By ATN Editorial Team
Summary: AUMOVIO has unveiled its distributed brake system, the latest generation of its electrohydraulic brakes, which operates electronically from the pedal through to the fallback level and can be used for automated driving up to SAE Level 5.
Key engineering takeaway: A conventional one box system for highly automated driving carries a second actuator as a dormant fallback. The distributed brake system runs both actuators permanently and shares braking force between them, which lets each one be made smaller and lighter, and keeps all four wheels available in fallback rather than the two or three most systems retain.
Why it matters: The distributed brake system removes the hydraulic fallback, so almost all braking system components except the electronic brake pedal can be placed freely in the front of the vehicle. That is installation space an OEM can spend on a larger battery, and one e-pedal solution now covers left and right-hand drive, combustion and electric.
- True brake-by-wire: AUMOVIO’s new electrohydraulic brake generation operates fully electronically from the brake pedal through to the fallback level
- System uses the latest vehicle E/E architecture for a more compact design, lower weight, greater performance and energy efficiency than previous one box systems
- First series order from a major Chinese vehicle manufacturer; production is scheduled to start at the end of 2027
- Boris Mergell, Head of the Safety and Motion business area at AUMOVIO: “The distributed brake system further expands our range of solutions for the challenges of tomorrow’s mobility”
Technology company AUMOVIO is unveiling the distributed brake system, the latest generation of its electrohydraulic brakes, delivering greater performance in a compact design. The first order from a major Chinese vehicle manufacturer has already been received, with production scheduled to start at the end of 2027. The distributed brake combines an advanced one box brake with an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system. It operates fully electronically from the brake pedal through to the fallback level and makes use of modern electrical/electronic (E/E) architectures. This allows the actuators to be designed smaller and lighter. The system frees up valuable installation space – for example, for a larger high-voltage battery – and enables more flexible actuator placement in the vehicle. At the same time, the distributed brake delivers greater performance than previous one box systems, making it particularly suitable for demanding applications such as highly automated driving.
The mobility of the future is automated, electric, and increasingly based on new vehicle architectures. This transformation will not happen overnight, but step by step. With our solutions ranging from electrohydraulic to fully dry braking systems, our customers can draw on a very broad product portfolio. The new distributed brake system expands this portfolio even further. It gives our customers even greater flexibility, efficiency, and powerful performance. With its first series order, our new system is taking an important step toward high-volume production.
Boris Mergell, Head of the Safety and Motion business area at AUMOVIO
How The Distributed Brake System Shares Braking Force
A key difference in this new development: Current one box brake systems for highly automated driving (HAD) contain two brake actuators, but only one is used during normal operation. The second actuator serves as a fallback. By contrast, the distributed brake system keeps both brake actuators permanently active, allowing them to generate the braking force together when required. Each braking system is designed to function independently in the event of a fallback. Distributed brake systems can therefore be made smaller, lighter, and more energy-efficient compared to previous one box systems. By coordinating the actuators, AUMOVIO has further increased braking performance compared with predecessor models, both in normal driving and in emergency mode.
One important reason is that while most other braking systems act on only two or three wheels in fallback mode, the distributed brake system continues to access all four wheels. This makes the system particularly suitable for highly automated driving, where safety in the event of an electrical failure is crucial. Distributed brake systems can be used for automated driving up to SAE Level 5.
Redundant E/E Architecture Replaces The Hydraulic Fallback
For the distributed brake system, AUMOVIO leverages the E/E architecture of modern vehicles. It includes multiple power supply points and redundant electrical networks. Such architecture meets the requirements for braking systems without a hydraulic fallback, which must be equipped with a redundant system including its own electrical circuit. Since the driver’s braking commands are transmitted electrically and no hydraulic fallback with a mechanical connection to the driver is required, almost all braking system components – except for the electronic brake pedal – can be positioned freely in the front section of the vehicle. This flexibility supports new vehicle concepts and enables optimized use of installation space, for example through the use of larger batteries that extend vehicle range. The distributed brake system is suitable for many different vehicle types, as not only fully electric and hybrid vehicles but also many new combustion-engine vehicles are equipped with such redundant E/E architectures.
One E-Pedal Braking Solution Across Vehicle Variants
The absence of a mechanical-hydraulic connection between the brake pedal and braking system provides further benefits for the distributed brake system. For example, the air gap between the brake disc and brake caliper can be increased because brake pressure in the fallback level is built up electronically with greater precision and speed than before. This reduces unwanted friction between the brake disc and brake caliper.
At the same time, a single e-pedal braking system can be used for a wide range of vehicle architectures. Instead of slightly different variants, for example for left- or right-hand drive, combustion-engine or electric vehicles, all vehicles can be equipped with the same e-pedal braking solution. This significantly reduces the number of variants and helps lower development, manufacturing, and logistics costs for both suppliers and car manufacturers.
AUMOVIO draws on 120 years of experience in vehicle safety. The most recent major milestone in braking was the proven electrohydraulic pressure providers used in the one box brake systems of the MK C 1 and 2 series, more than 15 million of which have been sold since their market launch in 2016. This expertise has now been incorporated into the concept of a true brake-by-wire application that combines the strengths of hydraulic brakes with an electromechanical brake architecture. The result is a combination of both worlds: higher performance and more efficient use of resources such as energy, installation space, and costs across development, manufacturing, and the entire service life.
Distributed Brake System FAQ
What is a distributed brake system?
A distributed brake system is a brake-by-wire architecture in which two electrohydraulic actuators are both permanently active and share the job of generating braking force, instead of one working while a second sits in reserve. There is no mechanical or hydraulic path from the pedal to the wheels, so the pedal becomes an electronic input device and every braking command travels as a signal.
How does a distributed brake system differ from a one box brake?
AUMOVIO says current one box brake systems for highly automated driving contain two brake actuators, but only one is used during normal operation and the second serves as a fallback. A distributed brake system splits the function across two actuators that are both permanently active, which is why AUMOVIO says the hardware can be made smaller, lighter and more energy-efficient than previous one box systems.
What happens if the distributed brake system loses an actuator?
Each of the two braking systems is designed to work independently, so the surviving actuator continues to brake on its own. AUMOVIO says that while most other braking systems act on only two or three wheels in fallback mode, the distributed brake system continues to access all four wheels. This, the company says, makes the system particularly suitable for highly automated driving, where safety in the event of an electrical failure is crucial, and it can be used for automated driving up to SAE Level 5.
Why does a distributed brake system need a redundant E/E architecture?
AUMOVIO says braking systems without a hydraulic fallback must be equipped with a redundant system including its own electrical circuit. Modern vehicle E/E architectures include multiple power supply points and redundant electrical networks, which meet those requirements, and the system suits many vehicle types because fully electric, hybrid and many new combustion-engine vehicles have such architectures.
When does the AUMOVIO distributed brake system enter production?
AUMOVIO has confirmed a first series order from a major Chinese vehicle manufacturer, with production scheduled to start at the end of 2027.
For more brake-by-wire news, click here.
