Advantages of the electric parking brake or EPB

Automation is gradually becoming more and more important in our daily lives. In the case of cars, it offers even greater advancement. Since its introduction to the market in 2001, the electric parking brake system has become an increasingly popular feature in new vehicle models.

Just like the cars in which you had to move your arm to raise and lower the window, cars that come to a complete stop with the pull of a lever after parking are now a thing of the past.

In this Frenkit post we are going to analyse the many advantages that the electric parking brake has over the usual lever handbrake. Get to know all of them and discover the changes!

But first, let’s remember what it is the Electric Parking Brake (EPB):

This involves pressing a button instead of a lever which, by means of an electrical signal sent by the control unit, activates a mechanism, locking the car’s brakes.

Why the electric parking brake is important

If we think of the conventional, manual handbrake system, this is activated by pulling a lever, which tightens a cable connected to the brakes of our vehicle. This experts a pressure that prevents the wheels from moving.

On the other hand, the electric parking brake can be operated by means of a motor that tightens the cable or by means of a small electric servomotor located in each brake caliper. In the case of Frenkit products, related to the electric parking brake system, they are specialised in this second type of brake.

Advantages and disadvantages of the EPB

Who doesn’t think it is a good idea that we can bring our vehicle to a complete stop at the touch of a button? The advantages of the electric parking brake allow certain functions that the mechanical or cable parking brake system cannot provide.

We will look at some of the benefits of this vehicle braking system, but also some of the disadvantages:

Advantages of the electric parking brake

• Has an automatic activation. In case the vehicle moves when stationary, such as when parked on a hill, the EPB automatically locks to prevent the car from moving. This happens when the brake pedal is pressed hard, when the seat belt is unbuckled or when the door is opened, for example.
• Emergency braking. In emergency braking, the EPB will provide greater control by working in tandem with the ABS system (a technique that prevents the wheels from locking) to prevent the vehicle from skidding.
• Hill start assist. Did you know that the electric parking brake activates for a few seconds when it recognises that the car is on a slope? This prevents the car from rolling backwards when starting on a hill, so you do not have to continue driving with the classic handbrake on.
• Comfort when exerting force. Sometimes it can be more difficult to raise the manual brake lever, as we have to exert a certain amount of force to raise it. With the electric parking brake, it is enough to press the button to apply the necessary force.

Disadvantages of the electric parking brake

• Prevents pushing a car without a battery. Let 's imagine for a moment that our vehicle has run out of battery and we have to push it a few metres away from the road, for example. In this case, we would have to refer to the manual to find out how to unlock and release the vehicle or how to operate it after locking it without a battery. This would be the main disadvantage of this system.
• Complex system. In contrast to the mechanical handbrake, the EPB is characterised by being considerably more complex, costlier and more sophisticated. In turn, in the event of a failure, the electric parking brake system requires a more specific set of diagnostic and repair tools.

Now that you know the many advantages of the electric parking brake or EPB, you should know that at Frenkit we are brake part distributors with a wide range of electric parking brake kits for vehicles and light passenger cars. It is a system that has the same or even greater functionality than the Original Equipment (OE). In addition, it is available for over 28 applications.

If you want to know more about this and other products, access our brake catalogue with more than 9,000 brake component references that we distribute in more than 50 countries!