Tire manufacturer Continental has just revealed a new wheel concept and braking system designed specifically for electric vehicles.
Unlike traditional braking systems, Continental’s solution sees an innovative star-shaped component attached to the hub. The brake caliper is then fastened to the wheel carrier of the axle and the disc is affixed to the carrier star.
This complex design achieves a number of things. Firstly, it is lighter than a traditional wheel and brake setup. Secondly, it promises to be quieter than traditional brakes and thirdly, it will last a lot longer. In fact, the regenerative braking used by EVs will wear the disc so little that they’ll last the lifetime of the car. All owners would have to do is occasionally replace the brake pads.
Discussing the unique design, Continental head of brake pre-development in the chassis & safety business unit, Paul Linhoff said “In EVs, it’s crucial that the driver expends as little energy as possible on the friction brake.
“During a deceleration, the momentum of the vehicle is converted into electricity in the generator to increase the vehicle’s range. That’s why the driver continues to operate the brake pedal – but it certainly doesn’t mean that the wheel brakes are active too.”
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