Electric and hybrid vehicles slow using two systems that behave differently, and the driver operates both through one pedal. How that blend is managed is one of the clearest differences between vehicles.
Two braking systems with different characters
Regenerative braking uses the drive motor as a generator, converting movement into electricity and creating resistance in the process.
Friction braking converts movement into heat at the disc, and its response is immediate, proportional and available regardless of vehicle state.
Regeneration is not always available. A full battery cannot accept charge, a cold pack accepts it slowly, and at very low speed the motor generates little resistance.
Blending is a software problem
The control unit must decide, moment by moment, how much of the driver's requested deceleration comes from the motor and how much from the friction brakes.
The pedal is therefore an input to a computer rather than a direct hydraulic connection, with the brake system generating pressure to match the shortfall.
Doing this without the driver noticing is difficult, because the handover has to occur smoothly while the amount of available regeneration is changing continuously.
Where the handover becomes noticeable
The most common symptom is a change in pedal effort as the vehicle comes to rest, when regeneration fades and friction braking takes over entirely.
A full battery produces a similar effect at the top of a descent, where a vehicle that normally slows strongly suddenly does not, because there is nowhere for the energy to go.
Cold mornings do the same thing, which is why a vehicle can feel inconsistent in the first minutes of a journey and settle afterwards.
One pedal driving moves the blend to the accelerator
Strong lift-off regeneration lets a driver control speed largely with the accelerator, bringing the vehicle nearly to a stop without touching the brake.
This makes the blend far less noticeable, because the friction brakes are engaged less often and the transition happens at very low speed.
It also changes how the vehicle behaves when the pack is full, since the regeneration the driver relies on is unavailable and coasting replaces it.
Consequences for the friction brakes themselves
Because the motor does most of the routine slowing, friction brakes on electric vehicles are used far less than on comparable combustion vehicles.
Pads and discs last longer as a result, but discs can corrode from disuse, and some vehicles periodically apply the brakes lightly to clean the surfaces.
Servicing therefore shifts from replacing worn components to inspecting for corrosion and seized calipers, which is a different maintenance pattern rather than an absent one.