Mercedes proposes ‘in-drive brakes’ for better EVs

From humble Chevrolet Bolts to six-figure Lucid Airs, every EV can reverse its electric motors to slow the vehicle while harvesting energy for the battery, the efficient tag-team process known as regenerative braking.

Today's EVs do this so well that traditional friction brakes, which clamp onto a spinning wheel rotor or drum, can seem an afterthought. Witness Volkswagen's decision to equip its ID.4 with old-fashioned rear drum brakes, with VW claiming drums reduce EV rolling resistance and offer superior performance after long periods of disuse.