Battery driving range is one of greatest challenges preventing mass adoption of electric transport. Regenerative braking could never close the gap without more powerful batteries. However, every little bit can help, and so we wrote this post to describe how harvesting energy from slowing a vehicle works.
Let’s Start By Explaining Regenerative Brakes
Regenerative braking uses electric motors to slow down a vehicle, unlike the conventional method braking method that uses friction. Slowing a car by applying disc pads to a disc generates heat as a byproduct, but that energy is wasted.
Using an electric motor to slow a moving vehicle is smarter, because it transfers small amounts of kinetic energy to the battery cells. An electric vehicle may capture up to 60% of this potential, and use it to partly recharge the battery.
This method works with both fully-electric, and hybrid vehicles. It can kick in automatically, even when the vehicle is coasting, or the driver could invoke it in some designs. If you think that this sounds like an ideal world of motoring, you may be right. But first let us consider the pros and cons.
The Positive Side of Harvesting Energy from Braking
Conventional braking generates heat that goes to waste. The regenerative method captures this energy, and stores it in the vehicle’s battery. The individual amounts may be small, but they increment depending on driving style.
Regenerative braking supplements conventional braking in electric and hybrid vehicles. This means changing brake pads, discs and other components less frequently. The vehicle may only need these changing every 100,000 miles.
The Disadvantages of Using Regenerative Braking
A driver may find working with this emerging technology confusing at first. It may even feel weird to them, and sap their self-confidence, according to Energy Saver.
The system is also not as instantaneous as conventional brakes. Fortunately, most electric vehicles provide both options. The amount of energy stored depends on how much the vehicle needs to slow. This may not be much at all in stop-start driving.
So is this innovation worth all the effort, cost, and adaption involved? The answer depends on our perspective on batteries and renewable energy. If we take global warming seriously, then surely every little bit helps?
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