Understanding Car Throttle Controllers: A Brief Guide & Review on PedalBox
Introduction
Car throttle controllers, also known as electronic throttle controllers, are devices designed to improve the responsiveness of a vehicle’s accelerator. They are becoming increasingly popular among car enthusiasts and everyday drivers alike. But what exactly are they, and why are they needed? Let’s delve into the world of throttle controllers and explore their benefits.
Why are Throttle Controllers Needed?
Modern vehicles are equipped with electronic throttle control systems, which replace the traditional mechanical linkage between the accelerator pedal and the engine with an electronic signal. While this technology offers numerous advantages, it can sometimes result in a delay in throttle response, often referred to as “throttle lag” or “accelerator lag”.
Throttle controllers are designed to address this issue. They work by intercepting the signal from the accelerator pedal and modifying it to provide a more immediate response. This can significantly enhance the driving experience, making the vehicle feel more responsive and agile.
Benefits of Throttle Controllers
Throttle controllers offer several benefits:
- Improved Throttle Response: By eliminating throttle lag, throttle controllers allow the vehicle to respond more quickly to the driver’s inputs.
- Customizable Driving Experience: Many throttle controllers come with user-selectable programs that allow drivers to fine-tune their vehicle’s throttle response to suit their driving style and the specific conditions they are driving in.
- Increased Driving Pleasure: The improved responsiveness can make driving more enjoyable, particularly in sporty or dynamic driving situations.
- Easy Installation: Throttle controllers are typically easy to install, often requiring no more than a simple plug-and-play connection.
Popular Throttle Controller Brands
There are several well-known brands in the throttle controller market, including:
- Pivot: Pivot offers a range of throttle controllers, including the 3-drive series, which features multiple functions and an auto cruise control option.
- Pedalbox: Pedalbox is another popular brand, offering a range of throttle controllers with user-selectable programs. Their products are designed to enhance driveability by removing delays in the accelerator.
- Ultimate 9 (Previously iDrive): The Ultimate 9 EVC Throttle Controller is one of the most popular options in Australia. It offers four driving modes and 20 adjustable settings so you can tune it to find the ideal response for the terrain and situation you are in.
- Hikeit X9: The Hikeit X9 is one of the newest throttle controller models on the market and it is packed with fantastic features. This controller offers 6 different modes; Eco, Sport, Cruise, HikeIt High Performance, Auto and Normal.
PedalBox Review for Toyota Estima AHR20W Hybrid
We had the opportunity to attend the Osaka Auto Messe event where we met with the Japanese team of PedalBox. After a brief conversation about the product, the company and of course the price, we decided to get one of these throttle controllers and test it on one of our vehicles, an Estima Hybrid.
If you drive a hybrid or if you are driving behind one, you’d know that the hybrids often start slowly and in EV mode until the ICE engine kicks in.
There’s two variants of the PedalBox. One has an immo function which can be helpful if a brother is trying to jack your car while you sleep and this model also can connect with an app on your phone. The other model and a bit less expensive is the one we bought. It is simple to use, has 3 buttons and it is super easy to install. In fact, installation took 5 mins, 1 min to plug it in and 4 mins thinking where’s the best place to put the unit.
Thoughts
It was fun to use the PedalBox, it made the hybrid accelerate like a V6 Toyota Estima (minus the power of the V6). The acceleration works even in Hybrid mode so the response is both for ICE and EV driving. It is useful in city driving, at intersections and other situations where you need quicker acceleration response rather than sticking the gear into S (Sport mode). My preference was within the 2nd or 3rd mode of Eco drive.
Sport mode is great but I could see the milage drop a bit and i don’t think it is always needed, unless you are late early morning to school.
The PedalBox is a bit more expensive than Pivot or other brands and I couldn’t find it on the Australian dealer website (Estima wasn’t meant for the Australian market), but it’s made in Germany by DTE which is top brand for chip tunning and i quite like the interface and simplicity to use the device.
There’s few videos on PedalBox review and this one seems to be the most visually accurate demonstration of PedalBox capabilities.
If you are interested in getting a PedalBox for your Estima or other JDM vehicles, feel free to reach out to us.
