Every Tesla, Bolt, Ioniq, and Mach-E we see comes through with brakes that look almost brand new — because they are. Regen does 90% of the stopping. The friction brakes only engage below 5 mph and in emergencies. That sounds like good news. It isn't.
When a rotor doesn't heat up regularly, moisture stays on the friction surface, and the exposed cast iron surface rusts. On a rainy month in Jacksonville, an EV rotor can develop 0.4 mm of surface pitting between service intervals. The pads glaze over unused compound. Caliper slides seize.
Every EV should get a brake inspection every 12,000 miles and a caliper service (slide clean, guide pin lube, hardware replacement) every 24,000 miles — even if the pads still measure 8 mm thick. Skip this, and the first time you need to stop hard the pedal feel will be dramatically different.