WHAT’S NEW IN BRAKING IN 2025?
Having recently returned from the world’s foremost brake technology conference, it seems like the right time to take stock of some of the most significant technical trends in our industry. In this article, I will focus on new brake hardware trends, including some deep dives into novel new concepts that are primed to take centre stage in the braking world.
Fig.1 The invention of the disc brake – Lanchester Motor Company 1902
If we look over our shoulders at braking technology we’ve used in the past, it can seem that not a lot has changed in foundation braking in a VERY LONG time. Indeed, the invention of both the disc and drum brake go back as far as 1902, with the first hydraulic braking system following 15 years later. We see brake force modulation and carbon brake discs in the aircraft industry by the middle of the last century, before both technologies make their way to road vehicles before the end of the 20th century. So for the past 25 years, it might be fair to ask, what new brake innovations have our best minds been working on? Have we solved braking once and for all?
LATEST INNOVATIONS
Well, the good news is that there are lots of new challenges, and of course lots of new ideas. We will skip over the major developments in Electro-mechnical braking for now (but give a quick update at the end), and spend some time with some lesser known concepts.
First among them is a new approach to wheel braking, developed by Spanish company BRL Brakes. The BRL braking system utilises a unique arrangement of rotating friction plates and twin static discs. The friction plate has friction pad material mounted on both faces. One disc and the friction plate float axially, and (for example) hydraulic brake fluid is used to compress the discs and friction plate together. This arrangement has many performance, thermal and environmental benefits, and a reduced package requirement, compared to conventional systems.
I was fortunate to get some updates from the company Chief Engineer, Jose Maria Gómez, on the latest exciting developments. So, in the words of one of the best minds in braking, here is an overview of their system;
“BRL Brakes is revolutionising the industry with a state-of-the-art braking system delivering zero emissions via passive filtration of PM10&PM2.5 particles, the market’s highest performance, and superior efficiency. Built with standard, cost-effective materials, its technology adapts to any vehicle platform—BEV, PHEV, or ICE—without costly re-engineering. This “plug-and-play” capability drastically reduces development time and cost for OEMs.
The system’s modularity is one of the key strengths. BRL’s OEM clients are developing in current in-wheel systems with BRL’s air/liquid-cooled versions and adopting innovative solutions like the liquid-cooled in-drive brake, for applications from light cars to high-mass vehicles. All are compatible with hydraulic, pneumatic, or full dry EMB actuation.
With a fortress of over 20 globally granted patents, BRL creates a decisive competitive advantage for its clients. As the company scales its engineering and production facilities to support global programs, its message to the industry is clear: the future of braking is here.”
Fig. 2 – BRL Brakes rotor pack
The next novel concept to consider is that of magneto-rheological brakes. In recent years, a renewed interest in the magneto-rheological (MR) brakes field is evident in the academic sphere, and several competing concepts have been presented. MR Brakes offer freedom from conventional frictional elements, and therefore can eliminate wear-related particles.
From India’s IIT, an MR brake design based on a drum brake is under development. Here, the braking torque is provided by manipulating the MR fluid’s viscosity, both through the application of a magnetic field and also by compressing the magnetised fluid (for example, between a drum and shoe). This magnetic and compression approach greatly increases fluid stiffness, and therefore brake torque. Such a braking arrangement would be best suited to light duty EV vehicles, such as 2-wheelers or 3-wheelers.
Meanwhile, at Italy’s Politecnico di Torino, early research is underway on an MR brake design to fully substitute existing friction braking components, achieving up to 700Nm. This brake design approach is targeted for in-wheel motor configurations, and may offer a unique advantage over traditional friction brakes (with their associated thermal challenges). Work to date on this project has yielded a design and validation pathway based on specialised dynomometers, and in the near future full vehicle testing is planned.
Another novel concept presented at EuroBrake ’25 came from Continental and DeepDrive in the form of an in-wheel drive unit with integrated brake. This modular system involves a deeply integrated wheel module, with innovative radial flux drive motor design and integral foundation brake. The assembled system is known as a drive brake unit, and is capable to provide up to 2000Nm drive torque in both directions, meaning a higher availability of regenerative torque than is commonplace today. The foundation brake technology is a further development of Continental’s sealed drum brake, with integral EPB. This system is well proven, having mass-market adoption on Volkswagen’s MEB platform. Solutions incorporate either a 9” or 11” drum, again leaning on well proven braking components. In the current version, brake actuation is hydraulic, meaning easy integration with existing brake control solutions. However, the product roadmap includes a disc brake variant and electro-mechanical braking options.
Advantages of this package include significant driveline efficiencies, a sealed brake setup to eliminate brake particulate emissions, and a Brake for Life concept which should greatly reduce maintenance costs for the vehicle owner.
Fig 3 – DeepDrive module incorporating a drum brake from Continental
Finally, a novel approach for braking for the older driver was presented by Toyota. The research motivation is based on the fact that muscular power of the driver will significantly decrease with age, and an aging driver population means the current actuation paradigms will not be universally suitable.
Two potential solutions were discussed, one evolution of the brake pedal and a novel steering wheel concept with brake controls integrated. This allows for braking by either foot or hand. In order to find acceptable brake control, the fundamentals of braking control need to considered, and Toyota’s approach included significant user input, as well as a machine learning approach to describe a new relationship for braking controls. The brake pedal is by-wire, so that pedal stroke and vehicle deceleration relationship can be optimised for shorter stroke and lower efforts. While the presentation focused on the technical research to develop appropriate pedal feel, the company has recently presented concept and low volume vehicles which rely on such solutions for urban mobility, including transporting Paralympian athletes at Paris 2024.
BRIEF NOTE ON EMB
While we’re discussing the advent of new braking technology, it’s worth to mention Electro Mechanical Braking. While this technology is well developed (and has been covered before), currently there are significant development activities on-going in this area, and the first systems will be launched in customer vehicles within the remainder of this decade. It seems most major Tier 1 suppliers are active in this space, and many have live OEM projects. While we’re awaiting the first customer vehicles to break cover, it is clear that EMB is maturing quickly.
SUMMARY
At first glance, it can seem the fundamentals of braking have not changed significantly in the 21st Century. But once we look a little more closely, it becomes clear that multiple concepts are advancing towards production readiness, and fundamental research in alternative ideas are responding to contemporary challenges.
It is encouraging to see the diversity of approaches, and also the significant progress for some of these novel concepts. While the requirements for good braking now include less dust and more energy recovery, the hardware choices to achieve good braking are increasing. Whether that means a new arrangement of friction elements, deep integration of drive and brake systems or brake torque controlled through magnetic forces, the way to decelerate the vehicle is evolving.
As ever, fundamental automotive technology continues to innovate in response to changes in powertrain choices, emissions limits and user demographics. While it is sure that many of the vehicles produced in the medium term future will utilise a form of friction braking, the hardware used to achieve good braking can look radically different. How the human driver achieves the task of deceleration looks significantly different with the use of regenerative braking and adaptive cruise control. However, even the brake pedal itself may soon evolve, to respond to new technological opportunities as well as the needs of the drivers. Together with the novel ways to decelerate the road wheel, the future of braking will bring many new approaches.