Tech & Auto
Hyundai Needs To Rethink These Brake Lights Before Someone Gets Hurt
By THARINDU DIAS
Brake lights are essential to vehicle safety as they alert other drivers that you’re slowing down. Unfortunately, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has a glaring flaw with its system.
With the rise of electric vehicles comes the regenerative braking system, which uses the EV’s electric motor as a generator and partially provides a braking force to the car.
A switch in the brake pedal activates the brake lights. However, the Ioniq 5 has a single-pedal mode that uses the new brake system to slow the car down without the pedal.
This i-Pedal mode begins to activate the regenerative braking system when you ease off the accelerator while driving, which slows the car down in the process.
Less pressure on the accelerator means a greater braking force, but the Ioniq 5’s lights are programmed to activate only when the driver’s foot is entirely off the accelerator.
Since i-Pedal sets regenerative braking to its highest setting, it can impart significant braking force before the pedal is released completely.
The immediate solution to this issue is likely a recall for a software update. However, specific regulations about the new braking system must be in place for a long-term solution.