buick lacrosse

Brake technology doesn’t stop. Engineers in the automotive world are making interesting and powerful gains in the high-speed race to help motorists slow down. Safety is the first priority of the industry, which means that the most cutting-edge researchers find themselves working on the best ways to slam on the brakes. 

So what’s going on in the brake tech world? Who’s hot and why? How applicable will their developments be? And how soon can we expect to see this stuff on the street? Let’s find out.  

Some New Technologies

There’s so much cool stuff going on at automotive labs around the world that it can be hard to keep up. Here’s what’s happening:

  • Nissan’s Electric Driven Intelligent Brake (EDIB) system ensures maximum safety and energy efficiency use for electric and hybrid vehicles. What’s makes this system so neat is that it takes the kinetic energy produced by the brakes and reuses that energy to power the engine. You’ll need to refuel and recharge less often. Recycle while you drive!
  • ZF are making big steps toward effective brake systems for automatic vehicles. That’s a good thing; when cars drive themselves, we all want to make sure they’re going to stop at the right time. Integrated Brake Control (IBT) is ZF’s new baby, due as soon as next year. This technology uses state-of-the-art software and hardware to ensure easy updates and quick stops.
  • Buick is working to ensure that their brakes, like those of Nissan, keep their fuel-use efficient. Their new gadgets stop the engine from running when the car is at a stop, helping to keep the gas bills low of commuters who regularly get stuck in traffic jams.

How Effective Are They?

Brake technologies are some of the most thoroughly tested products out here. If it’s not safer than what’s currently on the market, it won’t make the cut. Automotive manufacturers were hit hard last decade by safety scandals, and they’ve learned their lesson. Anything that makes it into your vehicle is going to be top quality, highly vetted, and easy to use.

How Well Will They Work For Different Types of Vehicles?

It’s hard to say where these technologies will go next. Everyone would love to get in on these technologies. Big truck companies would love to get their hands on tools that ensure safety and efficiency. Trucks, though, come with their own set of logistical problems that provide barriers to this sort of integration. They’re not using electric fuel tech, for instance, because their enormous engines require the kind of monster power that only traditional fuel varieties are currently capable of producing. 

Nonetheless, technology never stops moving, and it’s only a matter of time before the innovations produced by car manufacturers find their way into trucks. Trucks use tons of energy to do what they do, and these companies could save lots of money if they could  harness that energy into multiple uses in a way similar to what Nissan’s EDIB does.

Brake Tech: a Moving Industry

There’s a lot happening in the brake world. We’re seeing new developments in safety, efficiency, and usefulness with every passing year. As each day passes, the roads get a little bit safer. And we have momentous industry to thank for that.