While electric cars have far fewer serviceable components than combustion engine cars, one vital area where garages still have a vital role is in braking. ATE, the well-known premium brand by Continental, offers the brake technology and products required for these e-vehicles all in car manufacturer quality.

On an electric car, brake wear is lower overall than in a combustion engine car due to regenerative braking. However, part of the increase in service life is offset by the vehicle’s weight. This effect is even more pronounced in hybrid vehicles, which must cope with two drives simultaneously. 

Brake fluid needs to be checked and replaced, using fluid suitable for e-vehicles, such as the Continental ATE Super DOT 5.1, which offers a low viscosity and a high wet boiling point. It is also often necessary to replace corroded brake discs, as well as the removal of wear debris from drum brakes, which are increasing used e-vehicles. 

In the case of disc brakes, pad replacement is still on the agenda, but pads are replaced for different reasons, often not due to wear but increased corrosion, with ‘Film rust’ because of less brake use an issue. Drum brakes are less susceptible to rust, because the mechanisms and the braking surfaces are protected.  

Drum brakes installed in e-vehicles achieve higher mileages than traditional drum brakes, have better corrosion protection properties, and an encapsulation that keeps dust inside the brake, with dust removed during servicing. To reduce dust, Continental recently developed a new product for this purpose, the EPB SI (Electronic Parking Brake – Simplex). A new feature of this hydraulic drum brake is its electro-mechanical parking brake function. The EPB-SI is based on the Simplex principle (EPB-Si). It’s particularly robust and low-maintenance, which meets the increased service life.  The electric parking brake also offers vehicle manufacturers greater freedom and more options when designing the vehicle interior and installing driver assistance systems. The drum brake system is also scalable, making it suitable for small and larger vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons. 

Replacement ATE brake components for electric and other vehicles are available from stockists.