The ABS system, also known as the 'Anti lock Braking System', can maintain rolling friction between the tires and the road surface during vehicle braking, prevent wheel lockup, and improve driving safety. It has now become a standard configuration on tractors. In previous articles such as "Can Trailers Equipped with ABS System Reduce 8 Tires in a Year?" and "How to Install ABS System Yourself?", we have also provided a detailed introduction to ABS, and I believe many car owners have already gained a good understanding of it. Today, we will focus on introducing another auxiliary braking device that is often discussed together with ABS - the EBS system.

What is EBS?

EBS is an abbreviation for Electronic Brake Systems, which translates to "Electronic Brake System" in Chinese. EBS is based on the upgrade and evolution of ABS, which includes all the functions of ABS and replaces traditional mechanical control modules with more advanced electronic control systems. Therefore, it can also be called electronically controlled ABS.

EBS is not an emerging product. It has been widely used in commercial vehicles in Europe and America since around 2000. Later, with the continuous development of domestic vehicle technology and the continuous tightening of relevant regulations, EBS has gradually appeared in domestic commercial vehicles.

Working principle of EBS

When the vehicle brakes, the sensor collects the speed and travel of the pedal and transmits its signal to the central ECU. The central ECU judges the deceleration required by the driver based on the signal, and then calculates the required braking pressure for each brake chamber based on factors such as vehicle weight. The opening of the pneumatic brake valve is controlled to allow compressed air to pass through the air reservoir, brake pipeline, and brake chamber, generating braking force.

The advantages and functions of EBS

In terms of functionality, EBS is also much more powerful than ABS, such as prevention of forward tilt control, deceleration control, brake force distribution, consistent control of main and trailer, integration of auxiliary braking, inbound parking, friction plate wear control, brake temperature monitoring, etc., all of which are very practical. In addition, the EBS air circuit has a shorter delay, resulting in faster braking response time and shorter braking distance. EBS is based on the electronic control system, so it can expand more auxiliary functions. Using it as a working platform, it can derive body stability control (ESC/ESP), anti roll over system (RSC), anti slip drive (ASR), hill assist (HSA), and so on, which is more in line with the development trend of informatization and intelligence.

Why is the penetration rate of EBS in China not as high as ABS?

EBS is easy to use, but the price is also quite expensive, especially when EBS was just launched in China, the price could be around 30000 to 40000 yuan higher than without EBS. Later, with the continuous improvement of domestic technology, more and more tractors were equipped with the EBS system at the factory, and its price also decreased to some extent. However, it is still not as easy for car owners to accept as the price of ABS.

Secondly, EBS comes with more products from the original factory, and there are fewer subsequent installations because the difficulty of installing EBS is higher than that of ABS. The principle and structure of the EBS system are more complex. In order for it to fully cooperate with the original components and perform its expected functions after installation, it is almost necessary to reorganize all the braking systems of the vehicle, with high technical requirements and labor costs.

In addition, from the perspective of vehicle main trailer matching, when the tractor is equipped with EBS system, the trailer must also be equipped with EBS to maintain good braking effect. Otherwise, even if the trailer is equipped with ABS system, there may be situations where the main vehicle responds first and the trailer responds later, leading to the phenomenon of pushing the head. Installing EBS on both the main vehicle and trailer is also a significant expense, which has caused some budget conscious car owners to withdraw.

At present, EBS is mainly used in imported vehicles and high-end commercial vehicles, with most ordinary vehicles choosing ABS systems more. It is worth mentioning that both EBS and ABS, as auxiliary braking systems, their advantages depend to a certain extent on the reaction speed of the vehicle's active braking system. From this point of view, disc axles are more suitable for use with EBS/ABS systems than drum axles, with fast braking response and high braking frequency, which can maximize the effectiveness of the auxiliary braking system.