Mercedes In-Drive system mounts the brakes to the electrical motor
In-Drive is a friction-based braking system
Mercedes has In-Drive in lively testing, hasn’t given a timeline for manufacturing
Mercedes-Benz is rethinking how the braking system works, and the place it is situated, in upcoming EVs.
In Germany final week, Mercedes-Benz engineers confirmed Inexperienced Automotive Experiences one in all its newest improvements dubbed In-Drive. It is a system that relocates your complete braking system from contained in the wheels to inside an EV’s electrical motor housing.
The automaker did not decide to when, or which automobile, the system would possibly debut on and go into manufacturing, but it surely mentioned the function is already in lively testing.
Mercedes-Benz In-Drive brake system
Referred to internally as “the brake of the long run,” the In-Drive system continues to be a friction-based brake system that consists of a water-cooled brake disk that is not uncovered to air. Mercedes engineers mentioned they’re nonetheless experimenting with completely different fluids. They need plenty of water within the unit to dissipate the warmth, however they do not need a big radiator to help. Utterly enclosed, the brake discs reside on either side of the electrical motor.
Mechanical braking in EVs is barely wanted about 2% of the time whereas 98% of braking conditions might be dealt with by regenerative braking, in response to Mercedes engineers.
The brand new regenerative braking system within the 2026 CLA-Class, which would be the first EV on the automaker’s next-gen MMA platform, is able to as much as 200 kw of recuperation, in response to Mercedes. The present EQS—a heavier automotive—is able to as much as 290 kw of recuperation, a Mercedes engineer mentioned.
Mercedes-Benz In-Drive brake system
The Mercedes workforce mentioned In-Drive is designed to be a lifetime system good for about 15 years and 186,400 miles (300,000 km), given it could theoretically solely be engaged 2% of the time. At the moment’s brake pads solely cowl a small share of the brake disc, however the In-Drive system’s pads cowl your complete floor space of the disc, which ends up in much less pressure getting used.
The In-Drive braking system could possibly be mounted on a entrance axle that is devoid of an electrical motor, however the system would nonetheless sit within the heart of the automotive and axle quite than by the wheels like at this time’s brakes.
Transferring the brakes inboard shifts the load to the middle of the automotive and creates much less unsprung mass, which is able to end in higher dealing with.
By enclosing the brakes totally there isn’t any brake mud particulates and the wheels might be closed off to be extra aerodynamic.
Mercedes-Benz paid for journey and lodging together with some German pretzels for Inexperienced Automotive Experiences to deliver you this firsthand report
