I've got to say that I LOVE the sound of regenerative braking. The subway-car-stopping sound. When I drive my wife's car, I miss it. Just thought I'd share that.
Bet you have lots of hateful followers behind you, "Why is that damn guy braking like a 'Do not follow' vehicle?"
I love that sound too. To me it sounds like a spaceship landing - or rather what I imagine a spaceship would sound like. :alien:
To sort of paraphrase Apocalypse Now: "I love the sound of regen braking in the morning. It sounds like.... victory."
And it's somehow a very full and satisfying sound. In comparison, friction brakes are either silent, thin-sounding, or squeaky-annoying. I also like the sound of pulling away from a stop EV-only -- basically the reverse sound of regen braking -- but it's not a great technique mileage-wise, and it's annoying to those behind you, so I don't hear that sound much. Really, the Prius is much more of a audio experience than most low-tech cars -- except I guess sports cars with their various acceleration sounds. With the Prius, you get silence at a stop light, you get silence when you first turn it on, and you get things like regen braking, or the brakes being charged up as you first enter the vehicle. All with no key: Starships don't have keys, baby!
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8biE-3Iefc&feature=related"]YouTube - ??????????????[/ame] 1:25 & 2:25 are clear.
