Nissan has continued the drip-feed of feature announcements ahead of the launch of the upcoming Leaf, today revealing that the next-gen electric vehicle will sport a so-called e-Pedal that can be used to accelerate, slow down and come to a complete stop.
Single pedal operation is a feature built into a number of electric vehicles as a way of simplifying driving and recapturing energy lost during deceleration. This approach to regenerative braking can be seen in cars such as the BMW i3 and Chevy Bolt, but according to Nissan, the upcoming Leaf will take things a little further.
The company says it will be the first car in the world that allows drivers to come to a standstill on hills, hold position, and then resume driving again with a single pedal.
The e-Pedal will be activated by a switch that turns the otherwise regular accelerator into one pedal to rule them all. Easing off the pedal will reduce the car's speed, while releasing it will bring it to a stop and hold its position, even on an incline. Nissan says that users will be able to handle 90 percent of their driving with the e-Pedal.
The animation below offers an overview of how it works.
Source: Nissan
