One-pedal driving, or full regeneration, is a beautiful technology in EVs – the car comes to a complete stop as soon as you take the foot off the accelerator pedal, mimicking the traditional braking action.
It’s available in most German luxury EVs, in Mahindra’s new-age EVs, and even in Hyundai and Kia EVs, but Tata Motors – the EV pioneer in India – has steered clear of this technology, except in the Harrier EV. Why?
In a recent discussion, Anand Kulkarni, chief product officer at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, shared the engineering and philosophical reasons why the company has yet to introduce this feature.
Driving comfort
Tata’s primary motivation is driver’s comfort within the specific context of the Indian traffic. Kulkarni said that instead of bringing the car to a complete stop, Tata’s EVs are tuned to decelerate to a ‘creep’ speed of 5-6 km/h. “This allows the car to glide and take-off again intuitively,” he said. “This, we believe, is a more comfortable way to navigate congested urban environments.”
He added that user feedback for the ‘creep’ function has been positive, with drivers finding the persistence of a low-speed creep more natural than a sudden, complete halt. “By requiring the driver to physically press the brake pedal to reach a full stop ensures the driver remains active,” he said.
Mechanical health
Beyond the driving experience, Kulkarni touched upon the mechanical health of the vehicle. “While single-pedal driving relies heavily on motor regeneration to slow down, it can never replace the need for traditional brakes,” he said. “In emergency scenarios requiring rapid deceleration, foundation brakes are still essential.”
He, however, added that Tata Motors is open to the technology, but sees no immediate reason to change a system that is appreciated by majority of its customers. “For now, we remain committed to democratising EVs by focusing on intuitive usability, rather than following industry trends,” he said.
