PriceProtect™
DriveShield™
GarageGuard™
Services
Insurance
Car Insurance
Compare Car Insurance with Jerry
Jerry’s Expert Advice
Car Insurance Estimates
Home & Renters Insurance
Renters Insurance
Loans
Car Loan
Compare Car Loans with Jerry
Jerry's Expert Advice
Car Loan Guides
Repairs
Car Repair Estimates
Repair Estimates for Popular Services
Advice
Read Car Content
Browse Jerry Car Advice
Check Out Expert Car QnA
Learn About How We Create Content
Jerry Data & Research
What are electric brakes on a car?
What’s the difference between normal brakes on a gas-powered car and the electric brakes on an EV? And can you explain what regenerative braking is, exactly?
Jason Crosby · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
The main difference is how the brakes operate. In a traditional car, there’s a hydraulic system that applies pressure to the rotors (the shiny discs behind your car’s rims). These use calipers that rely on brake fluid to operate. But
electric cars
use an electrical system to perform the same operation thanks to electromagnets that apply pressure to your car’s calipers. Both use friction to slow down your car, but regenerative braking is another crucial difference between the two. Regenerative brakes are more responsive, and also tend to last twice as long as traditional brakes, adding to the increased reliability of electric cars over gas-powered vehicles.
Here’s how regenerative brakes on a car work:
- As your car rolls along, regenerative brakes transfer the resulting kinetic energy (created by movement) to recharge your car’s battery while you’re moving. It’s not enough to fully charge the whole vehicle, but it’s partially why so many electric cars have such high operating ranges that span hundreds of miles.
- While gas-powered cars lose energy when slowing down, an electric car’s motor shifts directions and starts to put energy back into the battery as you take your foot from the accelerator to the brake, and vice versa.
Regenerative brakes are just another way that electric cars represent the future of automotive travel. With such little energy going to waste, the result is a reduced environmental impact and smoother driving experience.
Jerry
can help you regenerate some of the cash you’ve lost on overpaying for your car’s insurance. A licensed broker, Jerry does all the hard work of finding cheap quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies and buying new car insurance. Jerry will even help you cancel your old policy. Stop stressing and start saving by finding the best deals on the policies that fit your needs. View full answer
- Gregory R.
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
Join 4M+ members in lowering their car insurance
You Might Also Be Interested
Read Advice From Car Experts At Jerry
What Others Are Asking
.jpg&w=64&q=75){kind=avatar}
Browse More Content
Insurance for Your Car
Insurance in Your State
Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance
No long forms
No spam or unwanted phone calls
Quotes from top insurance companies
