Older drivers who learned how to drive on a manual transmission vehicle are used to two-foot driving. When automatic vehicles were introduced in the 1950s, fewer drivers used the left foot since by habit, drivers use the right foot to accelerate or brake by stepping on the gas pedal to speed up and moving the same foot to the left to stop or slow down the car.
What if there is only one pedal to move or stop a car? A Japanese carmaker will introduce in 2018 a one-pedal car. Ahead of the vehicle's roll-out, Nissan announced on July 27 the launch of the e-Pedal for its Nissan Leaf slated for release next year.
Regenerative braking
The same principle for driving a car - whether it is a manual or automatic transmission vehicle - works for the e-Pedal of the upcoming Nissan Leaf 2018 model. To move the car forward or to speed it up, the driver will step on the pedal. However, unlike most vehicles, there is no need to step on the brake to stop the car since there is no brake pedal. All the driver of the upcoming Nissan Leaf 2018 vehicle has to do is remove his right foot from the e-Pedal and the car will stop.
This new way of driving the Nissan Leaf 2018 is called Regenerative Braking. In a press release, Nissan explained how the e-pedal will work. "With the flip of a switch, the technology turns your accelerator into an e-Pedal, allowing drivers to accelerate, decelerate and stop using just the e-Pedal."
Using the technology, drivers could bring the vehicle to a complete stop even on hills, remain in position, and resume driving instantly, Gineersnow.com reported.
The technology helps solve a common problem that novice drivers experience while driving uphill. It is when they have to stop midway while ascending. New motorists struggle to create the right mix between releasing the brake and stepping on the gas pedal to move forward without gravity taking over and causing the vehicle to slide back and hit the car behind.
September launch
TechRadar reported that the Japanese automobile maker will officially launch the Nissan Leaf 2018 in September. The upcoming model will still feature the traditional brake pedal which becomes the e-Pedal with just the flip of a switch. If the driver needs to brake suddenly, he must switch the system off and jam the brake.
While Nissan's press release claimed the Nissan Leaf 2018 was the world's first one-pedal operation vehicle, Forbes debunked the claim of Nissan - the sixth-largest vehicle manufacturer in the world, after Toyota, General Motors, Volkswagen Group, Hyundai Motor, and Ford. Luxury carmaker BMW, in 2008, launched the Mini E as part of its electric vehicle pilot program. The model's setup featured a strong regenerative braking as the default.
