What is Regenerative Braking?
Regenerative braking is an innovative technology featured on electric cars and trucks, and now a growing number of electric scooters.
This system functions as both a brake and a generator, deriving energy from the kinetic energy of the scooter when slowing down or stopping.
Put simply, when a user brakes, they activate the regenerative braking system, spinning the electric motors in reverse to stop the vehicle. The electric scooter brakes can then generate power to help recharge the battery.
In regenerative braking, energy that would usually be lost is gained back into the scooter’s battery. This adds additional range to the scooter, allowing users to travel farther on a single charge.
You can also use the City Pro's regenerative brakes on their own with a dedicated thumb lever, a feature found on only a few scooters, such as the Apollo City Pro, Pro 2023, and Phantom V3.
Advantages of Regenerative Braking
Improved Range
Regenerative brakes can be a great way to improve the range of electric scooters. Regenerative braking is a way of reusing energy, by storing the energy created when the brakes are applied in a battery, instead of releasing it as heat.
Recycled energy has the potential to increase an electric scooter’s range by up to 20%, allowing riders to travel much further on a single charge.
Combined with good riding habits and best charging practices, regenerative braking can alleviate range anxiety and eliminate the constant need to charge your scooter.
Increased Energy Efficiency
Regenerative braking is a cost-effective and energy efficient braking system and can add to overall e scooter efficiency by conserving power.
Electric scooter regen brakes capture the kinetic energy of the vehicle. By preserving energy instead of wasting it, regenerative braking not only increases the overall efficiency of electric scooters, but also enhances their performance.
The improvement in energy efficiency provided by regenerative braking is a major advantage of personal electric vehicles over gas-powered cars.
Lower Maintenance
Electric scooters and other vehicles using regenerative braking are renowned for their low maintenance requirements. Regenerative brakes don't use brake pads or rotors, which means no replacement costs.
Also, compared to other forms of braking, regen brakes subject other components, like the motor and battery, to less wear and tear. This results in longer product life cycles and fewer repairs.
In the long run, electric scooters can provide significant cost savings over conventional vehicles.
How Does Regenerative Braking Work?
Capture and Transmit
Regenerative braking works by capturing the kinetic energy generated by a vehicle as it slows down, then transferring that energy to the battery in the form of electricity.
With this technology, fewer resources are required to produce the power needed for acceleration, making it a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option for everyone.
Converting Motion into Clean Energy
Regenerative braking is beneficial for the environment, since it reduces the amount of energy consumed overall when riding an electric scooter. Energy produced by regenerative brakes does not contribute to any harmful emissions or environmental byproducts.
Explore our electric scooters for adults
Differences between Regenerative Braking and Standard Braking
Regenerative braking and standard braking systems are two distinct methods for stopping an electric scooter. The key difference between the two systems is that regenerative braking is designed to actually help recharge a scooter's battery while standard braking forces the motor to work against the battery to help bring the scooter to a stop.
With regenerative braking, energy that would typically be lost during braking is actually captured by the motor and used to recharge the scooter's battery. This helps extend the range and life of the battery, and reduces the need to recharge the scooter as frequently.
Discover the basics of electric scooter brakes for beginners
Mechanical Wear
When it comes to braking systems, mechanical wearing is an important consideration. Mechanical wearing occurs as a result of the friction between the brake pad and the brake disc or rotor, which can cause a decrease in the braking power over time.
In standard braking systems lose power over time because brake pads and rotors become worn and distressed. Regenerative braking uses no additional mechanical parts, so there’s nothing to wear down. Instead, it works by spinning the motor in the opposite direction, slowing the scooter down and capturing the excess kinetic energy.
Energy Capture
Regenerative braking and standard braking systems are two distinct methods for stopping an electric scooter. The key difference between the two systems is that regenerative braking is designed to actually help recharge a scooter's battery while standard braking forces the motor to work against the battery to help bring the scooter to a stop.
With regenerative braking, energy that would typically be lost during braking is actually captured by the motor and used to recharge the scooter's battery. This helps extend the range and life of the battery, and reduces the need to recharge the scooter as frequently.
The Apollo Ghost combines regenerative braking with mechanical or hydraulic disc brakes for maximum stopping power
Combining Regenerative Brakes with Standard Brakes
Combining regenerative brakes with standard brakes such as drum brakes, hydraulic brakes, and mechanical disc brakes is a great way to maximize the performance and longevity of an electric scooter.
By pairing regenerative brakes with a traditional braking system, an electric scooter can benefit from the advantages of both technologies. This can result in improved braking force, range, and performance of the scooter.
Another advantage is that combined braking systems are more reliable and can potentially increase the lifespan of the electric scooter.
Unveil the mechanics behind electric scooter brakes. Delve deeper with our in-depth exploration!
The Apollo Pro 2023 combines regenerative braking with drum brakes for the most efficient braking system ever, with no maintenance or adjustments needed.
Why Regen Brakes + Drum Brakes Are the Most Efficient Combo
Combining regenerative brakes with standard drum brakes, like the braking on the Apollo Pro 2023, creates one of the most efficient combinations for a braking system, as it provides low or no maintenance, no adjustments, and reduces the risk of wheel lockup at higher speeds.
Regenerative braking alone often doesn't provide sufficient stopping power when operating at higher speeds, but drum brakes can be used in tandem to provide additional stopping power when needed.
Additionally, drum brakes won't lock up the wheels at higher speeds like regenerative braking can, further enhancing the overall safety of the braking system. Combining regenerative brakes with drum brakes is the most efficient solution for a reliable, safe braking system that won't require high levels of maintenance or regular adjustments.
Experience next-level performance: discover the Apollo Pro 2023 electric scooter!
Conclusion
Benefits of Regenerative BrakingTo recap, regenerative braking provides a variety of benefits. Aside from allowing for more energy-efficient riding, this technology can also help improve your scooter’s range and extend its lifespan.
Regen brakes are usually combined with other forms of braking, such as mechanical or hydraulic disc brakes. Regenerative braking combined with drum brakes provides the most efficient option, since it requires no maintenance or adjustment and will basically last forever.
