Regenerative Braking
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2010 Mercury Mariner and 2010 Ford Escape. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The regenerative brake system utilizes the electric motor portion of the hybrid electric powertrain as a generator to create electrical current. This recharges the High Voltage Traction Battery (HVTB) and delivers brake torque to be used in place of or in combination with the vehicles conventional friction brakes to slow the vehicle. The amount of brake torque provided by the electric motor is dependent upon the state of charge of the HVTB . When the HVTB is almost fully charged, the amount of regenerative braking is limited to avoid overcharging, and the requested deceleration is produced by conventional friction braking alone.