How Electric Cars Work Will Blow Your Mind - Pedal power

Most electric vehicles now also come with regenerative braking. With this, when you release the throttle, the car automatically brakes a little. The energy created by braking is captured and converted into electricity, which is transmitted to the car’s battery.

In practice, regenerative braking feels much like lifting off the throttle in a low gear in a petrol or diesel car, which will see your speed drop without any input on the brake pedal. Many electric cars allow the driver to select how strong this force is, often by using a button on the dash or via steering-wheel-mounted paddles.

But the Nissan Leaf goes one step further.