Mercedes-Benz has lifted the veil on promising research in the field of electric vehicles. One of the interesting areas is the creation of virtually maintenance-free brakes. The idea is to move the braking system from its traditional location in the wheel to an integrated engine-transmission unit on the front or rear axle. This not only saves space, but also opens up new perspectives for the development of mechanical brakes.
Since the main braking in electric vehicles is regenerative, mechanical brakes are used much less frequently. Mercedes-Benz decided to take advantage of this feature to develop a centre brake system that, according to preliminary studies, hardly wears out, does not rust and does not require regular maintenance. It also minimises particle emissions into the environment and eliminates brake noise.
In addition, the new design paves the way for a reduction in the unsprung weight of the vehicle. This increases ride comfort and allows the creation of fully enclosed wheel discs, which increase aerodynamic properties as they do not require brake cooling holes.
Mercedes-Benz concludes: future electric cars will not only be quieter, but also more comfortable and environmentally friendly if they succeed in realising this idea. Whether we will see such brakes in production cars in the near future - time will tell.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
