Why can an electric car, not have a generator instead of a motor on one wheel, so that as that wheel turns it generates energy for the battery? I totally understand that it isn’t possible, but I don’t know why. I also understand that regenerative energy is taken from breaking.
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It takes energy to spin a generator. The term generator is a bit of a misnomer. Generators actually convert chemical energy into electrical energy. They do generate electricity, but not for free. It costs fuel.
If you were to hook a “generator” to one of the wheels of an electric vehicle you would be converting kinetic energy into electrical energy. Which is the reverse of the process you used to make the wheel spin in the first place.
In a perfect world with perfect efficiency the “generator” would cause as much drag on the wheel as it produced by turning and you wouldn’t get anything for your effort.
However, in the real world there are losses to rolling resistance, friction in the wheel bearings and generator, and electrical resistance. Not to mention the added weight of the generator and wiring.
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