Zi Hui's reader's response Draft 2

In the article “10 Reasons Why The Hyundai Kona Electric Is Better Than The Tesla Model 3” (Moore, 2023), the KONA Electric Vehicle (EV) offers a range of four distinct regenerative braking settings, spanning from level zero to three. The intelligent regenerative braking system employs its onboard radar sensor to automatically adjust the amount of regenerative braking according to different road conditions such as change in steepness or traffic conditions ahead. This allows the state of charge of the vehicle to be maintained at a healthy level. Secondly, the KONA also has “one-paddle mode” which allows users to stop the vehicle without using conventional brakes. The Smart Recuperative system enhances the KONA electric vehicle in terms of energy conservation and efficiency, additionally contributing to greener transport emission, which is one step in curbing global warming.

The KONA has regenerative braking from level zero to three, with level zero having no regenerative braking and level three being the highest. Hence with this function, when the user releases the accelerator pedal at level zero, the vehicle will be coasting, while at level three the vehicle will have a considerably powerful braking (Han, J. 2022). The regenerative braking can be adjusted by using the left and right paddle located behind the steering wheel. The left paddle increases regenerative braking and deceleration, on the other hand, the right paddle does the opposite (Hyundai, 2023). During regenerative braking, the motor slows down the vehicle by converting kinetic energy back to electrical energy (Tharad, V. 2023), hence charging the battery. This allows the EV to conserve electricity and maximize the driving range up to 484 kilometers (Hyundai, 2023) of the vehicle in a single charge.

The second feature of this EV is its smart recuperation system. By incorporating radar sensors into the regenerative braking system, it automatically changes the regenerative braking according to specific road conditions, such as the steepness of the road. This diminishes the redundancy of using conventional braking and accelerating, reducing the amount of energy loss from braking, resulting in the enhancement of driving experience and energy efficiency (Hyundai, 2023.). 

Another feature that involves regenerative braking in KONA is the “one-paddle mode” whereby the driver can decelerate by pulling the left paddle shifter and holding it until the vehicle comes to a full stop, while charging the EV simultaneously. This eliminates the use of conventional brake pedals. Additionally, the reduced usage of brakes also slows down wear and tear on frictional brakes, which indirectly helps the vehicle to have a longer usage span, leading to lesser maintenance and saving on maintenance expenses.

Additionally, having regenerative braking systems in vehicles allows EVs to be more eco-friendly. Statistics showed that the regenerative system is able to convert 70% of energy lost from conventional braking back to electricity, which helps to reduce the amount of power generated for charging of vehicles and reducing overall carbon emissions (Energy5, 2023).  This allows the EV to be energy-efficient .

However, the down side of the smart recuperation system is that the radar sensor may not be able to fully detect obstacles in front of the vehicle at some places. For some instances, when driving up a slope, the KONA’s radar sensor will not be able to detect vehicles on the other side of a slope as the vehicles in front is not within the sensor's range (HyundaiUSA, 2023), the regenerative braking system will be reduced and the EV will not slow down despite having obstacles in front. Another scenario is when a vehicle from another driving lane is diagonally in front of the EV is turning right from the left at a sharp bend before the EV, the sensors will detect the vehicle and will deem the vehicle to be in front of the EV, resulting to have an increase in regenerative braking although the vehicle is not obstructing the EV (HyundaiUSA, 2023). Hence the driver needs to ensure that the road conditions are safe before using the smart recuperation system, and be always ready to use the brake pedal and adjust the regenerative braking level whenever necessary.

All in all, the regenerative braking system enhances the KONA electric vehicle in terms of energy conservation and efficiency, in addition to using modern technologies allows the vehicle to adapt and maximize energy recuperation at any road conditions; it is an ideal vehicle on roads like Singapore, where heavy traffic is common along the business district during peak hours daily. Cumulatively, the recuperative system will make a significant impact on reducing energy consumption. At a global scale, having more EVs with regenerative braking systems also reduces overall transport emissions, leading to a  positive impact on global warming.

Reference List:

Energy5 (2023, September 25) Examining the Role of a Regenerative Braking System in an Electric Car 

https://energy5.com/examining-the-role-of-a-regenerative-braking-system-in-an-electric-car

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

Han, J, ( 2022, March 25) An Intelligent Regenerative Braking Strategy for Electric Vehicles

https://nrsbrakes.com/blogs/blog/an-intelligent-regenerative-braking-strategy-for-electric-vehicles

(2023) 2023 Kona Electric Owner's Manual 

https://owners.hyundaiusa.com/content/dam/hyundai/us/myhyundai/manuals/glovebox-manual/2023/kona-ev/2023-Kona-EV-OM.pdf

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

Tharad, V. (2023, July 30) ELECTRIC VEHICLE'S MAIN COMPONENT PARTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/electric-vehicles-main-component-parts-functions-vijay-tharad#:~:text=The%20motor%20converts%20the%20electrical,is%20the%20regenerative%20braking%20mechanism.