What is regenerative braking on electric cars?

With no clutch or gears to worry about electric cars are super easy to drive – just press the accelerator and go! This also applies when slowing down, and one of the neatest things about driving an EV.

This is thanks to regenerative braking, or regen for short. In simple terms this turns the motor into a generator to both slow the car and charge the battery every time you lift your foot off the gas. There is, of course, still a conventional brake pedal you can use as normal. But once you get used to regen it can be a real benefit, especially with the ‘one-pedal driving’ style many EV owners love for its labour-saving convenience.

Here, in more detail, is everything you need to know about regenerative braking in electric cars!

What does regenerative braking mean?

If you’ve grown up driving combustion-powered cars you’ll be familiar with the concept of engine braking, where the car slows when you come off the throttle at different rates depending on what gear you’re in.

Regenerative braking feels very similar, and is the electric car equivalent of engine braking. The beauty being you’re also charging up the battery at the same time. That’s like topping up the fuel tank of a combustion car every time you get on the brakes. Neat, huh?

How does regenerative braking work?

The mechanics of regenerative braking are actually very simple. When the motor powering the wheels is instead turned by them – which is to say when coasting or slowing down – it becomes a generator.

The rate of deceleration can be adjusted in most electric cars, sometimes automatically, sometimes according to drive modes or even ‘manually’ by the driver. In some electric cars regenerative braking can even bring the car to a complete halt without the driver needing to touch the conventional brake pedal, which can take some getting used to but is super convenient in stop-start traffic.

Does regenerative braking use brake pads?

All electric cars have conventional braking systems, just like the ones you’ll be used to from other vehicles. These typically use disc brakes on each wheel, operated by a pedal in the usual way and managed by the car’s electronics to assist with stability control, hill hold and similar functions.

The balance between conventional and regenerative braking depends on driving style, modes and a million and one other factors. Some electric cars automatically blend regenerative braking and regular braking when you press the brake pedal, to help with efficiency. Others only do it when you lift off the accelerator.

One benefit of regenerative braking is reduced wear on the brake discs and pads, saving on maintenance costs over the longer term. If you learn to love your regen and use it all the time it’s worth giving the brake pedal a good squeeze once in a while, perhaps when slowing down from motorway speeds on a nice, downhill sliproad. This helps clear dirt and rust from the conventional friction brakes to keep them in prime condition. Just check there’s nobody on your bumper when you hit the pedal!

How do you use regenerative braking?

At a basic level it’s very simple – just lift your foot off the accelerator and let the car figure it out! Most electric cars are very good at judging how much regen you need for different situations, and many drivers will be happy leaving the systems to their own devices. Some do it better than others – read our reviews for how we rate individual models for this.

If you want a bit more involvement you can usually adjust the amount of regenerative braking in your electric car. This may be via different driver modes, on-screen menus, the gear selector or paddles on the steering wheel, depending on the model. Some fancier electric cars also monitor the distance and speed differential to vehicles ahead and even navigation to predict corners, junctions, hills and other regen opportunities to maximise your efficiency and score charge into the battery without you even noticing. Basically, more range for free!

When to use regenerative braking … and when not to

Different driving situations can favour different levels of regenerative braking, so it’s worth understanding how to adjust it if your car offers the option.

For example, on motorways or in free-flowing traffic you’ll probably want the minimum of regen for smoothness and that effortless sense of gliding electric cars do so well. This is also an efficient way to drive, especially when combined with ‘smart’ cruise control systems, where fitted.

In stop-start traffic or around town you might go the other way, and here stronger regenerative braking up to and including ‘one-pedal’ modes can be both convenient as well as efficient. Electric cars are getting cleverer at figuring this out themselves, so you may not have to bother switching between modes. But the principles remain the same.

It should also go without saying but if you need to stop in an emergency you should be hard on the brake pedal as you would in any other car, not relying on regen!