The vehicles that did not illuminate their brake lights appropriately during aggressive regenerative braking in tests were the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL AWD, 2023 Genesis GV60 Advanced, 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70, 2022 Kia EV6 Wind AWD and 2023 Kia Niro EV Wind.
Other EVs from Hyundai tested by Consumer Reports did illuminate their brake lights, including the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 SEL AWD.
Regenerative braking slows an EV when it’s coasting or braking, recouping energy and sending it back to recharge the vehicle battery.
Many EVs can be set to an aggressive level of regenerative braking, so the vehicle will rapidly slow or come to a full stop without the driver stepping on the physical brake pedal. Easing off the accelerator pedal can start slowing the vehicle rapidly, so that it is similar to stepping on the brake pedal in a conventional vehicle. Many drivers who utilize the one-pedal-driving feature maintain light pressure on the accelerator pedal even when they are slowing the vehicle down. This creates smoother transitions between accelerating and decelerating.
“This issue clearly increases the risk of rear-end crashes and people getting hurt on our roads,” said William Wallace, Consumer Reports’ associate director of safety policy.
