EV charging and hydro generation/distribution challenges

[danbrotherston]

My comment was do non-hybrid EV's "recharge themselves" to supplement  the plug in, not replacing it... I realize perpetual motion isn't a thing.

My thoughts were more of a plug in and charge for 1/2 hr as opposed to a 3 hr charge if the battery wasn't drained over the course of a trip because it was regenerated by braking, wheel turning etc.

Regenerative braking is how non-plugins charge. And, yes, plug-ins and BEVs do the same, it's just less significant given the much larger batteries.

Charging from normal wheel motion would be counterproductive as it would increase the energy required for keeping the car in motion.

I think it's actually more significant, yes, it is a smaller fraction of the total battery storage capacity in the vehicle, but it is more total energy that can be recovered both because the battery is larger and because the electric motors are considerably more powerful, so can generate more braking force.

Most BEVs do regenerate power from the wheels when the driver releases the accelerator. For some reason this mode has been popular, I think because manufacturers believe (with data or not, I'm not sure) that this encourages drivers to make better use of regeneration, because hard braking will obviously make use of the brakes, and many drivers do not drive particuarly....smoothly. This is also not without precedent as it mirrors the engine braking effect you can make use of with a manual transmission.

I personally don't like this mode, but I am also generally aware of how to brake gradually, and I plan my stops well in advance, as a result, this mode requires me to feather the throttle to coast the vehicle, which is significantly more complicated than just releasing the gas.