# Regenerative braking and motion recovery: Overview

Turning every stop and every lowered load back into power

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/overview/

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](https://www.iea.org/reports/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
[TX Pressure and flow recovery](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_pressure_recovery/)[Flr Flare and off-gas recovery](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flare_recovery/)[WtE Waste-to-energy](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_waste_to_energy/)[Cold LNG cold and cryogenic recovery](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_lng_cold/)

Explore paths from here
 More on this tile in the tabs above: science and thermodynamics, engineering and integration, economics and contracts, impact and additionality, what to track.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and thermodynamics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/rc-sci/index.md)
- [Engineering and integration](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/rc-eng/index.md)
- [Economics and contracts](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/rc-econ/index.md)
- [Impact and additionality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/rc-impact/index.md)
- [What to track](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/tracking/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/links/index.md)