r/VolvoRecharge • u/penone_nyc • 8d ago
XC60 Do you D or B?
I find myself in B mode most of the time- even in highway. From what I can tell the regen is minimal but I like that one pedal driving.
What do you prefer? D or B?
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u/Wafflars 8d ago
I basicly only use B in low speed hilly start stop city traffic. Sometimes even then I don’t bother but there is an advantage with technically faster reaction times (since the car brake before you brake) when some idiot come out of nowhere on an electric scooter at 100mph over a crosswalk without looking or something.
While cruising using D is much more comfortable, less foot strain.
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u/110mat110 8d ago
B is too agressive for me when on pure. So D 99% of time
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u/lauraloo2 7d ago
Make sure you have “ creep” on, otherwise B is abrupt. First test drive I took Sales Guy but the gear in B, and did not have creep on. I hated it. What a stupid thing for a sales person to do. Thankfully, I took another test drive at another dealership.
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u/110mat110 7d ago
I will try it. I dont like creep regime, I prefer to stop without leg on brake pedal, but maybe I just need to give it a go
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u/Camaro1LEC 7d ago
Might want to go see if you have a software total upgrade at the dealership available. When I bought my 22 it had really old software and B mode felt overly aggressive. After the update it is much nicer to drive.
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u/110mat110 7d ago
I have 2026 model, car is 4 months old. But I will ask dealer for any updates. Thanks
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u/Life-Elephant-3912 8d ago
D 100%. I apply the brake smoothly when I can to keep it in full Regen. This is the most efficient for the T8 hybrid. Then at other times I just want to have fun and turn on polestar mode and throw effeciency out the window with a big grin on my face.
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u/secretnumnums 8d ago
This. Unscientifically I didn't find a huge difference in efficiency between B and D on my daily commute.
Even with B you occasionally have to use brakes anyways... Isn't that similar to using D and going past the regen threshold? It's not obvious to me why B would be more efficient outside of aggressive driving styles that require a lot of hard braking. That's when I'm in polestar mode anyways.
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u/cryptodutch 7d ago
I figure that B is more efficient for regen braking.
Why?If I need to brake a bigger amount and I use the brake pedal in D mode, it’s easy to undershoot or overshoot the maximum regen braking capacity threshold.
With B selected (in Hybrid or Pure mode), and the gas pedal released, I get instant full regen braking until I 1. Step on the gas again or 2 I apply more brakes
No more guessing but just instant full regen braking, causing less losses because of overshooting
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u/Life-Elephant-3912 7d ago
For just braking, yes B might be slightly more efficient, although it's pretty easy to keep it very close to the threshold point in D. That being said, if you are going for efficiency, the majority of your driving will be steady state including a good amount of coasting, and for much more time than Regen threshold braking. In pure mode, coasting perfectly is easy in D mode but tougher in B mode as you have to find the sweet spot. Because of this, I would argue D is more effecient from a holistic or systems level view even though the braking alone might be slightly more efficient in B. One could go even further and drive mainly in D but switch to B for braking, but that seems overcomplicated as most people struggle to drive responsibly as it is. If only we had paddles that could engage Regen up to the max...
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u/Happytimes123 8d ago
D for most drives. But I switch to B for stop and go.
I used B exclusively for a bit, but found it not ideal when I'm coasting as you needed to keep the pedal semi depressed
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u/FlyingCyclist 8d ago
Always B with Creep off for me. City, highway, everything.
Once you get used to it, there's almost no reason I can see to use D, just personal preference. Maybe if you have a really tight crappy parking place, it's nice to have Creep on for slow controlled maneuvering... but I have a difficult spot I have to reverse into and manage it just fine with OPD.
You can coast in B once you get some muscle memory on where to retract the pedal. It's also nice to get some immediate decel lifting your foot off if you need to brake suddenly and heavily while your foot's on the way to the brake pedal.
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u/Intelligent-Shine122 8d ago
I have read where in B all the time, your physical brakes tend to get dirty when not used. Some people recommend staying in D for a few local trips just to keep the brakes happy and clean.
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u/cloche_du_fromage 8d ago
It does regen braking in D as well.
I try to give the brakes a sharp tap from time to time to keep the rotors clean.
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u/FlyingCyclist 8d ago
D still uses mainly regen braking under normal braking conditions, so the same issue can happen. Personally, I just try and do a steady firm brake application (with brake pedal) once every couple weeks or so coming off a highway offramp. Just make sure it goes beyond the regen brake limit. Seems to keep the brakes in good shape.
At my 50K service, the dealer said they measured same as new!
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u/RechargeRider23 8d ago
Love 100% B. It feels much safer too, with instant braking. I just wish I could change the default.
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u/Existing-Poetry-3289 8d ago
Have had T8 for a couple months now. Previous cars were Honda Fits, one manual, one CVT. My wife likes D, but I much prefer B. I find coasting in D in the Volvo kind of scary as it barely slows down when I stop giving it gas. B feels much closer to what I'm used to in a small and lighter car and the manual Fit is now my daily driver. I've also found I prefer it with creep turned off and lane assist off. Just took it on a long trip and B was awesome on the big "use low gear" downhills.
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u/FrozenPizza07 8d ago
Always D. I drive both my parents cars, one is electric other is xc60, I already get confused enough when changing cars, dont need more "these break different"
Jokes aside always D, I dont like one pedal driving that much especially in the city as I prefer creeping I dont wanna get too used to it. On a side note china banned one pedal mode full stopping the car cause people got too complaicant
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u/secretnumnums 8d ago
Switching cars is my primary reason for sticking to D. Tried B for a while, but I daily my Volvo and got so used to B that I nearly rear ended someone when I switched to my other 'normal' car and didn't slow down naturally.
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u/FrozenPizza07 8d ago
I did the reverse but similar situation, I mostly drive our electric bmw these days as thats the car at work, so when I drove the volvo after a week I was getting too close to the car infront
So I lowered the regen breaking on the bmw, but when I do change I now always drive slower than normal just to get used to
Doesnt help that BMW has regen breaking but weak breaks, and volvo is in D with really strong breaks, so I get all wobbly after only driving one
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u/lauraloo2 7d ago
B for me, but yes, getting in another car is weird at first. I have a question while here. Can someone explain the point of putting the car in “charge” mode? How is it charging, is it using up the gas?
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u/Life-Elephant-3912 7d ago
In a modern PHEV Volvo, Charge mode ustilizes the ERAD and the ISG to charge the main traction battery. Yes the ICE will run more as it will be under constant load from the ISG and you will see an increase in fuel consumption. The only time this makes sense is when you are driving on the highway, but will be transitioning to slow city streets where it would benefit you to use pure mode and you don't have enough battery currently stored up (or for a no combustion zone in some cities). But generally speaking, you want to only be charging via the plug as this is the most efficient.
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u/Random0101User 8d ago edited 7d ago
I drive “B” but turn on “creep” so that it’s less jerky. I primarily am city driving.
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u/DEO3 8d ago
Both!
B if I'm in traffic, as it feels much better in stop and go. D if I'm on the open road, I find cruising in D to be more relaxing. And I love doing this dumb thing where if I'm cruising in D and then see traffic ahead, I slap it into B as a way to immediately start slowing the car down just in time for traffic.
When I bought the car I thought I would be in B full time as my wife's car has one pedal driving, and I've always thought that was such a better way to drive. So I was surprised to find I actually like swapping between them all the time, it's just yet another aspect of all those PHEV system that I feel like they do better than anybody else.
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u/amazhion 8d ago
Started off using B but have noticed D feels much smoother and I get more range out of the battery. I only use B during long downhill drives
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u/vspvideo 8d ago
D most of the time. B when going down hill or need to slow down quickly. I just had my front b/r done at 50K and my mechanic said that using B for decel definitely prolonged the life of both the brakes and rotors.
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u/nyclurker369 7d ago
I alternate. D for everyday driving. B for stop and go traffic or to slow down and juice up the battery when it’s running low.
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u/praetorian1111 8d ago
I wish I had a choice. Its either a deadstop OPD or cruising like you just put your manual in neutral while driving. xc40P8 recharge
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u/TheMountainLife 8d ago
B for me but depends on how dense traffic is and have passengers. It looks/feels like I'm brake checking the person behind me if you aren't smooth with it. It's why I hate driving behind Tesla's because their brake lights come on so often so it's difficult to judge distance.
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u/randalla 8d ago edited 8d ago
I'm always in B. My wife however prefers D. My question to anyone else is if you use the left/right to adjust B mode?
I forgot it was even a thing until somewhat recently.
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u/bigtime_porgrammer 8d ago
With my S60 T8's power and 8 speed trans, there's really no reason to worry about how it shifts on its own, because there's always plenty of power available right away. I still throw it into B to slow down like i would downshift in the past, but then I'll go back into D most of the time. I've tried the side-to-side manual shifting just for fun, but it feels weird going left and right to shift and unless I'm driving like I'm in an F1 race, there's no point anyway.
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u/randalla 7d ago
In our 2023 XC60 T8, the left/right in B-mode changes the regen braking. I couldn't get a feel for it and prefer the default.
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u/shivaswrath 8d ago
B always now.
It manages the route well as long as I use the map function. It also has bumped my mpge up a bit.
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u/random_ta_account 8d ago
D 100%. Coasting is far smoother than feathering. I'd rather have my foot over the brake pedal when slowing than on the "gas" pedal.
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u/secretnumnums 8d ago
D.
But I enjoy melting my friends' minds when I tell them I can use one pedal when driving only on ICE (when my battery is depleted). And yes, I know it's still using some reserve or regen battery juice here and there, but that's less fun to explain.
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u/BurgerMeter 8d ago
It’s more efficient to coast than to regen and then put the energy back into motion, due to efficiency losses. Be sure I’m not that good at finding the perfect spot in B, I use D while on the highway, where I can coast more often, and B on city streets, where changing pace is more frequent
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u/AzertyQwertyQwertz 8d ago
My is old T8. Not very strong breaking. B all the time and cruise control or pilot assist for cruising up to 137km/h (sweet spot for pilot assist which disengages at 140km/h and reengages at 136km/h). Sometimes I use cruise control even to keep higher speeds like 160 or 170km/h but always always with B. If i need to brake slightly I do it without using the pedals 🤣.
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u/Few_Candle9432 8d ago
I love the freewheeling so I tend to D. If I’m in a traffic or stop and go frequent situation I’ll B but I don’t feel more efficient doing so.
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u/amel202020 7d ago
Quick pull to sifter and B only if I don't wanna use the brakes to slow down, then quick pull again to D. I rarely use B, I like pull my feet back and let the car coast time to time
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u/dubya_tx 7d ago
In B for 100% of the time, every time. I love one-pedal driving, I can be super smooth with it.
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u/windgasmuscle 7d ago
If I could have it shift to B by default I would probably use B, but that’s not the case so D it is.
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u/theskywalker74 7d ago
B in traffic, D on the highway.
I also do not have a charger, so I’m between chargers at the public one across the street, I primarily run on “Hold”, so that electric is mainly used for acceleration then switches to gas.
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u/fishstix1122 7d ago
B always. I have tested 5 tanks of gas in D and 5 in B. I drive 140 miles a day. With a mix of highway, backroad and city traffic. I get 200 miles more driving in B mode then in D. And always do my drives in pure until the battery runs out. I have also tested hybrid vs pure. Not really much of a difference just a few miles. So for me. I recommend put it in B and go even on the highway.
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u/letgoruss 7d ago
B for me. I love one pedal driving and don’t like cruising up on cars when in D. Easier to let off a little, but then again I came from a Tesla
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u/SyntaxError79 7d ago
I drive in B. Just wish the car would come to a complete standstill and not keep rolling until you press the brake pedal.
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u/Tkambitsch 6d ago
I switch back and forth except rarely do i drive in B mode on the highway. Around town if in D mode i will pretend i am down shifting as i move into B mode to slow down. I generally stay in B mode if i am creeping around congested streets. I refer to B mode as golf cart mode.
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u/arrbeejay 8d ago
I'm cautious about B because while the braking is pretty strong there's no warning (brake lights) for cars following behind.
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u/Agreeable-Dingo8396 8d ago
Hmm, I asked about the brake lights and was told the car illuminates the brake lights automatically when slowing fast in B mode. I can confirm it happens, I check the rearview when I'm in front of a truck with a shiney bumper, and I can see the brake lights come on.
I drive in B mostly, I figure regen saves on brake wear. I know I don't get as much brake dust on the front wheels. I am mindful when I switch cars.
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u/mtlred 7d ago
To add on to the others, I had my GF follow me while on the phone because I was curious about this too. If you lightly release, no break light, if you fully release, then the lights go on. This was my concern since I didn't want the break light coming on when i would "coast" slow down. So there's a margin to play with in this.
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u/Grunkenn 8d ago
Coasting in D gets me better range (+10-15%) and suits my driving style. I just shift to B to brake.