Reader Response Draft 1
According to Hyundai (n.d.) website, under the
section “Kona Electric Sporty Performance” introduces its intelligent
regenerative braking system (RBS). In general, when an electric vehicle (EV)
with RBS brakes, the operation of the car motor reverses, hence generating
electricity to recharge the battery (Energy5, 2023). It can adapt to traffic conditions or be
controlled manually by the paddle shifters located behind the steering wheel, to
control the level of regenerative braking. At the same time, the one-paddle
mode can be achieved by pulling and holding the left paddle shifter. The
purpose of this is to decelerate the vehicle without the usage of the
conventional brake pedal. Charging is also strongest in the one-paddle mode (Hyundai, n.d.). In addition,
according to Moore (2023),
the Kona Electric offers a range of four distinct regenerative braking
settings, spanning from 0 to 3. At level 0, there is no regenerative braking,
while at level 3, regenerative braking is notably strong. The intelligent RBS
employs the onboard radar sensor to automatically modulate the recuperative
braking intensity in response to traffic conditions ahead. This allows the
state of charge of the vehicle to be maintained at a healthy level.
Furthermore, it has the capability to recognize whether the Kona Electric is
ascending or descending slopes and makes appropriate adjustments. The
intelligent RBS of Hyundai Kona Electric has contributed to the environment by
reducing carbon emissions through energy conservation and efficiency, at the
same time providing users better accessibility to the braking system.
Firstly, implementing RBS has contributed
to the environment by reducing carbon emissions. According to Intellipaat (2023),
implementing RBS can diminish environmental impact by minimizing the amount of
energy required to operate hybrid and electric vehicles, leading to reduced
emissions of greenhouse gases and reduced dependency on fossil fuels. In
addition, Hyundai (2020)
stated that pure EVs do not have tailpipe emissions which is why the highest score
is attained for “Clean Air and for Greenhouse Gases”. Since energy is conserved
and recycled through RBS as the battery is recharged through active braking, EVs
are not required to be recharged as frequently from charging stations.
Therefore, carbon emissions have been mitigated through energy conservation.
With the RBS, Hyundai Kona
Electric has constantly been one of the best energy-efficient EVs. The
article “Hyundai Kona Electric awarded five-star Green NCAP rating” (Hyundai, 2020), it stated that
EVs require energy for propulsion, but the energy efficiency of Hyundai Kona
Electric stays within the range of the highest possible score, meaning
consuming less than 30 kWh per 100 kilometers. The NCAP rating, known as the “New
Car Assessment Programme” (NCAP,
2023), is globally recognized and it focuses on motor vehicle safety
standards. Hyundai Kona Electric was able to obtain a global standard award
constantly, which proves that Hyundai Kona Electric is a reliable EV for energy
efficiency. RBS can recycle energy through braking, which I can infer it
has played a huge part in energy efficiency.
Hyundai Kona
Electric's multiple modes of RBS working with radar sensors benefit users by
assisting them in decelerating the vehicle depending on the traffic and
terrain. According to Min et al.
(2019), the experimental Hyundai Kona EV was added sensors and apparatus
to build an “advanced driver assistance system”, which the suggested algorithm needed accurate information about the driving environment. In addition, to
obtain accurate information for the requirements of vehicle deceleration, the
equipped radar sensors were used to measure the velocity and the displacement
between the equipped vehicle and the vehicle ahead. The system will then
control the “regenerative torque of the electric motor automatically” to brake
the vehicle without the use of hydraulic brakes. The users of the EV can benefit
from this system as they will be assisted in decelerating the vehicle without the
use of conventional brakes. Alternatively, users can also choose to manually
use the one-pedal mode. RBS is highly utilized regardless of the assistance
system or manually controlled brakes. This emphasizes that the multiple RBS modes
working in conjunction with radar sensors are advantageous for assisting users in decelerating the vehicle.
The RBS is not an ideal system as
it may not be as effective under certain conditions. According to Tires Plus (2022), when the
vehicle brakes when it is traveling slowly, the braking force required to
decelerate the vehicle is lower, hence the recharging power will be reduced. In
addition, Energy5 (2023),
stated that the RBS will not be able to secure maximum energy as energy is
bound to be lost in the process. The RBS is not perfect, and it has its fair
share of pros and cons depending on its usage.
In
conclusion, RBS has the potential to benefit the environment by reducing carbon
emissions through energy conservation. The Hyundai Kona Electric with RBS is
consistently recognized as one of the best EVs in terms of energy efficiency.
Lastly, the multiple RBS modes working in conjunction with radar sensors
provide users with better assistance in decelerating the vehicles, while also
optimizing recharging efficiency.
Summary:
Hyundai Motor Company — Komoco Motors Pte Ltd. (n.d.). Kona
Electric. https://hyundai.com.sg/vehicles/kona-ev/engineering/
Energy5 (2023, September 26). The
Benefits and Challenges of Using Regenerative Braking to Increase Electric Car
Range. https://energy5.com/the-benefits-and-challenges-of-using-regenerative-braking-to-increase-electric-car-range
Moore, A. (2023, February 25).
10 Reasons Why The Hyundai Kona Electric Is Better Than The Tesla Model 3.
https://www.topspeed.com/why-hyundai-kona-electric-better-than-tesla-model-3/#the-kona-electric-is-a-lot-cheaper
Point 1:
Hyundai Motor Group (2023, March
21). Car Brakes: The Bigger, The Better? https://www.hyundaimotorgroup.com/story/CONT0000000000082263
Intellipaat (2023, September 01).
Regenerative Braking in Electric Vehicles. https://intellipaat.com/blog/regenerative-braking-in-electric-vehicle/#:~:text=Eco%2Dfriendliness%20%E2%80%93%20Regenerative%20braking%20may,decreased%20reliance%20on%20fossil%20fuels.
Point 2:
Hyundai Motor Company (2020, December 01).
Hyundai Kona Electric awarded five-star Green NCAP rating. https://www.hyundai.news/uk/articles/press-releases/hyundai-kona-electric-awarded-five-star-green-ncap-rating.html#:~:text=The%20Hyundai%20Kona%20Electric%20has,rating%2C%20the%20highest%20score%20possible
Global NCAP (n.d.). Objective. https://www.globalncap.org/about
Point 3:
Min et al. (2019, September 26). Vehicle
Deceleration Prediction Model to Reflect Individual Driver Characteristics by
Online Parameter Learning for Autonomous Regenerative Braking of Electric
Vehicles.
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/19/4171
Counterargument:
Tires Plus (2022, March 18). What
Is Regenerative Braking? https://www.tiresplus.com/blog/brakes/what-is-regenerative-braking-in-electric-vehicles/
Energy5 (2023, September 26). The
Benefits and Challenges of Using Regenerative Braking to Increase Electric Car
Range. https://energy5.com/the-benefits-and-challenges-of-using-regenerative-braking-to-increase-electric-car-range
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