HELLA wins golden award for its brake-by-wire technology in China

Lippstadt, 15 December 2022. HELLA, the international automotive supplier operating under the umbrella brand FORVIA, has been one of the world's leading suppliers in the field of pedal sensors for more than two decades. Building on this, HELLA has now set another technological milestone with its brake-by-wire solution, which will become the standard in all vehicle segments in just a few years. For this technology, HELLA was recognized as the winner of the "Annual GGAI Golden Award" in the “innovative solutions of the year for intelligent vehicles” category. The award was presented at the Sixth Gaogong AI Annual Conference, a major event for the Chinese automotive market with a focus on intelligent and connected vehicles, held in Shanghai from November 30 to December 2, 2022. "We are delighted to be recognized by Gaogong AI and the industry for our leading innovation in the field of brake-by-wire”, says Wei Yu, Senior Vice President of the HELLA Electronics Technical Center in Asia/Pacific. "HELLA, as the world market leader in this field, has leveraged its leading technological strength and accumulation of expertise in by-wire applications to bring the first brake-by-wire pedal into the market and, by doing so, further contribute to the development of future market trends such as autonomous driving."

The brake-by-wire pedal sensor, which is expected to enter series production in 2026 in Europe, simulates the feel and behavior of a conventional brake pedal, where the pedal is mechanically connected to the braking system via a rod. A by-wire connection allows for a customized pedal feed to suit various driving scenarios. Furthermore, since only plastics are used for the brake-by-wire pedal, the component weight is reduced by up to 20 percent. This can help increase the range of electric cars and reduce CO2 emissions. The HELLA brake-by-wire pedal fulfills the latest functional safety goals, being the first ASIL D Fail operational brake pedal. "We also developed a real modular approach, facilitating the reduction of variants and enabling the "One pedal fits all platforms" approach" said Tim Martikke, Head of Global Program Management Pedals. In addition, with by-wire technology, many bulky hardware components are eliminated, creating completely new possibilities for designing the vehicle interior in a highly flexible way. The all-electric brake pedal therefore makes an indispensable contribution to the cockpit of the future.