Energy Recovery for New Energy Vehicles

Traditional Fuel Vehicles Do Not Have Energy Recovery. The Fuel Is Burned In The Engine, And The Chemical Energy Is Converted Into Kinetic Energy To Drive The Vehicle. When Braking, The Kinetic Energy Is Converted Into Heat Energy And Released Through Frictional Deceleration.

Due To The Use Of Electric Motors In New Energy Vehicles, According To The Principle Of Electromagnetic Induction, The Electric Motor Can Be Converted Into A Generator At Any Time, Thereby Realizing Energy Recovery.

The Two Working States Of Motor Drive And Power Generation Are As Follows:
1. When The Vehicle Is At A Constant Speed, Accelerating Or Going Uphill, The Battery Is Discharged And The Electric Motor Generates Driving Force. At This Time, The Motor Converts Electrical Energy Into Mechanical Energy To Provide Driving Force.

2. When The Vehicle Decelerates Or Goes Downhill, The Motor Is Driven By An External Force To Become A Generator, Which Converts Kinetic Energy Into Electrical Energy And Generates Current To Charge The Battery. This Process Is Energy Recovery. At This Time, The Motor Converts Mechanical Energy Into Electrical Energy, Generating Reverse Resistance.

The Working Process Of Energy Recovery

Energy Recovery Is Mainly Carried Out Through The Rotation Of The Motor Driven By External Force. The Recovery Process Can Be Divided Into The Following Three Stages According To The Driver’s Operation:
1. Coasting Phase (relax Or Fully Release The Accelerator Pedal)

The Recovery Intensity Of The Taxiing Stage Can Be Adjusted By The Driver, And Is Generally Divided Into Three Levels: Weak, Medium And Strong. The Stronger The Energy Recovery, The Greater The Current, And The Greater The Reverse Resistance Of The Motor.

The Stronger The Energy Recovery, The Faster The Deceleration, Which Will Affect The Ride Comfort. Therefore, The Overall Recovery Intensity During The Coasting Phase Will Not Be Too High, And It Is Also Convenient For The Driver To Adapt And Control The Vehicle Speed.

2. Step On The Brake Lightly

In The Stage Of Lightly Stepping On The Brakes, The Reverse Resistance Of The Motor Is Still Used For Braking. At This Time, The Reverse Resistance Of The Motor Is Larger Than That In The Coasting Stage, And The Current For Energy Recovery Is Also Larger.

3. Heavy Braking Stage

Due To The Limitation Of Motor Power, The Reverse Resistance Of The Motor Also Has An Upper Limit. In The Stage Of Heavy Braking, Traditional Brake Discs Participate In Joint Braking. At This Time, Most Of The Kinetic Energy Is Converted Into Heat Energy Through The Friction Of Brake Discs And Tires. This Part Of Energy Cannot Be Recovered.

The Effect Of Energy Recovery

Energy recovery makes the braking and deceleration of the car more complicated. Is it worth the effort? Let’s look at the effect together:
1. It can increase the cruising range by about 20%
In different models or different scenarios, the effect of energy recovery is not the same, generally about 20%.

2. Reduce Brake System Wear And Maintenance Costs

Disadvantages of Energy Recovery

The Battery Life Effect Of Energy Recovery For New Energy Vehicles Is Very Obvious, But There Are Also Some Problems Or Shortcomings.
1. Energy Recovery Is Likely To Cause Frustration And Reduce Ride Comfort, Requiring The Driver To Master More Delicate Operations.

2. Too Strong Recovery Reduces The Operation Of Stepping On The Brakes, Especially The Single-pedal Mode, Which Changes The Driving Habit And May Cause Operational Errors In Emergency Situations, So Special Attention Is Required.

3. When The Energy Recovery And The Braking Effect Of The Brake Disc Are Superimposed, The Connection May Not Be Smooth, Making The Brake Pedal Feel Unclear.

Recommendations For The Use Of Energy Recovery

Since The Intensity Of Energy Recovery Can Be Adjusted, Is The Stronger The Better? Or What Is The Best Strength To Use Under What Circumstances? First Understand The Two Principles Of Energy Recovery:
1. There Is A Lot Of Loss In The Energy Recovery Process, Try Not To Drive Too Fast, And Reducing Power Consumption Is The Best Way To Save Energy.

2. The Smoother The Deceleration, The Better The Energy Recovery Effect.
① Early And Gentle Deceleration Can Reduce The Use Of Brake Discs, And Try To Use Energy Recovery For Deceleration As Much As Possible.

② The Fuller The Battery, The Smaller The Current That Can Be Charged, And Some Of The High Current Generated By Deceleration Too Fast Cannot Be Recovered.

It Can Be Seen That Energy Recovery Is Not As Strong As Possible, But As Weak As Possible. However, For The Sake Of Safety, It Is Necessary To Slow Down As Soon As Possible, So The Suggestions For Choosing The Recovery Intensity Are As Follows:
1. Urban Roads Use Strong Recycling

Urban Roads Are Congested And The Distance Between Vehicles Is Small, So You Need To Slow Down As Soon As Possible.

2. Use Weak Recycling On Expressways
If You Decelerate Too Quickly, It Will Not Be Worthwhile To Accelerate Again.

3. Use Strong Recycling On Long Downhill Sections
In Fact, The Strength Of Energy Recovery Is Not Important, There Is No Need To Switch Frequently, Please Drive Smoothly, Safety Is The Most Important.

Some Questions About Energy Recovery

1. What Is Single-pedal Mode?
That Is, When The Accelerator Pedal Is Released, The Energy Recovery Intensity Is Very Strong, Which Is Close To The Effect Of Lightly Stepping On The Brakes, And Can Even Decelerate To A Complete Stop. Basically, Only The Accelerator Pedal Needs To Be Controlled When Driving.

The Single-pedal Mode Can Simplify The Operation To A Certain Extent, But It Also Changes The Usual Driving Habits. If The Right Foot Stays On The Accelerator Pedal For A Long Time, It May Cause Operational Errors In Emergency Situations, And Special Attention Is Required.

2. Is There Energy Recovery In Any Case?
There Is No Energy Recovery In The Following Situations:

3. Release The Accelerator Pedal To Recover Energy, But Do Not Step On The Brakes. Will The Brake Lights At The Rear Of The Car Be On At This Time?
Generally Speaking: Weak Recovery May Not Light Up, But Strong Recovery Will Light Up. When The Deceleration Reaches A Certain G Value, The Brake Light Will Be On.

Energy Recovery for New Energy Vehicles