German automaker Mercedes Benz is on a mission to reinvent electric vehicle brakes. Most modern cars have disk brakes that use a configuration of calipers, brake pads, hydraulic fluid, and pistons to slow the rotation of their wheels via friction and arrest their motion. Other types of vehicle brakes, such as air brakes, band brakes, and drum brakes, also use friction as the primary means of braking.
However, while these types of friction-based brakes were developed for internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, electric vehicles are a completely different beast. They are significantly heavier and have greater torque but are uniquely positioned to benefit from features such as regenerative braking, meaning they could benefit from a new type of brake that’s specifically designed for electric cars.
Mercedes-Benz’s so-called ‘in-drive brakes’ are currently under development at the Mercedes R&D department in Sindelfingen, Germany. Rather than the conventional disk brake, this new braking system looks like modified clutch plates and is integrated right into the drivetrain in a configuration that functions similarly to a transmission brake.
These ‘in-drive brakes’ eschew the traditional caliper with attached control arms and brake pads for an enclosed system comprised of circular brake pad that is directly connected to the electric motor’s output shaft and forced against an immobile water-cooled ring. Interestingly, Mercedes notes that the new electric vehicle braking system won’t require much servicing in the vehicle’s lifetime, potentially saving EV owners thousands in repairs and replacements.
Mercedes engineers were so thorough that they devised a hidden compartment to hold brake dust and widen the intervals between servicing even more. In comparison, the regular electric vehicle brakes have to be replaced roughly every two to five years, depending on how they were used, and require more constant maintenance.
The new EV brakes will also help to reduce pollution from brake dust, a fine powdery residue that builds up from braking. In addition to potentially damaging your wheels, brake dust can be a notable pollutant in urban regions that experience a lot of stop-and-go traffic. Storing brake dust in a hidden compartment that doesn’t have to be emptied limits brake dust pollution and reduces the risk of brake dust-caused wheel damage.
While Mercedes says its new EV brake is still in development, it could be a game changer for the nascent electric vehicle industry if it reaches production. Its integrated nature could help customers reduce their maintenance and repair costs and reduce manufacturing costs for carmakers by reducing their raw material costs.
As these new brakes are commercialized and are taken up by startups like NIO Inc. (NYSE: NIO), the EV landscape could take a whole new trajectory that makes these vehicles more affordable and appealing to buyers.
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