Brembo shows the new braking system Tesla Model 3> teslamag.de

Although electric cars can also use their engines to decelerate properly and even recover electricity in the process, Tesla hasn’t dared omit the mechanical brakes yet. However, Italian specialist Brembo is developing something like an analogue of a wheel hub motor ready for mass production, only for braking. One blogger was able to try out the system at the current stage in Tesla Model 3 performance and liked it very much.

Tesla track mode test

When Brembo introduced the Sensify concept last October, the announcement was spelled out, among other things, with an old Tesla Model S in color chips with that name. This shows how long the company has been working on it. According to one Autoblog Report Ten years have passed already. In another two years, the system should be found in the first electric cars. According to Brembo, she is currently talking to several manufacturers, but she doesn’t mention any names.

Anyway, for a demonstration by Sensify at the end of July, the company chose a Tesla Model 3 (see photo above), as AutoMK reports – In the performance version with track mode, where you can disable digital security assistants. This is supposed to be one of the advantages of the Brembo system: you don’t need any additional ABS or electronic brake force distribution because these functions are already built in. This is helped by the fact that the deceleration can be controlled individually at each wheel – just like wheel hub motors drive individual wheels.

To achieve this more precise control, Brembo uses either four electrically operated tongs throughout rather than a central hydraulic system. In this case, the brake pedal becomes a purely electronic control device. In this configuration, an additional power supply should only act as a backup. Instead, according to an AutoMK report, there is a hybrid solution. The rear is also braked electromechanically and the front hydraulically, but with one cylinder per side so the pressure is still individually adjustable. This has the advantage that one of the drawbacks of wheel hub motors – as well as on-wheel brake motors – is partially avoided: more loose mass.

Brakes with software updates

So the electric sports cars should be given the hybrid configuration that Brembo also chose to test with Tesla’s performance. Any layovers with her were almost leisurely, AutoMK reports. The typical ABS stutter did not occur when pressing the brakes straight ahead, and no deflection occurred, even on wet roads. According to the report, the Model 3 also adapts well to its ABS system when the brakes are applied mid-turn. However, with the Sensify system, the car wasn’t disturbed even when the testers pushed the steering wheel back and forth. On the third maneuver, left-to-right steering while braking from high speed, the new Brembo system also worked better for them.

The blog wrote that this is nothing less than a “small revolution”. In addition to greater safety and reduced hydraulic complexity, the system should also offer efficiency advantages: reduced wear through more targeted braking and the fact that the electromechanical brake lining is farther from the disc means less wear, according to Brembo. In addition, the electromechanical calipers should last the life of the vehicle. One Following a clear trend in electric cars However, Brembo wants to give its product the ability to perform later updates via radio and thus be able to stay in touch with customers – possibly for a fee.