1.what is The Brake-by-Wire (BBW)?
The Brake-by-Wire (BBW)is a technological advancement in the braking system that recognizes the driver's braking intention through sensors.The electronic control unit (ECU) then sends execution instructions to the motor drive to provide braking assistance, enabling the electrification and intelligence of brake control.
There are two main solutions for Brake-By-Wire: Electro-hydraulic Braking System (EHB) and Electro-mechanical Braking System (EMB).Among them, EHB is based on the existing hydraulic brake architecture, also known as 'wet brake-by-wire'; EMB has no hydraulic brake pipeline, also known as 'dry brake-by-wire'. However, due to technology and supply chain maturity, lack of standards and legislation, and high initial product support costs, mass production applications are still far away.Currently, brake-by-wire is still commonly referred to as EHB.
Due to the weakening of brake assist in new energy vehicles, which originally relied on the engine air intake siphon effect, motor-driven (power-assisted) brake-by-wire has emerged. This is especially true for pure electric vehicles that do not have an engine.Brake-by-wire not only ensures the safety of new energy vehicles but also aligns with the rapid progress of this technology.
Research shows that by the second half of 2023, brake-by-wire (EHB) systems will be in use on almost all new cars in development or production. The electronic vacuum pump (EVP) system, which was developed to address the issue of insufficient or no vacuum, will soon become obsolete. This means that the majority of new energy vehicles will be equipped with brake-by-wire systems in the future.Meanwhile, some conventional fuel vehicles are also equipped with brake-by-wire systems for intelligent purposes, such as the Chery,Tiggo. The relevant information reflects the prediction that the Chinese domestic market for brake-by-wire systems will exceed 10 million units in the next few years.
2.In 2023,the sales of One-Box vehicles surpassed those of Two-Box vehicles.
EHB can be divided into two forms: discrete (Two-Box) and integrated (One-Box), depending on whether it is integrated with the ESC system. The Two-Box solution follows the architecture of the traditional hydraulic brake system, using an electronic booster to replace the original mechanical booster. This results in fewer changes to the layout of the braking system, making it easy to replace and promote. As a result, it was the first to be mass-produced.
The two-box solution opened the door to brake-by-wire applications, and the pace of technological iteration and innovation has never stopped. This has led to the One-Box solution, which integrates the electronic booster with the ABS/ESC system.Compared to the two-box, the one-box has the advantages of high integration, low space requirement, low weight and high energy recovery efficiency. It is highly praised by the industry. For example, with its brake-by-wire product line, Continental Germany has decided to skip the two-box and focus on the one-box solution.
Looking at the brake-by-wire market, since 2022, one-box has become as popular as two-box. In 2023, sales of one-box had overtaken sales of two-box.It was found that almost all new models developed in 2023 had used One-Box, based on a comprehensive analysis of the planned projects of more than ten brake-by-wire system suppliers. It is expected that the sales volume of One-Box in 2024 will be twice that of Two-Box. One-Box will also "lead the way" in the EHB market.
3.Brake-by-wire - Many teams compete, and the first to strive is the winner.
Bosch was the first to launch the automotive anti-lock braking system (ABS) in 1978. In 2013, it began mass production of iBooster in Germany and launched it in the Asia-Pacific region in August 2017. In 2016, Continental AG mass-produced its first-generation brake-by-wire system, the MK C1. Similarly, ZF began mass production of its brake-by-wire system (IBC) at the end of 2018.From traditional automotive electronic braking systems (ABS/ESC/EPB, etc.) to brake-by-wire systems, international auto parts giants represented by Bosch, Continental AG, ZF, etc. have always been at the forefront of braking system technology and industry , and has occupied the absolute main position in the market for a long time.
Why and how can local companies catch up in the field of online braking systems and achieve significant progress quickly?Firstly, due to the significant increase in independent brand OEMs, there is an unprecedentedly high and urgent demand for localisation and import substitution of key components, such as brake-by-wire.Second, the localization of traditional electronic braking systems such as ABS/ESC/EPB has also cultivated highly relevant local industrial supply chains and talents, laying an important foundation for the rise of local enterprises.;In addition, thanks to the huge popularity of "electrification" and "intelligence" in automobiles, brake-by-wire systems, as a key cornerstone of automotive energy conservation and safety, have become a hot topic that the capital market has been chasing in recent years.On the one hand, with the help of capital, a number of domestic high-tech "new forces" with brake-by-wire systems have emerged, such as Tongyu Automotive Technology, Nason Automotive Electronics, etc., which took the lead in realising the mass production of Two-Box in China.On the other hand, traditional brake companies, represented by Bethel Automobile, Asia Pacific Automobile, etc., and local automobile companies, represented by BYD, Great Wall Motor, etc., have also joined and actively participated in the initiative of brake-by-wire, an important automotive component field.
The ongoing "chip shortage" in automotive electronic control systems in recent years has led to a supply shortage for international brand parts companies, which has also created rare market opportunities for well-prepared local Chinese brake-by-wire companies, among which Wuhu Bethel's performance is the most eye-catching. The brake-by-wire system (WCBS) first released by Wuhu Bethel Automobile has become the first one-box product to be introduced in China.Jingweida Automotive Technology took the lead in researching and developing China's first solution based on domestically produced chips, making this solution another major technical highlight of the One-Box products. It is reported that the product will be mass-produced in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The automotive brake-by-wire system has the characteristics of high safety and reliability requirements, high technical barriers and a high market threshold. It is a typical "three high" product.According to incomplete statistics, there are currently no less than 40 local Chinese companies engaged in research and development of automotive brake-by-wire systems, but most of them are far from being able to produce mature products or have mass production capabilities.
There is still a long way to go from research and development of automotive brake-by-wire systems to large-scale and mature mass production. This is a historic opportunity for China's local brake-by-wire companies, and it is also on the eve of the rise of China's independent auto parts industry.
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