Which electric bikes have regenerative braking?

Regenerative braking is a feature that recharges the battery when the brakes are applied. All Rad Power Bikes ebikes with a direct drive motor have this feature. The RadCity 4, RadCity Step-Thru 3 and RadWagon 3 all have a direct drive motor that allows for regenerative braking. While I’m not a big fan of ebikes myself, I can see how they can turn bikes into viable transportation for a larger number of people.

An electric bike with regenerative braking might only produce half of its meager acceleration as braking force, and it’s not at all significant. With the continued rise in popularity of electric bicycles, which are being used by more and more people, safety is becoming a greater concern. However, some electric bikes with regenerative braking use the kinetic force applied when braking to charge the battery. While it is very easy for any electric bike with a gearless hub motor to have regenerative braking, only a few companies have implemented it.

While this system works in reverse, it will take the aforementioned kinetic energy from the brake pads or plates that slow or stop the bike and convert it into mechanical energy that helps power the battery. The final reason regenerative brakes are not implemented on all electric bikes is the shorter battery life on bikes with regenerative brakes. Since the controller of a production bike already has a wiring that goes to the e-brake (all production electric bikes must have an e-brake cutout), it does not require additional external wiring. Variable regen for an ebike where you have varying amounts of regen based on how hard you hit the brake handle does not exist as of this writing.

By putting it on a rear wheel mount, and pulling the brake lever (Jon had a clip to lock it in place for this reason), pedaling the bike not only provides a workout, but also charges the system. Other electric cars (Tesla) cheat somewhat and make motor braking huge, to avoid having the complicated (expensive and heavy) machinery to adapt between regenerative braking and disc braking when the driver presses the brake pedal. The rise in popularity of the best electric bikes seems to have triggered a wave of new energy awareness among cyclists, and many questions are being asked about everything there is to know about electric bikes.