Official statistics show that by the end of June 2026, China’s new-energy vehicle fleet had reached 48.97 million units, accounting for 13.19 % of the national motor-vehicle total. According to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, new-energy vehicles made up roughly 49.6 % of new-car sales in China in the first half of 2026. There is little doubt that new-energy vehicles will outsell fuel-powered cars in the new-vehicle market in the years ahead.
Equipped with regenerative braking systems, new-energy vehicles require far fewer brake-pedal applications. In urban driving conditions, EV brake-pad wear is markedly lower compared with internal-combustion-engine vehicles. This has fed a common misconception: that brake pads are less important for EVs.
Yet Remsa, a brake-technology specialist with 56 years of industry heritage, points out: *“Less-frequent use does not equal lower importance. On the contrary, as the average curb weight of new-energy vehicles exceeds 1.9 tonnes and some models approach the 3-tonne mark, alongside ever-stronger acceleration performance, brake pads remain the critical safety fallback.”
1. Decoupled Braking in Regenerative–Energy EVs: Reduced Routine Use, Full–Load Emergency Duty
In conventional fuel-powered vehicles, braking force correlates nearly linearly with brake-pedal travel via mechanical linkage.
Most new-energy vehicles adopt decoupled braking, also known as CRBS (Cooperative Regenerative Braking System). First comes motor-based braking, i.e. regenerative braking. When the driver lifts off the accelerator or lightly presses the brake pedal, the traction motor instantly switches from power output to generator mode. It creates electromagnetic resistance using vehicle inertia to slow the car and feed recovered electricity back into the battery. Next comes friction braking: brake pads clamp against brake rotors to generate frictional stopping force. Friction braking engages fully when regeneration capacity is exhausted, vehicle speed drops too low for regeneration, the battery is fully charged and cannot accept more energy, or greater stopping power is demanded by the system.
While decoupled braking reduces the frequency and load on friction braking, friction-brake performance must never be compromised. When regeneration is limited, the battery is full, or AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) triggers suddenly, brake pads must deliver full-load stopping performance in an instant.
2. The Hidden Risks of Infrequent Brake Operation: Corrosion and Glazing Degrade Braking Performance
Because friction braking activates far less often in EVs, minor surface corrosion on brake rotors and pads may not be worn away by regular friction. This can alter pad-surface conditions and impair cold-first-stop response. Consequences range from abnormal noise, shudder, sticking and delayed braking response, to serious impairment of braking safety.
More troublesome is glazing. Infrequent, low-intensity friction-brake use allows oxide layers to build up on friction-material surfaces, forming a dense, smooth glazed film. This film compromises effective pad-rotor contact, sharply lowering friction coefficients and destabilizing braking performance. On wet-surfaced roads or during emergency avoidance maneuvers, delayed brake response caused by glazing can raise accident risks.
Remsa notes: For fuel-powered vehicles, brake pads mainly suffer from high-temperature fade. EV brake pads face dual challenges: cold-condition performance degradation, plus heat-induced fade and thermal cracking under hard or long-descend braking. During emergency stops, enormous braking energy is dissipated in a short time, so EV brake pads must deliver excellent resistance to heat fade and thermal cracking.
3. Heavier, Faster–Accelerating EVs Raise Braking Demands: Surging Thermal Loads and Tougher Extreme–Condition Scenarios
Industry statistics show the average curb weight of Chinese-market new-energy passenger vehicles has hit 1 939.3 kg, a 27.5 % rise since 2020. Pure-electric models typically weigh 300-600 kg more than equivalent fuel-powered cars. Greater vehicle mass means greater inertia. During braking, EV brake systems endure nearly 30 % higher kinetic-energy and thermal loads than their fuel-powered counterparts.
As EV acceleration capability keeps improving, high-speed driving, long downhill stretches and emergency stops multiply pressure on brake hardware. Rising vehicle mass systematically erodes brake-system safety margins, placing higher demands on brake pads for high-temperature stability, heat-fade resistance and consistent friction-coefficient performance.
4. Changing Noise–Characteristics: NVH Priorities for Quiet EV Interiors
Without internal-combustion-engine vibration and noise, EV cabins make brake-system noise far more perceptible to occupants. Combined with corrosion and glazing stemming from infrequent, low-pressure friction-brake use, brake-system NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) challenges become prominent, including groan and secondary low-frequency noise.
Brake-pad formulation and manufacturing processes are key to improving brake NVH. Remsa optimizes fibre and filler ratios to minimize hard-spot formation at friction interfaces. Special heat-treatment processes mitigate thermal fade and surface glazing, fundamentally lowering brake-vibration and noise risks. Extensive bench NVH testing and real-road vehicle validation are used to match friction-material solutions to individual caliper characteristics, balancing maximum-level braking performance with in-cabin quietness.
Conclusion
Regenerative braking cuts down routine brake-pad use in EVs, yet brake pads grow more important rather than less. While standing by for rare activation, they must cope with heavy vehicle weight, powerful acceleration, corrosion, glazing and heat-fade risks. Motor-driven regenerative braking cannot fully replace mechanical friction braking. In emergencies, brake pads deliver the vital stopping force that averts danger.