[bondguy]

OK...I just broke 1000 miles on my car yesterday (3 weeks ownership). Noticed there isn't any dark brake dust on the wheels like there was when I had my old A6 or any other cars in the past. I know that the hybrids have "regenerative" braking but how does that work? Does that mean brakes get new pads like every 100K miles or what? Thanks in advance. I do remember my salesman telling me it's compared to a ceiling fan when you reverse it from forwards to backwards.

 

[Termin8r]

OK...I just broke 1000 miles on my car yesterday (3 weeks ownership). Noticed there isn't any dark brake dust on the wheels like there was when I had my old A6 or any other cars in the past. I know that the hybrids have "regenerative" braking but how does that work? Does that mean brakes get new pads like every 100K miles or what? Thanks in advance.

Here ya go:

HowStuffWorks "Hybrid Regenerative Braking "

HowStuffWorks "How Regenerative Braking Works"

I do remember my salesman telling me it's compared to a ceiling fan when you reverse it from forwards to backwards.

Trust a salesman to provide the worst explanation ever.

 

[SCT1984]

Trust a salesman to provide the worst explanation ever.

LMAO - very technical

 

[getshri]

As an owner of a 2005 Prius, I can tell you the most aggravating scenario is when your battery is 100% full.

At that point, none of the regen braking gets captured and if you're stopped, the electric motor will even spin the gas engine for the sole purpose of discharging some of the extra juice.

Found this on this fourm,,,,

 

[dgstan]

Found this on this fourm,,,,

To add to that, I'm now up to 152,000 miles and I have yet to replace either the front (disc) or rear (drum) brake pads.

July 1 the carpool stickers expire, so there's really no reason to keep the Prius. According to KBB, it's still worth ~$6000 or so. I'll probably end up keeping it for a while just to have a beater.

 

[jimmyc13]

OK...I just broke 1000 miles on my car yesterday (3 weeks ownership). Noticed there isn't any dark brake dust on the wheels like there was when I had my old A6 or any other cars in the past. I know that the hybrids have "regenerative" braking but how does that work? Does that mean brakes get new pads like every 100K miles or what? Thanks in advance. I do remember my salesman telling me it's compared to a ceiling fan when you reverse it from forwards to backwards.

Did you really understand that ceiling fan explanation? Because I'm not really following, nor am I going to TRY to understand what he meant by that!

I'm about the same mark as you (1,200 miles now). They are adding up quicker than I though they would . Yeah, dgstan is living proof that the brakes on the Prius and likely the CT will go a looooooooong way. Unlucky for you, your A6 and other Audi's, Mercedes and BMW's have awful brake dust issues! My Infiniti wasn't that great either and went with Hawk HPS pads, which had little or no dust.

 

[Matt_RN]

The friction brakes are rarely used unless you're slamming on them in a panic stop, I think they really only kick in under 15 mph when slowing the car down (but don't quote me, i know it's some low MPH figure), hence, the longer life of the brake pads and less dust. The brakes/calipers are actually TINY compared to other brakes/calipers of cars in this category that are non-hybrid.

 

[Termin8r]

The brakes/calipers are actually TINY compared to other brakes/calipers of cars in this category that are non-hybrid.

And what's really interesting: contrary to almost all other cars, the rear brake discs are larger than the front ones. That's because the engine/motor/generator combo adds so much to the braking power of the front wheels.

 

[jimmyc13]

This car has completely changed my driving habits. I've very gentle on the brakes on this car an always try to gradually slow down to try to maximize the charging of the battery. I have 1,200 miles on my car, just washed it today and the rotors don't even look like they've been used! Is that possible or is it just light use and not that noticeable yet?

 

[Matt_RN]

This car has completely changed my driving habits. I've very gentle on the brakes on this car an always try to gradually slow down to try to maximize the charging of the battery. I have 1,200 miles on my car, just washed it today and the rotors don't even look like they've been used! Is that possible or is it just light use and not that noticeable yet?

Yup! Definitely possible, especially if you're gentle on your brakes and coast gradually or press lightly on the brakes so it activates the regen rather than the friction brakes. I think when you press down more than half-way or slam on your brakes, it will activate the friction brakes.

I have 8k on my car and they still look pretty new and smooth and shiny to me! LOVE THIS CAR!

 

[Ambu]

Regenerative braking means that you generate electricity when braking.

The CT200 has an electrical motor. An electrical motor is wery similar in construction to an electrical generator. So, when you let off the gas in your CT200, the el motor are switching to a generator. Most of the "engine braking" will be because of the resistance in the generator producing electrical power to the battery. When you du do light pedal braking, the generator gives more resistance, producing more electrical current. At hard pedal braking, the convential brakes engages.

So - when always braking lightly only - you won't wear the brake linings - and no brake dust will be produced. Most energy will be conserved.