Question about electric vehicles.

acotrel

acotrel

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In the new models of electric cars, are the motors used to slow the vehicle when braking, so that the batteries are recharged in the process ? Seems to me that in both a petrol vehicle and en electric car most of the fuel is used in accelerating the vehicle and maintaining momentum against the air pressure on the front of the vehicle. In a petrol fuelled car, as you brake, energy is lost in the form of heat - either when the engine is used as a pump or when the pads grip the discs. But if an electric vehicle is set up to regenerate electricity as it slows, you don't have the same situation.
 
acotrel said:
In the new models of electric cars, are the motors used to slow the vehicle when braking, so that the batteries are recharged in the process ? Seems to me that in both a petrol vehicle and en electric car most of the fuel is used in accelerating the vehicle and maintaining momentum against the air pressure on the front of the vehicle. In a petrol fuelled car, as you brake, energy is lost in the form of heat - either when the engine is used as a pump or when the pads grip the discs. But if an electric vehicle is set up to regenerate electricity as it slows, you don't have the same situation.
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Yep, that's how they work. Even the first Prius of years ago used regenerative braking. I believe it's quite a complex thing to organise electronically. The motor is used to provide braking force but it has to be balanced with the actual brakes.

It's used on F1 cars, in fact the red light on the illuminates when the are recovering energy.
 
Seems to me that in stop-start traffic, recovery of energy through regenerative braking would be a major step forward. Most energy is used by accelerating the vehicle mass. If most of it was recovered during braking, the total fuel used would be less.
 
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