First automotive with completely digital brakes and no hydraulic fluid is in manufacturing – what might go improper?
The next big automotive breakthrough is about to hit our roads – and it could spell the end of the braking system we’ve relied on for more than a century.
Brake giant Brembo has confirmed its fully electronic ‘brake‑by‑wire’ system is now in production and will debut on a new mainstream model due to be revealed soon.
The radical setup removes hydraulic fluid entirely, ditching the mechanical link between the brake pedal and the calipers that slow the car.
Instead, software takes over, translating pedal inputs into precise braking force at each wheel.
Brembo revealed over the weekend that its Sensify ‘intelligent braking’ technology has ‘entered large‑scale series production for a leading global manufacturer’.
However, it has stopped short of naming the car maker that will launch it first.
As with the recent shift to electronic throttle-by-wire systems and electronic power steering, there is a growing concern among motorists: what happens if the electronics fail?
Brake giant Brembo has confirmed its fully electronic ‘brake‑by‑wire’ system is now in production and will debut on a new mainstream model due to be revealed soon. How safe is it?
Despite major advances – from the shift from drums to discs in the 1960s, the arrival of ABS in the 1990s and regenerative braking in modern EVs – the fundamentals of hydraulic braking haven’t changed for more than 100 years.
Press the pedal, pressure builds in a master cylinder, brake fluid flows through lines, and calipers clamp onto discs to slow the car.
From city runarounds to supercars, it’s the way virtually every road car has stopped for decades.
But Brembo believes those days are numbered.
How Sensify works
Each wheel is given its own electronic ‘brain’, with braking force controlled entirely by software.
Press the brake ‘e‑pedal’ and an actuator at each wheel is triggered by an electronic control unit (ECU) that instructs the caliper on exactly how much pressure needs to be applied.
Because there’s no hydraulic fluid delaying the response time between pedal push and pads gripping, there’s almost an instant reaction within milliseconds.
It’s also claimed to be far more precise.
With all four wheels controlled independently, the system can fine‑tune braking pressure at each corner of the car to deliver optimum stopping power.
The software constantly monitors road conditions and variables including surface changes, potholes, rain, snow and ice, adjusting braking force in real time.
It also factors in vehicle mass, weight distribution, speed and steering angle.
A signal is sent from an ECU monitoring the brake ‘e-pedal’ to actuators in each caliper at all four wheels. Braking response will be instant, precise and adaptable to conditions
And Sensify even learns driver behaviour using AI.
Pedal response is tailored to an individual’s braking style – such as whether they brake earlier and gradually or later and sharply – and provides the pedal feedback it thinks the user prefers.
Brembo insists the technology isn’t reserved for luxury cars, claiming it can be scaled for vehicles of all sizes and price points.
Beyond sharper braking performance, there are financial and environmental upsides, too.
With no hydraulic fluid, there’s no need for brake fluid replacement or related maintenance. That cuts ownership costs and downgrades the environmental impact.
Removing brake fluid also reduces residual drag between pads and discs, improving efficiency and extending the lifespan of expensive consumable parts.
Will electronic brakes be safe?
For all its promise, the idea of software‑controlled brakes raises an obvious question: what happens if it fails?
Brembo says safety has been built in from the start.
Every vehicle using Sensify will be equipped with two ECUs – one controlling the front brakes and one the rear.
They operate independently, so if one fails, the other continues to function.
The actuators themselves feature double electrical windings for added redundancy, and the system has already secured type approval for global markets.
Brake‑by‑wire technology isn’t entirely new either.
Formula One has used it on rear wheels since 2014, while the aerospace industry has relied on electronic braking systems for years, including on the latest Airbus aircraft.
‘Sensify translates our vision of an intelligent, integrated braking platform into industrial reality,’ said Brembo chief executive Daniele Schillaci.
‘Designed to orchestrate the entire corner ecosystem, it supports safer mobility while paving the way for the next generation of software‑defined vehicles, reflecting our long‑term purpose of shaping a Zero Accident Future.’
While Sensify marks a major leap for braking technology, it’s part of a broader shift already underway.
Hydraulic power steering has largely been replaced by electric systems to save weight, cut costs and reduce maintenance.
Brands such as Peugeot and Lexus are even planning fully steer‑by‑wire setups.
Throttle‑by‑wire has replaced mechanical cables, and electronic parking brakes are now standard in most new cars as vehicles lean more heavily on software.
Whether drivers are ready to trust their brakes entirely to electronics is another matter.
