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My new car has an electric parking brake - how do I use it on a hill?
My recently purchased Peugeot 3008 comes with an electric parking brake as standard. This is the first car I have owned with this type of brake, and I am struggling to master it. With the car on a level surface there is no problem, but pulling away from stationary on an upward slope is causing me problems. With previous cars the handbrake could be used to hold the vehicle until the clutch and accelerator were properly balanced to ensure a smooth pull away, but the electric brake is either full on or full off and can't be used to prevent the car from running backwards while balancing clutch and accelerator as I am used to doing. Can you advise a method of getting this car to pull forwards smoothly when on an upwards slope?
Asked on 27 June 2019 by honjohn
Answered by
Andrew Brady
Your 3008 will have hill start assist so there's no need to use the handbrake. When you come to a stop on a hill, hold the car still with your foot on the brake. When it's time to move off, the hill start assist will keep the car held still for a couple of seconds while you move your foot from the brake to accelerator and release the clutch. If you're stopped for an extended period and don't want to keep your foot on the brake, apply the handbrake. When it's time to move off, put your foot on the brake, release the handbrake and then move your foot from the brake to the accelerator. The hill start assist will prevent the car moving backwards while you do this.
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