BMW patents a system for energy recovery through the suspension

With the arrival of electrified cars we have discovered that many manufacturers are working on energy recovery systems to increase the range of cars. One of the most popular of these systems is based on the vehicle’s braking system. It is responsible for harnessing the heat energy produced when braking and converting it into electricity that is stored in the battery.

But there are more ways to take advantage of the behaviour of vehicles while in motion to recover energy. BMW has just patented a system of this kind, but instead of basing it on the brake, it focuses on how the suspension works. According to Carbuzz, this system takes advantage of the heat produced by the suspension springs each time they compress and decompress.

Unlike brakes, the suspension is working constantly, so it is a good way to generate energy on an ongoing basis. In this way, there is a constant flow of energy reaching the battery. The proposal is interesting, but it is still at the research stage.

The brand has nothing planned, since only the existence of this patent is known. It shows the main elements and how they should work. But it is not known whether it has already been tested or whether it is just a project that still needs many hours of development before it can be functional.

This is a good idea for gradually improving the range of electric vehicles. On its own, neither this system nor energy recovery through the brakes provides a good solution to the problem, but together with the development of batteries and other elements, it can represent a fairly significant step forward towards sustainable mobility.