Bosch tests brake-by-wire system on public roads and in various climate zones

Vehicle development Bosch tests brake-by-wire system on public roads and in various climate zones

2025-02-24 From Stefanie Eckardt | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

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Automotive supplier Bosch has tested its new brake-by-wire system on public roads. A development team from the Stuttgart company was on the road for six days, covering over 3,300 kilometers (approx. 2051 miles) through various climate zones. The test team even traveled to the Arctic Circle.

The test drive with brake-by-wire took the Bosch test team to the company's own winter test center Vaitoudden in Arjeplog, Sweden.(Image: Bosch) — The test drive with brake-by-wire took the Bosch test team to the company's own winter test center Vaitoudden in Arjeplog, Sweden.
(Image: Bosch)

In a brake-by-wire system, the mechanical connection between the brake pedal and the braking system is eliminated—the braking action is transmitted as an electrical signal to the system via redundant signal lines. For this approach, Bosch has developed a solution with two independent hydraulic brake actuators, namely a by-wire brake actuator and an ESP. Today's brake systems still ensure the necessary redundancy in the event of a failure through a mechanical connection to the brake pedal. This coupling via an input rod to the brake pedal is eliminated in the Bosch solution. The supplier plans to launch this system in the market from autumn 2025—initial orders have already been received. Bosch expects that by 2030, more than 5.5 million vehicles will be equipped with brake-by-wire systems.

Flexible choice of installation space

With the elimination of the mechanical connection, it is no longer necessary to mount the brake system components on the vehicle's firewall. Instead, they can now be installed where it makes sense in terms of crash safety, noise development, and assembly. The flexibility in choosing the installation space for the brake actuators helps avoid variants for right- and left-hand drive vehicles. The by-wire technology enables new pedal concepts with a shortened brake pedal travel to create space for new interior concepts.

The Bosch solution relies on proven brake system technology and is a combination of a by-wire brake actuator and ESP. Its design saves installation space and minimizes the weight of the brake system. Because the by-wire brake actuator and ESP are each assigned to different channels of the redundant onboard network, they can independently build up the required brake pressure on all four wheel brakes in the event of a failure. This makes the system particularly suitable for highly automated vehicles.

Collecting data during the long-distance test

The new system is primarily being developed in Abstatt. The development team based there thoroughly tested it during a long-distance drive. The journey went from Abstatt via Hamburg, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and the Arctic Circle to the in-house winter test center Vaitoudden in Arjeplog, northern Sweden. Bosch obtained road approval for the test vehicle in several countries. A prerequisite for this was the supplier's safety concept. The team conducted thousands of braking tests, according to their own statements, collecting insights and data on the behavior of the braking system in various traffic situations. These were then compared with the simulations. The collected data will, in turn, be incorporated into Bosch's future development work to further develop the hydraulic brake-by-wire system. (se)

At CES 2025, Bosch focused on the eBike, among other things. The supplier aims to improve theft protection for eBike batteries. (Image:Stefanie Eckardt)

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