Brake behavior is described per the WHILL Model Ci2 and Permobil M1 user manuals. Lever locations, wording, and freewheel procedures vary by model — follow your own chair's manual.
Three braking systems, three jobs
Everyday stopping on a power wheelchair starts at the joystick. When you ease the joystick back toward its center, the controller slows the chair; when you release it fully, the chair comes to a stop. WHILL's Model Ci2 user manual states this in a single sentence: releasing the joystick automatically applies the brakes and stops the device. Because speed follows joystick angle, easing off gradually produces a gentler stop — and on a downhill slope WHILL warns that the stopping distance is longer, advising users to release the control pad early and leave extra space around them.
Once the chair is stopped — or when it is switched off — electromagnetic brakes hold it in place. WHILL's specifications list the brake type plainly as 'Electromagnetic brakes,' and the manual repeatedly instructs users to confirm the brakes are locked: before getting in, before turning the power on, and during assembly. This holding is automatic. There is no handbrake lever to pull for everyday parking; the brakes engage by themselves whenever the chair is at rest or powered down.
A note on the term 'regenerative braking.' Neither the WHILL nor the Permobil user manual describes a separate regenerative brake mode or any control for it. The word appears in some product marketing to describe energy recovered during deceleration, but in the user manuals the user-facing behavior is exactly what is described above: joystick-controlled stopping, plus automatic electromagnetic holding. For inspection purposes, what matters is brake response and the locked-brake hold — not energy recovery.
The third system is the manual release lever, better known as freewheel mode. Permobil's M1 user manual describes two freewheel levers that disengage the brakes from the motors so the chair can be pushed manually. WHILL uses the same arrangement under the seat: push the levers down to release the brakes, raise them to re-engage. Both manuals restrict this to emergencies or assisted pushing. WHILL instructs users to release the brakes only on a flat surface after turning the power off — and to lock them again immediately after the chair has been moved by hand.
Daily and weekly brake checks
Brake checks take a few minutes and follow the same pattern as the manufacturers' own pre-ride inspections.
First, confirm the brakes are locked before every ride — WHILL's pre-use warning is explicit on this point. With the power on, drive at low speed in a safe, open space, then release the joystick and confirm the chair stops promptly; then try easing the joystick off slowly to check that deceleration feels smooth and even.
Second, test the locked hold with the power off: try pushing the chair. WHILL's inspection procedure says that when the brakes are locked, the device should not move when pushed. If it creeps, the brakes need attention before you ride.
Third, check the release levers. Both levers should move freely and snap firmly back to the engaged position. WHILL cautions against operating them with your feet, which can deform and break them — use your hands.
Fourth, listen and look. Unusual grinding or clicking from the drive wheels, or a chair that drifts on a slope it used to hold on, are signs to contact your distributor rather than keep driving.
Finally, make re-engaging a habit: always lock the brakes (raise the levers fully) after any manual push, and never leave the chair occupied with the brakes released. WHILL warns that a released-brake chair may start moving and tip over.
When to stop and call for service
Some failures are not user adjustments — they are service issues. If the chair can still be driven while the freewheel levers are in the disengaged position, or if the locked-brake push test fails, stop using the chair and contact your distributor. WHILL's manual is direct: if components need repair, stop using the device immediately and contact your distributor.
Never switch the power off while the chair is still moving to force a stop, and do not attempt to adjust brake components yourself. Braking hardware is set at the factory and serviced by technicians, not tuned by users.
These checks confirm that the brakes are behaving the way the manuals describe; they do not upgrade or certify braking performance. If your chair behaves differently from its manual — stopping distances getting longer, rolling when the brakes are locked — treat that as a service issue and get it seen before you ride again.
