Two things about the E-20 and regen braking. First, for regen to happen, you need to depress the throttle at least one notch so that the motor is electrically connected. It is the one thing about the ET design that is a bit counterintuitive for new users. I fortunately have working brakes so it's not as big an issue, but I have had to teach the kids that when they go down the big hill on the driveway the easiest thing is to keep the pedal depressed -- or better, lock into cruise control before they start down. And remember too, if you hit your brake pedal, that will open the circuit to the motor and start you free-wheeling. So if the brake switch is working but the brakes are not, the brake pedal would have the opposite of the desired effect as you head down the hill.
Second, the degree to which regen braking is effective will depend what gear you are in. A low gear gives the motor much more mechanical advantage in applying the braking.
- Tom Coate E-20 Leesburg, VA |