What You Need to Know About Brakes in Electric Vehicles

Brakes in Traditional and Electric Vehicles

While brakes are a key part of traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs), the braking system in EVs have a key difference. Both types of vehicles use the same kind of conventional hydraulic brake pads and rotors, but the braking system on EVs also utilizes regenerative braking.

What is Regenerative Braking?

Regenerative braking recovers the energy generated during the braking process and converts it into electric power that is used to help charge the vehicle’s battery. In a braking situation on an EV, the system automatically splits the braking force between energy regeneration and stopping the vehicle. This energy regeneration happens not only when the brake pedal is applied but also when the accelerator is released, and the car is coasting. Found on most electric vehicles, regenerative braking can recover up to 70% of the kinetic energy that would be lost during the braking process. 

Conversely, in a traditional ICE vehicle, the kinetic energy that is created when the rotors and brake pads meet dissipates into the environment as heat. Conventional vehicles can’t turn the kinetic energy produced during the braking process into energy (gas) to power the vehicle. 

Advantages of Regenerative Braking

For electric vehicles, regenerative braking has a couple of key advantages:

Extends Range – Depending on how much you drive, regenerative braking can increase your range and cut down on your charging time. You’ll notice the effectiveness of regenerative braking in stop-and-go-traffic – the more you brake, the more energy you’ll recoup.

Longer Lifespan of Brake Components – Regenerative braking does most of the work to stop the vehicle, so you don’t have to rely upon the conventional hydraulic brakes all the time. This saves wear and tear on the brake pads and brake rotors, lengthening their lifespan.

Conventional Brakes on EVs

Electric vehicles also have conventional brakes that work with the regenerative braking system to bring an EV to a stop. The conventional friction braking system is essential for sudden stops and other situations that require powerful braking.

Do Brake Pads on EVs Wear Out?

Because the regenerative braking does most of the work, brake pads and rotors tend to last longer than brake components on a conventional vehicle. While this makes it easy to think that the brake pads and rotors will last the life of an EV, rust is the issue that owners need to be concerned about. 

Because an EV’s brake components are exposed to rain, salt and debris, rust can form. On a gas-powered vehicle, rust is usually quickly burned off as the brakes are used, but since but since the brakes on an electric vehicle aren’t used as much, that rust doesn’t have a chance to get scraped off. The rust can build up and over time it can lead to diminished braking performance when the conventional brakes are used. 

So, while on an ICE vehicle, the brake pads need to be changed because of frequent use wearing down the friction surface; on EVs the brake pads may need to be replaced because of rust building up due to infrequent use.

How Often Should Brake Pads on an EV Be Replaced?

On average, the brake pads on many EV models can last over 100,000 miles, compared to 40,000-50,000 miles for gas-powered vehicles. But just like with ICE vehicles, where you drive, and your driving habits can influence how often the pads need to be replaced on an EV. If you deal with salt in the winter, that can cause the pads to rust out sooner than the pads on a vehicle that is driven in the temperate south. 

Also, aggressive braking that uses the conventional braking system rather than the regenerative braking can cause the brake pads to wear out faster. Having your brakes inspected on a regular basis is the best way to ensure that the conventional braking system on your electric vehicle is ready when you need to make a sudden stop.

What is the Right Brake Pad for My EV?

Wagner® has brake pads and rotors for many of the most popular EV models. With corrosion-resistant coatings and stainless-steel hardware, Wagner rotors and brake pads are designed to handle the unique challenges of electric vehicles. Wagner OE^X brake pads feature electrostatic powder coated plates with and premium stainless-steel hardware for better corrosion resistance and longer life while Wagner premium brake rotors have an E-Shield® protective electro-coating on all non-braking surfaces to inhibit corrosion.

Learn more about quality brakes, find your car part, or find where to buy your auto part today.

The content in this article is for informational purposes only. You should consult with a certified technician or mechanic if you have questions relating to any of the topics covered herein. Tenneco will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any content.