Mercedes-Benz invents the fine-dust-free wonder brake

In braking technology, the disc brake began to replace the drum from the 1950s onwards. Its advantage: more bite and no fading during prolonged use. However, it also produces fine brake dust, which not only tarnishes the beautiful wheels over time in ugly matte black but also accumulates in the environment.

This is where electromobility helps, as you can delay using recuperation – and the mechanical service brake is only used when needed. The downside: The discs tend to "glaze" or "rust" due to infrequent use. This is why VW reverted to drums on the rear axle in many MEB models! But as mentioned, electric machines offer completely different possibilities here.

At Mercedes-Benz, they are currently experimenting with installing the brakes not within the wheel but directly on the closed unit of the electric machine and gearbox. This has several advantages:

1. It saves installation space within the wheel and thereby reduces the unsprung masses. A brief digression: In terms of driving behavior, saving one kilogram on the wheel is roughly equivalent to seven kilograms in the vehicle!

2. This saves weight and material on the wheel itself and the suspension components.

3. A brake disc installed in the unit of the electric drive would be almost wear-free and thus maintenance-free.

4. Since you would need to ventilate the brake inside the housing to prevent it from getting too hot, you could install even smoother, closed wheels, further improving aerodynamics.

5. You can capture the resulting brake dust – and thus fine dust – in the closed housing. It can then be specifically disposed of during a service, for example, without entering the environment.

6. The brake would not be exposed to environmental influences due to the encapsulated storage, which would prevent rust formation and unpleasant squeaking.