The way brakes operate hasn’t changed much in over a century. When the driver presses the brake pedal, a master cylinder pushes fluid through a series of pipes to disc brake calipers and wheel cylinders inside of drum brakes. The pressurized fluid moves pistons that squeeze the pads against rotors or expands shoes against drums to slow the vehicle.

Though a type of brake-by-wire has come out with an electronic master cylinder, it still uses hydraulics.

However, the systems both ZF and Brembo are proposing are “dry” systems that ditches the brake fluid in favor of electric motors that squeeze the brake pads. It also uses algorithms and even AI to shorten stopping distances and keep the vehicle more stable under emergency braking.

The brake pedal is connected to an electric device that measures inputs such as the speed and force the driver uses when pressing the pedal. The computer observes driver intent though pedal travel and force, and translates it into a signal that is processed through a central computer. It’s this signal that’s issued out to the four corners. Meanwhile, the tires’ grip on the road creates another set of signals. The computer can apply different braking pressures to each wheel based on road conditions.

On cars with ABS, the driver feels a buzz or vibration when the system engages. That will go away on vehicles with four-wheel brake-by-wire since the motors that press the brake pads against the rotors are not connected to the brake pedal.

According to ZF and Brembo, these brake-by-wire systems can apply the brakes faster than any hydraulic system. Moreover, the systems can virtually eliminate the front-to-rear weight transfer (brake dive) to efficiently manage the braking forcing by using cameras and AI.

For now, these brake-by-wire systems are heavier and more costly than a conventional hydraulic setup, but it does offer advantages such as better safety. Also, because it eliminates the need to carry brake fluid to each wheel, it will simplify the overall vehicle manufacturing cost. Dry brake-by-wire systems may also reduce maintenance and fuel costs in the long run since there’s no brake fluid to flush, pads will last longer, and fuel economy (or range) is expected to improve.