28 INTERVIEW
VehicleDynamicsInternational.com • November/December 2019
ABOVE: This Golf GTI has been
specified with high-gloss black
20in alloy wheels from MBDesign,
with ‘satin ocean
shimmer’ hubs and a highperformance
brake system
from Brembo
BELOW: The regenerative
braking mode on the allelectric
Volkswagen ID.4 SUV
will enable drivers to slow to
a stop without touching the
brake pedal
Beyond such near-term tech, Lingg is interested in the
potential of so-called ‘dry brakes’ in the medium term,
especially on EVs with bigger batteries. “If you have to
fi ll in the system, you have to evacuate the system, and
leakage is always a problem,” Lingg explains. “But if
you have a dry brake, you don’t have this problem any
more. In the past the problem was having enough energy
available, but now with electric cars we have enough
power in the batteries, and that opens new possibilities.
So we will look again at the technology of dry brake
systems. We are working together with different suppliers
on this.”
So when might we see dry brakes on commercially viable
production vehicles? “To be honest, I do not know if it
will be in 2024 or 2028. Within 10 years sounds realistic.
There are two diffi culties. The fi rst, and I think this is the
main problem, is functional safety. The system has to be
as safe as a hydraulic brake system is today. To get on the
same level with an electric system is a challenge. And the
second challenge, which I think is a minor problem, is that
the actuators have to be light, strong and fast enough. It’s
more the electrical and mechanical architecture of the car
that’s the challenge.”
Increasingly autonomous vehicles are also very much
on Lingg’s ‘to do’ list. With Level 4 and 5 cars theoretically
driving more smoothly than humans, they shouldn’t
need to brake so harshly, or so often, but that upside
on wear and tear also has potential downsides.
“Autonomous cars will brake smoothly, but for an
emergency stop we will still need a conventional brake
system, whether hydraulic or a dry, electric brake system.
Today you use the brake system every day. But
if you don’t use it for a couple of months or years you
might get problems with factors such as corrosion that
can seize the system. So you need a robust system that is
available when you need it. I think such systems will have
to run a self-check routine every time you start the car.”
And what of the far future for braking technology?
What are the possibilities that could become reality in
10-20 years’ time? “Of course we are thinking about new
concepts of braking, especially with autonomous driving
cars,” Lingg muses, “and we are asking ourselves if a
brake system has to be friction-based, or if there are other
ways to realise a braking function? Think about electricmagnetic
systems, about hydraulic systems like a retarder,
things like that. Or maybe there are other options. We
have a lot of ideas.”
Our interview time is up and the ‘petrolhead’ braking
specialist with an eye on the future is back to focusing
on the here and now, ready to pack his bags for some
real-world testing at the Nürburgring. What he’s testing
he understandably can’t discuss, other than it is
“defi nitely serious stuff.” We don’t doubt it.
/VehicleDynamicsInternational.com