to drive and alter this to meet different circumstances.

Driving Modes

What is the use of different driving modes?

Most modern cars are controlled by an Engine Control Unit (ECU) a sophisticated system that can control the car’s main components including motor, suspension, steering and braking.

This has allowed car manufacturers to offer different driving modes that change the handling, dynamics and efficiency of a vehicle at the touch of a button. This has essentially enabled manufacturers to offer one car that can fulfil multiple roles more seamlessly.

For example, when on your commute, you may wish to be in the most efficient drive mode setting to ensure the best fuel efficiency. However, on a long journey, you may prefer quicker responses and better performance from your car. Thanks to different driving modes, this is now all possible from just one car.

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What happens when you choose a driving mode?

Some common variations will occur to the car’s settings across the different available driving modes.

Driving modes can alter the sensitivity of the throttle pedal, the amount of power supplied to the motor, the amount of computer traction available and variations on the suspension settings. These variations may bring about changes in how the car drives and feels.

Most common drive modes in electric vehicles

Driving modes will vary between different make and model cars. Some of the following driving modes are fairly common although they may have a slightly different name.

Sports Mode

Sports mode is offered to make the car more fun and engaging. The degree of intensity of this mode varies depending on the car manufacturer and the car model.

Sports mode produces a more engaging and potent ride-quality. In sports mode, the throttle will become more responsive, meaning the car accelerates more readily.

In addition, more power is available to the motor, the steering gets heavier and the suspension will stiffen. In some cars, the suspension can stiffen to such a degree that it reduces the action of the car’s traction control. It is these really potent Sports mode variants that are more suited to track performance and should not be used on normal roads.

Eco Mode

Eco mode is one of the adjustable driving modes on most electric vehicles. It is a newer technology that manufacturers have started to install on vehicles with increased frequency.

As the name suggests, the aim of eco mode is to save energy by limiting motor power. This mode is perfectly suited to daily trips, during which there is no point in having an overpowered engine.

ECO mode in electric vehicles

Volkswagen e-Golf offers two eco-driving modes namely Eco and Eco+.  The driver can choose to limit the power of his vehicle to 95 or 75 hp, i.e. a maximum speed of 115 or 90 km/h depending on the journey,.

The intention of eco mode is to make your vehicle run more economically than it would in its normal driving mode. ECO mode ultimately aims to increase fuel efficiency by reducing acceleration levels.

It doesn’t actually change the vehicle’s motor power. This means the accelerator will not be as sensitive and, therefore, not use as much fuel when pressed at the same interval.

This feature can be useful during stop-and-go city driving when you may not want your accelerator pedal to be particularly sensitive. ECO mode can also regulate the power provided to your vehicle’s air conditioning system and other accessories to further increase fuel efficiency.

How Does Eco Mode Work?

Eco Mode works by restricting motor performance to give you better fuel economy. In addition to restricting motor performance, Eco Mode fine-tunes all of the fuel, air, and other significant adjustments to get the maximum fuel economy out of your vehicle without any severe side effects.

You will notice a slightly decreased power and responsiveness. Essentially Eco Mode is nothing more than a set of restrictions that the manufacturer put on your car when you enable it.

When to Use Eco Mode?

Use Eco Mode whenever you want to save fuel/battery. But it affects your vehicle’s performance. Therefore you shouldn’t use Eco Mode when you need the extra performance.

This means on highways and other busy roads you should consider keeping Eco Mode switched off. Because you don’t want to be stuck not being able to accelerate like you need to, to avoid an accident.

Meanwhile, in cities, there’s not much of a drawback to driving in Eco Mode. You don’t need to accelerate quickly, and there is a lot of stop and go traffic.

Can you use Eco Mode all the time?

Yes, you can. While you might suffer from some reduced performance while you’re driving in Eco Mode, you can drive in Eco Mode all the time without having to worry. No engine damage, increased maintenance, or any other additional problems will occur.

The manufacturer specifically designed vehicles with Eco Mode to function perfectly fine with it enabled. All of the car electronics adjust according to the new outputs of the motor, so you don’t have to worry about anything misfiring and causing any damage.

Unless you’re in a situation where you need that extra power and responsiveness, driving in Eco Mode all the time is recommended.

Does Eco Mode help you to get extra mileage?

Yes, Eco Mode will help you get better mileage. While the exact amount of extra mileage achieved by switching to Eco Mode varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, there’s no doubt that Eco Mode improves your fuel economy.

In reality, Eco Mode only boosts your battery economy by around five percent. Eco Mode is a great way to save a few bucks.

Comfort Mode

Comfort offers the ideal setting for long distance travels as it helps make sure the car runs as smoothly and comfortably as possible. It offers a good balance between Eco and Sport settings and is best suited for day-to-day use.

The suspension is usually in its softest setting to help smooth out any bumps or jolts in the road. Steering is lightened to ensure minimum effort is required.

Snow Mode

Helping to improve car safety, snow mode assists the driver in snowy conditions which can be often difficult in winter.

Braking power becomes gentler, to help provide the stability you need in snowy conditions. Traction control becomes more active to increase grip.

Custom Mode

Custom mode allows the driver to alter certain settings to their specific preferences. This option offers the most flexibility to the driver, however, there are some limitations on the combinations you can select to ensure your drive remains safe and effective.

How to select a driving mode?

Different driving modes can be selected at the touch of a button and in some cars it can be changed through the touchscreen infotainment system. The position of the driving mode selector button varies from car to car.

Hope this article on Driving modes available in electric vehicles is useful to you. To read about jobs in the Electric Vehicle Industry, please visit Job opportunities in Electric Vehicle Sector and its Charging Infrastructure industry



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