Raise your hand if you remember the 80s kids classic, Bananaman. Anyone? No? Ok, maybe we’re showing our age somewhat, but the premise is simple: Eric is your average schoolboy living a normal life. That is until one simple action unlocks his true potential. For when Eric eats a banana, everything changes and he becomes the eponymous superhero.
It’s hardly an original concept; hidden potential triggered by something small. But it’s one that also applies to electric vehicles. And no, there’s no banana involved.
If you’re unfamiliar with driving an EV, there’s a fair chance you’re unaware of its own hidden superpower. Every time you raise your foot off the accelerator, the vehicle undergoes its own quiet transformation – one that turns wasted energy into something useful.
This particular transformation is known as regenerative braking and, once you understand it, you begin to realise just how much happens beneath the surface.
Turning motion into electricity
Put simply, regenerative braking is capable of converting the energy lost during braking into an electrical charge for the battery. And even if the limit of your physics knowledge got no further than sitting with a confused look during secondary school science, the explanation is easy to understand.
Any moving vehicle carries energy. With a traditional petrol or diesel model, this energy is lost the moment you begin to slow. The brakes cause friction which, in turn, generates heat. This heat then dissipates into the air, never to be seen again. Electric cars, however, adopt a different approach.
When easing off the accelerator, the electric motor essentially begins to operate in reverse, providing resistance that converts motion into energy. This energy is fed back through the motor, thereby converting it into an electrical charge to the battery. As such, the act of slowing the vehicle provides the opportunity to recover energy that would otherwise be wasted.
Why it feels like a superpower
Ok, so it’s more science than superpower. But when compared to combustion engine vehicles, it truly is a remarkable feat of engineering. Instead of braking leading to friction, heat and an overall loss of energy, an EV views braking as an opportunity, capturing, storing, and reusing the energy normally lost to the ether.
Of course, traditional braking continues to play an integral role in motoring. Brakes are there when you need immediate stopping power but, in an EV, they support an intelligent system that helps optimise performance.
Benefits you actually notice
So, aside from the silent innovation hidden beneath, what does regenerative braking offer from a driver’s perspective? As you might expect, it’s the energy recovered that contributes to the overall range. Everyday driving is a stop/start process, particularly when tackling city motoring. The result is incremental ‘topping up’ of the battery, leading to increased mileage, every time you slow down for the next set of traffic lights.
This benefit can, in fact, be viewed in realtime. Go ahead and give it a try. Keep one eye on the range/energy level of the vehicle… and the other on the road, preferably. The greater the amount of regenerative braking, the increased range available. It may only seem slight, but every little counts towards maximising performance.
Benefits also become more tangible over time. Since the motor is responsible for slowing the vehicle, there is less wear on traditional brake pads and discs, meaning fewer replacements and lower maintenance costs. If you’re keeping your EV for a few years at least, you can expect the savings to add up and make a real difference in your pocket.
Finally, there’s the way an EV feels to drive. Leading manufacturers such as Nissan and Tesla have refined regenerative braking to such an extent that one-pedal driving is available. As the name suggests, this results in a driving experience that eliminates switching between accelerator and brake, instead enabling you to control the speed of the car with a single, fluid motion. Other manufacturers provide the option to activate regenerative braking with the push of a button, thereby optimising the level of use depending on preference. Regardless, it’s something of an unfamiliar feel to begin with… but quickly becomes natural.
Best of all, it’s triggered with one simple action: lifting your foot off the accelerator.
Even superpowers have limits
Even the greatest abilities have boundaries. While regenerative braking feels like a hidden superpower, it doesn’t replace the need for traditional friction braking. Emergency stops, for example, demand maximum braking power. Safety always takes priority over energy recovery.
In addition, environmental conditions impact the efficiency of regenerative braking. Think Superman (a slightly better known superhero reference) being exposed to kryptonite. So it goes with regenerative braking and cold weather. Exposure to the cold means the battery is less capable of accepting and storing a charge, making the overall process less efficient.
You’ve probably also heard that charging an EV to 100% is not advised. While this is partly due to quicker battery degradation, a full charge also means that the energy captured during regenerative braking has nowhere to go. As such, most models recommend charging to 80%, giving space for energy to be stored and prolonging overall battery health.
Power behind the scenes
Regenerative braking is the silent superpower that often gets overlooked in electric vehicles. Unlike Eric, there’s no major transformation – just a reimagining of what braking should be. What feels like a routine action unlocks the ability to recapture energy and boost performance, thereby making every moment behind the wheel count.
As the official test drive partner of Everything Electric, the team at Big Motoring World can help you experience the benefits of regenerative braking for yourself. With used electric vehicles from over 35 manufacturers available, we have a model that will suit your needs and budget, and enable you to make the switch to electric power effortlessly.
About the Author
Stuart Porro is Head of Content at Big Motoring World, helping educate customers about the big wide car world. Stuart has helped create content in the motoring world for a host of manufacturers, including working in motorsport in the British Touring Car Championship, F1 and being the host of the World Powerboating championship.
