Energy Recovery Estimator

Regenerative braking converts kinetic energy back into electrical energy instead of wasting it as heat in friction brakes. The motor operates as a generator during deceleration, and the recovered energy is stored in the battery or supercapacitor.

The theoretical maximum recoverable energy is E = ½mv² — the kinetic energy of the vehicle at the start of braking. In practice, regenerative braking recovers 60–75% of this due to motor/inverter efficiency losses and the fact that some friction braking is always needed for emergency stops.

In city driving with frequent stops (like Mumbai or Pune traffic), regenerative braking can recover 15–25% of total energy consumption. On highways with few stops, the benefit drops to 5–8%.

Regen Braking Efficiency Factors

Regen vs Friction Braking — When Each Applies

At low deceleration rates (below 0.1g), regenerative braking alone can handle the braking demand — this is the most efficient scenario and where EVs recover the most energy. Above 0.3g deceleration, friction brakes must supplement regen because the motor/battery cannot accept charge fast enough. In emergency braking (above 0.7g), friction brakes do nearly all the work.

Supercapacitors are sometimes added alongside the battery in hybrid storage systems specifically to handle high-power regen peaks — they charge and discharge faster than lithium-ion cells, so more energy is recovered during hard braking events.