Electric vehicles routinely reach high mileage on original brake pads. The reason is that most slowing is done by the motor, and the friction brakes are held in reserve.
The motor can slow the car as well as drive it
An electric motor run in reverse acts as a generator, converting the vehicle's motion into electricity and producing a retarding force in the process.
That electricity is returned to the battery, so deceleration recovers energy instead of discarding it as heat in the brake discs.
Because the effect is strong across normal speeds, ordinary driving rarely requires the friction brakes at all beyond the final moments of a stop.
Blending is managed by software
When the pedal is pressed, the control system decides how much retardation comes from regeneration and how much from friction, aiming to use the motor as far as it can.
The friction brakes engage when demand exceeds what regeneration can supply, such as hard stops, or when regeneration is unavailable.
Making that handover imperceptible is a genuine engineering challenge, and inconsistent pedal feel in some vehicles is a direct consequence of the blending logic.
Regeneration has limits
A full battery cannot accept charge, so regeneration is reduced or disabled and the friction brakes take over. This is why a vehicle charged to full behaves differently on the first descent.
Cold packs impose the same restriction for chemistry reasons, which is why regenerative braking is weak on winter mornings until the pack warms.
Sustained heavy braking, such as a long steep descent, can also exceed what the motor and battery can absorb, at which point friction braking handles the balance.
Underuse creates a different failure
Brake discs rust when not used, and the light contact of infrequent braking may not scrub the surface clean. Corrosion can build up under pads that rarely move.
Some vehicles periodically apply the friction brakes deliberately to clean the surfaces, and many manufacturers specify inspection intervals based on age rather than wear.
Maintenance expectations shift accordingly
Pad replacement becomes rare while caliper servicing, seized components and fluid condition become the more likely issues on an ageing vehicle.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time regardless of use, so its replacement interval is unaffected by how little the brakes are applied.
The overall pattern is that the wearing item stops wearing and the corroding items keep corroding, which changes what an inspection should actually be looking for.