Electronic parking brakes have started replacing hydraulic e-brakes across the automotive industry, but the technology had not yet found its way into light trucks.
The 2018 Ford F-150 was the first to change that. The full-size pickup featured an electronic park brake, or EPB, made by supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG — the first heavy-duty EPB in the world for a light truck.
The technology saves about 20 pounds compared with the traditional hand brake, allowing for improved fuel economy and reduced emissions, according to ZF. The company announced the partnership at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta.
"The electric park brake is a remarkably versatile technology ideal for larger light vehicles," said Manfred Meyer, senior vice president of global braking for ZF. "By eliminating the park brake lever or pedal, it frees up space in the interior cabin and activates with the touch of a button."
The company has similar technology in smaller passenger cars such as the Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and the Acura MDX mid-size SUV.
Why It Matters for Trucks
The heavy-duty version opened the possibility for electronic parking brakes to appear in other light-duty pickups, larger SUVs, and commercial vans.
"EPB offers important, potential safety advantages," Meyer said.
Equipping vehicles with an EPB also opens the possibility of incorporating automated or autonomous features. The heavy-duty unit from ZF "can be integrated with other vehicle systems to enable advanced functions," according to the company. For example, the system can link with electronic stability control to assist in emergency stops or ease driver strain and fatigue in stop-and-go traffic.
The 2018 Ford F-150 was also available with automated features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping technology, and automatic braking with pedestrian detection.
Source: Trucks.com
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