Title: Hyundai Announces Field Service Campaign to Upgrade EV Brake Light Logic
Introduction:
Hyundai has recently announced a field service campaign to upgrade the EV Brake Light Logic on several of its electric vehicle models, including the Ioniq 5, Genesis GV70, Genesis GV80, and electrified GV70. The change aims to address complaints from owners and concerns raised by Consumer Reports about the brake lights not activating during certain driving scenarios. This article delves into the details of the campaign, highlights the safety risks involved, provides real-life test experiences, and explores the differences between Hyundai’s models.
I. The Need for an EV Brake Light Logic Upgrade:
– Hyundai has acknowledged the need to address concerns regarding the brake lights not activating during deceleration.
– The brake lights will now come on when the deceleration rate exceeds approximately 0.13 G, regardless of accelerator pedal input.
– The update will be implemented on new production vehicles and as part of a free service campaign for approximately 56,000 vehicles already on the road.
II. Feedback from Hyundai Communications Director Michael Stewart:
– Stewart emphasized the importance of activating the brake lights in scenarios where the deceleration rate is higher than usual.
– The change aligns with the behavior observed in the recently introduced Hyundai Ioniq 6.
III. Origin of the Upgrade: Complaints and Consumer Reports Test:
– Hyundai’s decision to launch the upgrade was in response to complaints from owners and a test conducted by Consumer Reports.
– The test revealed that most Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia electric vehicles could be stopped without the brake lights coming on, particularly when using the aggressive “i-Pedal” feature for one-pedal driving.
– The i-Pedal feature allows drivers to rely primarily on the car’s regenerative system to slow down without using the traditional brakes.
IV. Real-Life Testimonials:
– The author of this article conducted personal tests using an electrified Genesis GV70 and a 2023 Kia Niro EV.
– The tests confirmed that the brake lights did not come on until the accelerator pedal was fully released, posing a potential safety risk.
– It is crucial for cars behind to be aware of the vehicle’s deceleration, especially when using the regenerative system or downshifting in a manual transmission car.
V. Clarifying the Specificity of the Scenario:
– While the issue of brake light activation is specific to certain scenarios, it is essential to address it for safety reasons.
– The tests conducted and the experiences shared in the article support the need for brake lights to activate during higher deceleration rates.
VI. Comparison between Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Other Models:
– The article highlights the differences between the Ioniq 6, Genesis, and Kia models based on video evidence captured during tests conducted by news editor Joel Stocksdale in Michigan.
– The Ioniq 6’s brake lights activated with a slight lift on the accelerator pedal, whereas other models required a complete release of the pedal for the brake lights to activate.
– The brake lights on Hyundai’s EVs using the i-Pedal feature remain illuminated even at a complete stop until the accelerator pedal is pressed again.
Expansion Piece: Exploring the Impact of Advanced Brake Light Logic on EV Safety
Introduction:
The issue of brake light activation during deceleration has significant safety implications for electric vehicles (EVs). With the growing popularity of regenerative braking and one-pedal driving, it becomes imperative to ensure that the brake lights accurately reflect the vehicle’s deceleration, thereby alerting other road users. This section explores the safety concerns raised by the lack of brake light activation during specific driving scenarios and highlights the importance of advanced brake light logic to enhance EV safety.
I. Safety Implications of Inadequate Brake Light Activation:
– The absence of brake light activation during deceleration can lead to potential rear-end collisions, as vehicles behind are unaware that the EV is slowing down.
– Traditional cars, when downshifting or braking in lower gears, activate the brake lights to alert other drivers of their deceleration.
– The unique driving characteristics of EVs, such as regenerative braking and one-pedal driving, necessitate advanced brake light logic to ensure a consistent and safe driving experience.
II. The Role of Brake Lights in Communicating Intentions:
– Brake lights play a critical role in communicating a driver’s intentions to other road users.
– The activation of brake lights during deceleration provides essential visual cues that allow drivers behind to adjust their speed and maintain a safe distance.
– Clear communication on the road is vital for preventing accidents and ensuring overall traffic flow.
III. Advanced Brake Light Logic for EVs:
– Advanced brake light logic can enhance EV safety by accurately reflecting the rate of deceleration.
– Systems that activate the brake lights when the deceleration rate exceeds a certain threshold, regardless of pedal input, ensure consistent and reliable communication to other road users.
– This logic enables drivers to fully embrace regenerative braking and one-pedal driving without compromising safety.
IV. The Role of Manufacturers in Ensuring Safety:
– Hyundai’s decision to address the brake light issue through a field service campaign demonstrates their commitment to ensuring the safety of their EVs.
– Manufacturers have a responsibility to continuously assess and update their vehicles’ features to meet evolving safety standards and address user feedback for optimal performance.
Conclusion:
Hyundai’s field service campaign to upgrade the EV Brake Light Logic on its electric vehicle models is a significant step forward in enhancing safety and communication on the road. The planned update will ensure that the brake lights activate during deceleration, even when using regenerative braking or one-pedal driving. This move is a testament to Hyundai’s commitment to addressing user concerns and continuously improving their vehicles. Advanced brake light logic is crucial for EVs, as it enhances safety by accurately reflecting the deceleration rate to other road users. By prioritizing safety, Hyundai sets a positive example for the industry, encouraging other manufacturers to follow suit and prioritize safety features in their EVs.
Summary:
Hyundai has announced a field service campaign to upgrade the EV Brake Light Logic on various electric vehicle models, addressing concerns raised by consumers and Consumer Reports. The upgrade will ensure that the brake lights activate during deceleration, even when using regenerative braking or one-pedal driving. By acknowledging the safety risks associated with the absence of brake light activation, Hyundai demonstrates its commitment to enhancing safety and communication on the road. This move sets a positive example for the industry and encourages other manufacturers to prioritize advanced brake light logic in their EVs.
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hyundai will launch a “field service campaign to upgrade the EV Brake Light Logic” on your Ioniq 5, as well as the Genesis GV60, electrified GV70 and electrified GV80. According to Hyundai communications director Michael Stewart, the change will be made on new production vehicles and as part of the free service campaign that will launch in July for approximately 56,000 vehicles already on the road.
“Regardless of accelerator pedal input, the brake lights will now come on when the deceleration rate exceeds approximately 0.13 G,” Stewart wrote in an email to autoblog. This change seems to be in line with the behavior we have experienced in the Hyundai Ioniq 6, the EV most recently introduced by the firm. We get into that behavior further down in this article.
This announcement comes as a result of complaints from the owners, as well as a test for Consumer Reports who discovered that most Hyundai, Genesis and Kia electric vehicles can be stopped without the brake lights coming on (kia is also part of the Hyundai Group, but did not provide any comments or updates on a possible service campaign when contacted). This occurred by using the more aggressive “i-Pedal” feature of those vehicles which enables so-called “one-pedal driving”, where the driver can rely primarily on the car’s regenerative system. break system (used to reset the battery package) to stop the car.
We tested this for ourselves this week as we are currently testing a Electrified Genesis GV70and I personally have a 2023 Kia Niro EV Onda. I ride almost exclusively in i-Pedal mode. News editor Joel Stocksdale tested the hyundai ioniq 6 in Michigan, and again, we will address their findings after the Genesis and Kia as they are completely different.
I attached an action camera to the back of each car and ran the same test on both: I accelerated to 40 mph and came to a stop without touching the brake and, more importantly, without fully lifting my foot off the gas. The result as you can see below with the Niro It’s that the brake lights don’t come on until around 3mph when I fully lift the throttle and bring the car to a complete stop. I couldn’t bring the car to a complete stop without fully lifting the accelerator. I experienced the same result on the Electrified GV70.
The main takeaway: the brake lights need to be activated in this scenario, period, and it sounds like it would pose a safety risk. The cars behind you need to know that you are decelerating at a higher than typical rate when you lift the accelerator of a normal car or even when you brake with the engine in a lower gear.
The secondary takeaway: This is a very specific scenario and not necessarily common. The above video demonstration is comparable to seeing a red light or stop sign far ahead, and making a clear decision to slowly put your foot down on the accelerator to slow down at the proper pace to “hit the mark” so to speak, and come to a perfectly timed stop at the traffic light or stop sign. If you take your foot off the accelerator at any time, the brake lights come on. In other words, you have to try to do this.
I don’t agree with him Consumer Reports conclusion that the brake lights “don’t come on like the car quickly it slows down while driving with a pedal.” There was nothing fast about this slowdown. The amount of slowdown experienced is only slightly more than downshifting in a manual transmission car and using engine braking to slow down, another scenario which would not activate the brake lights.What would you consider “rapid deceleration” requires fully lifting the throttle and thus activating the tail lights.
However, you can bring these tested cars almost to a stop without your brake lights coming on, and probably quite a bit, in fact. As the owner of a electric niro and i-Pedal user, I would very much like and hope that Kia issues the same update that Hyundai has now confirmed.
Now, assuming the “fix” described by Stewart above is the same one that’s already implemented on the Ioniq 6, you can see the difference between the two thanks to the video below shot by news editor Joel Stocksdale in Michigan. Now I’ll pass things on to him.
The video above is one of my few attempts to see when and how the Ioniq 6’s brake lights activated. I put a GoPro on the rear facing the center high-mounted brake light on the spoiler and set my phone pointing to the instrument screen. In this way, he could see both when the lights came on and the circumstances under which they did so. I had the Ioniq 6 in sport mode to have the various blocks on the energy usage and recovery gauge to more easily tell how much regenerative braking triggered the taillights. And of course I put the car through the most aggressive regenerative braking to bring it to a complete stop.
On this particular attempt, I got the car up to about 30 mph and then tried to take off as little as I could to initiate deceleration. My pedaling work is a bit inconsistent as the parking lot where I was testing was quite undulating. But the results are still clear, and clearly very different from James’ experience in the Genesis and Kia. With just a little lift on the accelerator pedal, and my foot still on it, the brake lights came on. In fact, it seemed like just two or three “locks” on the regeneration gauge was equal to what it took to activate them. And in subsequent driving, I found myself using much more regen than that on a regular basis, both to adjust speed to traffic and to approach a stop, since using such small amounts of regen would take a long time to come to a complete stop.
Another major difference was the fact that at a complete stop, the brake light would come on and stay on even at a complete stop. So if, for whatever reason, you’re not applying the brake pedal after stopping at a traffic light or sign, the brake light stays on to alert people that you’re stopped. It didn’t shut off until I stepped on the accelerator again.
This is clearly how the brake lights on these EVs should work when using the i-Pedal and it’s good to know that Hyundai already has a fix coming soon for existing owners. We now await word from Kia on whether it will get this service campaign.
https://www.autoblog.com/2023/06/15/kia-hyundai-genesis-one-pedal-braking/
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