With the plug-in it happens as with the combustion models: that the consumption that they promise rarely corresponds to the real one. This, at the range level, means that the kilometers to be traveled with each recharge are less than expected. For this reason, all manufacturers are looking for tricks to extend the autonomy of electric cars, such as regenerative braking and B mode.
What is the regenerative braking of electric cars?
Most electric vehicle manufacturers (we could say all, really) resort to regenerative braking to recover a small part of the energy consumed without having to go through a plug.
Without going into overly technical explanations, what this technology does is take advantage of the kinetic energy produced in decelerations (when speed is reduced) and braking (when the brake is applied) to return it to the battery. This infographic explains it in more detail:
“In normal driving, the electric motor drives the wheels of the vehicle forward, but since it can work in two directions, when decelerating and braking, it changes direction and becomes a generator capable of charging the battery,” the DGT experts explain. . “In other words, it is a system that transforms the kinetic and inertial energy generated by braking into electrical energy that is stored in the battery,” they add.
The amount of electricity generated by the energy recovery system during deceleration and braking is directly proportional to the braking force, which is influenced by both the speed at which the vehicle is traveling and the duration of braking.
The ‘magic’ of the B button
As we say, almost all the manufacturers that, today, sell electric models are committed to regenerative braking to increase autonomy. However, they do so to a different extent and in a different way.
There are electric cars and plug-in hybrids in which the energy recovery system works automatically, without the driver being able to act on it. In others, the car allows the driver to select how much he wants to recover energy.
To activate/deactivate regenerative braking, many cars include the B button on the gear selector (there are some that do not have a button and B mode is activated by moving the gear lever slightly to the left).
Regardless of the mode in which it is activated, it is important to remember that with the energy recovery system activated the behavior of the car changes: the steering becomes harsher but it is the brake pedal that assumes the greatest change which requires a short period of time. adaptation, especially in urban traffic and during manoeuvres.
