Readers Response Draft 4

 Hyundai’s (n.d.) website, under the section “Kona Electric Sporty Performance”, introduces its intelligent Regenerative Braking System (RBS). According to an article from Energy5 (2023), 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, pushing and holding the left paddle shifter activates the one-paddle mode. 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 regenerative braking levels can be automatically modulated in response to the traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle through the onboard radar sensors implemented. 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 benefitted the public greatly as carbon footprint is reduced through energy conservation and efficiency, also providing users better assistance for vehicle deceleration.

 

Firstly, implementing RBS has benefitted the public by reducing carbon footprint. 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. Hyundai (2020) stated that pure EVs do not have tailpipe emissions. Hence, the highest score is attained for “Clean Air and for Greenhouse Gases”. In addition, Smoot(n.d.) mentioned that when carbon footprint is reduced by the conservation of energy, “Global Climate Change” can be eased. The health of the public can be improved, at the same time enhancing the world’s economy, and regulating the diversity of plants and animals. Through RBS, energy is conserved and recycled as the battery is recharged through active braking, EVs are not required to be recharged as frequently from charging stations. Therefore, the implementation of the RBS is extremely advantageous to the public.

 

Secondly, 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, Sim, Ahn, Sunwoo, and Jo (2019), the experimental Hyundai Kona Electric added sensors and apparatus to build an “advanced driver assistance system”, for which the suggested algorithm needs accurate information about the driving environment. In addition, to obtain accurate information for the requirements of vehicle deceleration, the equipped radar sensors are 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. 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. Also, users can also choose to use the one-pedal mode which is to decelerate the vehicle using the left paddle shifter. RBS is highly utilized for great energy return in both modes. This emphasizes that the multiple RBS modes working in conjunction with radar sensors are advantageous for assisting users in decelerating the vehicle. 

 

Apart from the features and functions, Hyundai Kona Electric has constantly been one of the best energy-efficient EVs with the RBS. The webpage “Hyundai Kona Electric awarded five-star Green NCAP rating” (Hyundai, 2020), 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 “New Car Assessment Programme,” rating, known as NCAP (2023), is recognized globally and it focuses on motor vehicle safety standards. Hyundai Kona Electric has been able to obtain this global standard award repeatedly, demonstrating that it is a reliable EV for energy efficiency. The Hyundai Kona Electric is a highly recommended EV as energy efficiency is able to reduce carbon footprint.

 

At the same time, the RBS is not an ideal system as it may not be as effective under certain conditions. According to the Tires Plus website (2022), when the vehicle brakes as 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) has 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 public by reducing carbon footprint through energy conservation and efficiency. The Hyundai Kona Electric with RBS is consistently recognized as one of the best EVs in terms of energy efficiency. Hence, it is a highly recommended EV. The multiple RBS modes working in conjunction with radar sensors provide users with better assistance in decelerating the vehicles, while also optimizing recharging efficiency.

References

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

Global NCAP. (n.d.). Objective. https://www.globalncap.org/about

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

Hyundai Motor Company — Komoco Motors Pte Ltd. (n.d.). Kona Electric. https://hyundai.com.sg/vehicles/kona-ev/engineering/

Intellipaat. (2023, September 01). Regenerative braking in electric vehicles. https://intellipaat.com/blog/re generative-braking-in-electric-vehicle/#:~:text=Eco%2Dfriendliness%20%E2%80%93%20Regenerative%20braking%20may,decreased%20reliance%20on%20fossil%20fuels.

Min, Sim, Ahn, Sunwoo, Jo. (2019, September 26). Vehicle deceleration prediction model to reflect individual driver characteristics by online parameter learning for autonomous regenerative braking of electric vehicles. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/19/4171

Moore, A. (2023, February 25). 10 reasons why the Hyundai Kona Electric is better than the Tesla Model 3. Topspeed. https://www.topspeed.com/why-hyundai-kona-electric-better-than-tesla-model-3/#the-kona-electric-is-a-lot-cheaper

Smoot, G. (n.d.). 4 main reasons why reducing your carbon footprint is important. Impactful Ninja. https://impactful.ninja/why-reducing-your-carbon-footprint-is-important/#:~:text=depends%20on%20it.-,Reducing%20your%20carbon%20footprint%20is%20important%20because%20it%20mitigates%20the,for%20generations%20yet%20to%20come.

Tires Plus. (2022, March 18). What Is regenerative braking? https://www.tiresplus.com/blog/brakes/what-is-regenerative-braking-in-electric-vehicles/

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