What is Regenerative Braking?

What is Regenerative Braking?

Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism which slows a vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form which can be either used immediately or stored until needed. This braking uses an electric vehicle's motor as a generator to convert much of the kinetic energy lost when decelerating back into stored energy in the vehicle's battery. Basically, the most efficient way to drive any vehicle would be to accelerate to a constant speed and then never touch the brake pedal.

Any danger can arise if regenerative braking is applied to two-wheel-drive brake systems. However, regenerative braking does have various benefits. A proper implementation of regenerative braking system extends driving range, improves braking efficiency, reduces brake wear, and improves energy conservation. In a battery-powered electric vehicle, regenerative braking is the conversion of the vehicle's kinetic energy into chemical energy stored in the battery, where it can be used later to drive the vehicle. It is braking because it also serves to slow the vehicle.

The first car to have used regenerative braking technology, was in 1967. The regenerative braking instead of sending braking energy into batteries, returns to the power line. A typical modern electric train can save around 15–20 percent of its energy using regenerative brakes in this way.