That hasn't been my experience when following EVs, but I could be wrong as I don't have much experience yet, with EVs.
And, on all ICVs ( that I know of ) the brake lights are switched by an actual physical switch in the brake pedal itself; any, and all, depressions of the pedal activate the brake lights ( through a relay, of course ).
That is why you can activate brake lights even with the vehicle turned off; the relay is directly connected to the battery.

Edited 21 hours ago21 hr by MigL

1 hour ago, exchemist said:

That’s not what I read in the What Car piece. According to that, regen braking does illuminate the brake lights.

Yeah, braking that doesn't flash brake lights doesn't sound like it would be legal most places. Failed brake lights get a serious ($) traffic citation in the States.

According to some online searches:

Regenerative braking in an electric vehicle (EV) does cause the brake lights to come on, but only when the rate of deceleration exceeds a certain threshold (typically around 0.1g or 1.3 m/s²) rather than simply whenever the car slows down or when the accelerator is lifted. Most modern EVs use software tied to an accelerometer or G-force sensor rather than a physical brake pedal switch. When the car slows down fast enough via the electric motor, the lights turn on automatically. If you gently lift off the accelerator and the car just coasts or slows down very gradually, the brake lights will not turn on.

There are are said to be inconsistencies across various older models, notably Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles some of which required a near-complete release of the accelerator or high levels of deceleration before the brake lights illuminated.

EU regulations and international standards mandate that brake lights must activate when deceleration exceeds 1.3 m/s² (approx. 0.13g) during regenerative braking.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:42023X0401

1 hour ago, toucana said:

According to some online searches:

There are are said to be inconsistencies across various older models, notably Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles some of which required a near-complete release of the accelerator or high levels of deceleration before the brake lights illuminated.

EU regulations and international standards mandate that brake lights must activate when deceleration exceeds 1.3 m/s² (approx. 0.13g) during regenerative braking.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:42023X0401

Yes, that’s what I would expect. It will be designed to be equivalent to engine braking with an IC vehicle, which does not turn the brake lights on, but to turn on when there is a degree of braking similar to using the brake pedal in a conventional vehicle.