What You Need To Know About the Braking Systems on Hybrid or Electric Cars

by | Jan 18, 2024 | Car Safety, Hybrid/Electric Cars

Hybrid and Electric cars use regenerative braking systems as well as standard brakes.

Standard brakes rely on friction to slow the car down, similar to how the brakes on a bicycle work.

Regenerative braking systems, use the energy produced by the engine to charge the battery and slow the car down. Most hybrid & electric cars use the regenerative braking system for light to moderate braking, and only using the standard friction brakes as a backup.

While this extends the battery life for your car, it means the normal friction brakes are not being used as much.

So, the standard brakes sit there exposed to rain, snow and salt slowly rusting and become less and less efficient. They also rust between the pad backing plate and the frictional material causing separation which is dangerous.

The traditional way to check brake pads is to measure the thickness in thirty seconds of an inch, but at 100k miles they can measure nearly as thick as new pads! Careful checking the brake components at least every 15000 miles is important for safe and reliable driving.

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About the Author

About Brian England

Brian England, the current president of BA Auto Care (formerly British American Auto Care), got his start with an auto apprenticeship in a small town in northwest of London. He came to the U.S. in 1972 to work for a Land Rover dealer in Rockville, MD. A few years later, he started British American Auto Care with his wife, Jennifer. Brian is a big believe in preventative maintenance, and his philosophy is to encourage and educate drivers on the benefits of a regular maintenance plan.