Is The Hyundai Ioniq 9 Good For Disabled Drivers?
One driver credits the vehicle’s one-pedal driving mode for helping him cope with foot strain.
A Hyundai Ioniq 9 driver credited the vehicle’s one-pedal driving mode for helping him cope with foot strain. Tech enthusiast and TikTok user DaPoets (@dapoets) highlighted some of his favorite features of the car in a September social media post.
DaPoets begins his video with glowing praise for the SUV. First, he’s smitten with the vehicle’s range, reporting that he regularly clocks in 400 miles on a single charge, and he calls its self-driving functionality “glorious.”
He reserves his highest praise for its single-pedal driving. “I love this i-Pedal feature where basically I never touch the brake. It’s just the pedal. Press it down, pull it up, press it, pull it up. When I pull it up, it stops the car, slows down the car … and it’s recharging the battery when it’s doing that,” he says.
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Folks who’ve driven other EVs may be familiar with one-pedal driving. On Teslas, for instance, owners have reported enjoying this similar driving dynamic in offerings from the manufacturer. A user on the Tesla Motors Club forum post said the cars are “designed for one-pedal driving (most of the time).”
They went on to state that those transitioning from a gas-powered vehicle must retrain their driving “muscle memory” to adapt to this driving style: Instead of “riding the brake,” they “ride the accelerator” to take advantage of the EV’s regenerative braking system.
The Ioniq 9’s One-Pedal Driving: Good for Disabled Drivers?
DaPoets is fond of this functionality for another reason: It has allowed him to put less stress on his foot. He explains that prior to posting his clip he sustained a sports-related injury. “I actually just twisted my ankle playing soccer. So it’s actually much easier on my ankle.”
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But can this functionality be an effective solution for drivers with a persistent disability? That depends on the nature of a commuter’s impairment.
Businesses like United Access offer vehicle driving aids. A writeup from the company delineates the advantages of “one-touch electronic driving aids,” saying such functions “have significantly enhanced the driving experience for those who are severely disabled.”
One-Pedal Driving: Safety & Efficiency Boost?
One proponent of one-pedal driving praised its implementation on their Chevy Bolt. The driver said it’s “the most unnoticed safety feature” on the vehicle and speculated that since the car doesn’t lurch forward when the accelerator isn’t depressed, it may prevent accidents that could’ve happened otherwise.
A Chevy Equinox EV driver said they had a “great” experience with their car’s one-pedal driving feature. In the same thread, others reported that their car was running more efficiently than if they had to regularly depress the brake pedal to make their cars come to a stop.
Others, like this YouTube user, tested the efficiency of one-pedal driving techniques. Since EV owners are lifting their foot up from the gas pedal and shifting to brake less frequently, this could lead to fewer movements and less foot strain.
However, there have been some EV owners who’ve reported the opposite effect whenever they’d tried one-pedal driving modes.
A Rivian owner on this forum claimed that using this functionality in their truck “can cause exhaustion.” According to them, having to engage in “constant pedal feathering … can be painful” for their foot. A Reddit user on the site’s r/MachE sub said they too endure “pain in [their] right ankle and foot” whenever they’re using one-pedal driving.
Other Ioniq 9 Pros and Cons
Further along in DaPoets’s video, he did have one negative thing to say about the car: how long it took to fully charge on a ChargePoint level 2 charger running at 7/kWh. According to him, it took a whopping 15 hours to fully juice up his battery.
However, fast-charging was a different story entirely. He says that from 0%, the car can get to 80% battery capacity in just 20 minutes. This timeframe is similar to what Hyundai quotes online.
As for foot fatigue and cars suited for drivers with disabilities, it’s difficult to determine if a one-pedal driving EV will actually be a good fit. Consulting with health care and automotive experts who specialize in transportation needs for different disabilities is crucial.
That said, having a vehicle that won’t move unless you press an acceleration pedal may be appealing for some car owners, as can the prospect of not having to move one’s foot from pedal to pedal frequently during their commutes.
DaPoets also had high praise for Kia’s adaptive cruise control and driving assistance functionality, which might be a favorable addition for those with mobility issues.
For more information on options available to drivers with disabilities, visit the National Highway Traffic Administration’s online resource page. InsideEVs has reached out to DaPoets via TikTok comment.
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