When it comes to modern motoring, it's easy for us to consider the only real difference between an electric vehicle and the equivalent combustion engined car is the powertrain, but there are other factors to consider, not least brakes. Of course, both types of car feature braking systems, and both require a brake fluid change, usually every two years, but this is about as far as the similarities go. "The requirement for electric vehicles is often completely different," says David Kaiser, head of the research and development department at German automotive lubricant and additive giant, Liqui Moly (liqui-moly.com). “This is why we have developed a new DOT 5.1 brake fluid for EVs," he says. "Essentially, because regenerative braking sees an electric motor also acting as a brake making energy for the batteries, the traditional mechanical braking system of an EV is used less frequently. This can lead to spot corrosion, requiring special additives to the brake fluid, hence our new DOT 5.1 EV formula."
Regenerative braking doesn't mean an EV's anchors do little work, though. "These cars are generally heavier than their combustion engined counterparts and rapidly reach high speed, from which they often have to slow abruptly," David continues.
