Regenerative Braking

Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles and many conventional hybrids on the market today have a regenerative braking system. Regenerative brakes use the electric drive motor(s) in addition to a traditional friction braking system to slow down and stop the vehicle. The blending of the Regenerative Brakes and the conventional friction brakes is automatic, and unnoticeable to the driver.

Regenerative brakes capture the kinetic energy of the vehicle, convert it to electricity and transfer it back into the car’s batteries – recapturing the energy that is otherwise converted to waste heat with conventional friction braking. This extends driving range and improves efficiency. With Regenerative Braking doing much of the work, the conventional friction brakes are used much less than in a conventional vehicle and typically wear more slowly.