Regenerative braking and motion recovery: Overview
Turning every stop and every lowered load back into power
What this tile covers Capturing energy when vehicles, lifts, cranes and motors slow down. Share of use.03% share of final energy use supplied (2024)Share of world final energy use (about 435 EJ, the same denominator as Conversion and use) supplied by recovered or reused energy, where a global figure exists; most methods have no global total and are left null EVs used about 180 TWh in 2024; with net regenerative braking of about 22% (DOE, EPA test cycle) about 40 TWh (0.14 EJ) is recovered (calculated). Rail and cranes not included, so a lower bound. About 0.14 EJ a year, divided by world final energy use of about 435 EJ (calculated). Source: Global EV Outlook 2025: Outlook for energy demand, International Energy Agency.
Key facts
| Waste energy | Motion |
Included from the reference tables
- Regenerative braking in vehicles and rail
- Regenerative lifts and escalators
- Regenerative cranes and hoists
- Flywheel recovery / KERS
- Regenerative drives (VFDs)
- Vibration harvesting
Also in Pressure, motion and waste fuels
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