Braking technology hasn’t changed much in the last hundred years, but regenerative braking is a major change in the way we think about brakes. Instead of using brute force to stop vehicles by physically clamping down or pushing out a component like a brake disc or drum, this technology cleverly takes advantage of the way hybrid and fully electric cars work to recapture a bit of energy every time the vehicle slows down.

Advances in braking technology over the years have been largely iterative rather than innovative, such as the transition from drum brakes to disc brakes. There have also been significant advances in the physical materials that brake pads are made of, resulting in friction materials that last longer, produce less dust and are less likely to make noise. Technologies such as anti-lock braking systems have also made braking safer, but the underlying principle of converting kinetic energy into heat has remained unchanged.

Traditional brakes work well, but they are inherently wasteful. Every time you press your brake pedal, you clamp your wheels with the force of thousands of pounds of hydraulic pressure. The precision mechanism consists of disk-shaped metal rotors, sandwiched between each tire and wheel hub, which are pressed between organic, metallic or ceramic brake pads.

Older vehicles and the rear brakes of some light trucks use less efficient drums and brake shoes instead. In both cases, the vehicle slows down due to the enormous friction created between the brake pads and discs or shoes and drums. That friction essentially converts kinetic energy into heat energy (and sometimes a lot of noise), and your car slows down as a result.