Remember when your car’s power steering system required fluid, or how about when cars had a shaft that physically connected your steering wheel to the steering box or rack-and-pinion? Most cars these days don’t even have a throttle cable now that electric throttles have been introduced. So, now we have electric power steering and drive-by-wire. We even have electronic suspension. Well, things are about to change even more, and brake fluid will become a thing of the past as Brembo has just announced. In an interview with Car & Driver, that F1-derived electrified brakes are coming. What does it mean? Keep reading to find out a little more.

Electric Brakes Aren’t Exactly New

Electric brakes have been around for a long time. F1 racing cars have used them for years. And, the best part is, that it could help make cars a little bit lighter and offer much better braking performance. The Executive Director of Brembo, Giovanni Canavotto, told C&D that the technology for passenger cars is currently in development. And, even better than that, it will allow automakers to custom tune the braking systems to the driver’s needs and wants. You want a soft pedal with lots of travel? You got it. You want a firm pedal with lots of bite? Well, you can have that too. It will probably be customizable right from the dash much like driving modes, and suspension systems are today.

“Brake-by-wire systems really give us and carmakers flexibility with tuning. We have used them in Formula 1 for years. In future cars, they can be tailored to the driver and create a soft or firm feel, shorter or longer pedal travel, much like the driving modes for the suspension and steering right now,” said Canavotto.

Canavotto even went on to point out that such a system won’t depend on the car’s engine or – in the near future – electric motor, and they won’t require a 48-volt system. The latter point isn’t all that important as automakers have been slowly switching over to 48-volt systems lately, but the point is they won’t put that much drain on the power system of electric cars.

When Will Electric Brakes Be Available on New Cars?

Fully-Electric brakes won’t be available for a while, but they are on their way. According to Canavotto, there’s still a lot of development work that’s required. You can be sure, since it’s Brembo apparently leading the way, that they’ll first appear on performance cars from brands that typically offer Brembo brakes as part of a performance package. The technology will then slowly trickle down to less expensive, daily driver cars. We’re just making a rough estimate here, but they could be offered as optional equipment on your every day within the next decade. The important part is that their introduction will simplify the car’s architecture and will be more manageable than the hydraulic brakes that are in use today. Plus, the electric system for these brakes will be much lighter and, ultimately, safer. The big setback right now, it seems, is to develop a system that isn’t only the same size but looks familiar as well – there isn’t much room between a brake rotor and the wheel, so there are size limitations in play.

Final Thoughts

Given the nature of electronics, you won’t be criticized if your immediate thought is to scream danger and run away. After all, electronics tend to fail, sometimes, without warning – it happens. The thing to remember, however, is that the brake at each wheel will likely be its own standalone system, so if one does fail, you’ll still have three more to rely on and, the system could – in theory – supplement the failed brake by applying stronger braking to the rear wheels should a failure be detected. Electronic throttle, drive-by-wire, and electronic suspension have proven to be fairly reliable, and you can be sure that the next-gen brake systems will be put to the test time and time again before ever making their way to the market.

In the end, this will be a good move, and it will help to make cars lighter and safer. Plus, there’s nothing worse than having a brake pedal that just doesn’t feel right to you, especially if you’re the type to play around from time to time. It won’t be long before cars are 100-percent electric, from the electric motors that power the wheels to the steering, brakes, suspension, and even the HVAC systems. It will certainly be interesting to see how things turn out and how soon we’ll see electric brakes transition from thoroughbred racecars to everyday road cars.

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