EBD Explained: Electronic Brakeforce Distribution EBD (Electronic Brake Force
Distribution) is a technology that enables the braking force of a vehicle to be increased
or applied automatically, depending on road conditions, speed of the vehicle, weight of
vehicle, etc. In a regular braking system, when the brake pedal is applied, the brake
fluid travels from the master cylinder to the brake cylinders. When the fluid goes inside
the brake cylinder, the pressure of the fluid being applied forces the two pistons to push
out resulting in the brake shoes or pads being pushed out. This push or pressure is in
direct proportion to the push by the pistons, which causes the shoes or pads to rub
against the drum or caliper. This reaction creates friction and decreases the turning of
the wheels. What EBD does is it electronically monitors, through sensors, the conditions
of the road, the feel of pressure on the brake pedal, and vehicle weight, to determine
when to apply pressure to the wheel cylinders. The sensors are designed to monitor the
movements of the wheels and determine based on weight, which wheels may need the
maximum force applied, as per the condition met. Supposedly, this is to provide better
and more precise braking under every condition imaginable. Since the front end has the
most weight on a vehicle, the EBD system recognizes this and electronically controls
the back brakes so when the driver applies the brakes, the back brakes do not lock up
causing a skid. EBD is a good system for drivers because it can increase the vehicle’s
ability to stop under any conditions. But this is only effective if the brains of the
computer works, along with the sensors that make up the system. If one of those
sensors should fail, and you run into a bad situation, you could end up in a precarious
predicament.
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What is electronic brake-force distribution (EBFD)?
Electronic brake-force distribution (EBFD) is an active vehicle safety feature designed to
make braking as efficient as possible. As the name suggests, EBFD distributes braking
power according to which wheels are braking most effectively at the time. To illustrate, just
as heavy braking causes a driver’s body to move forward, slamming on the brakes also
pushes the weight of the vehicle forward so the front wheels bear the most weight. When
this happens, the rear wheels may not have enough grip on the road. This could cause the
rear wheels to spin and eventually lock up. Locked-up back wheels not only increase the risk
of fishtailing, but also force the front wheels to do all the braking work with only half of the
total brake force available (since the other half is still being applied – uselessly – to the
back wheels). This can result in longer stopping distances and an increased risk of collision.
EBFD reduces these dangers by automatically balancing the brake force applied to each
wheel according to the overall weight distribution of the vehicle. The safety systems not
only prevents wheel lockage by reducing brake force to spinning wheels, but can also
allocate more brake-force to wheels that it detects are already braking effectively.
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When would EBFD be useful?
While it may seem like all the tires bear the vehicle’s weight evenly, this is rarely the case.
EBFD is useful whenever a driver brakes while the vehicle’s weight is unevenly distributed
across all four tires. As such, EBFD is useful anytime a driver must slam on the brakes to
avoid a collision, for example:
While braking, one wheel goes over a pothole, making braking less efficient.
One of the wheels is on ice and threatening to lock up during an episode of braking.
A large animal comes out into the road, forcing you to brake and swerve.
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How does EBFD work?
EBFD is always installed with anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and works very similarly
to ABS. The important difference between EBFD and ABS is that while both systems prevent
wheels from locking, EBFD can also redistribute brake-force according to which wheels are
performing better. EBFD systems are usually made up of several components:
Speed sensors that monitor the rotational speed of each wheel;
Brake-force modulators that increase or decrease brake-force to each wheel;
An acceleration/deceleration detector that monitors changes in the vehicle’s
forward and side-to-side speed;
A yaw sensorthat monitors a vehicle’s side-to-side movement, and;
An electronic control unit (ECU)that compiles information from all the sensors and
gives commands to the brake-force modulators.
As with modern ABS setups, the brake-force modulators and ECU are attached together, so
while they have different functions, they appear as one unit. The ECU monitors each wheel’s
responsiveness to the brake, and then tailors the amount of brake force applied to each
wheel. If the EBFD system senses that one of the wheels is about to lock, or that the car is
swaying too much from side-to-side, it redistributes brake force to obtain optimal braking
power.
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How effective is EBFD?
EBFD promises several benefits in addition to improved stability and reduced stopping
distance. EBFD will help a vehicle stop sooner, which lessens the effects that heavy braking
has on the body (i.e., throwing the body forward towards the steering column). Furthermore
by automatically adjusting brake-force to its optimal distribution, EBFD can reduce the
effects of weather, road conditions, total weight of the vehicle, and the distribution of
weight within the vehicle, thereby making braking more predictable.
The benefits of EBFD alone have not been widely tested. However, since it complements
ABS, EBFD can be expected to at least match the effectiveness of ABS. More specifically,
EBFD is designed to help drivers stop sooner, while ABS is designed to help driver retain
steering control. When paired together, the odds of avoiding a crash by either stopping
before impact or braking and swerving out of danger increase.
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Does EBFD have any limitations?
Yes. As with most vehicle safety systems, realizing the benefits of EBFD depends on
whether drivers understand its design limits, overall purpose, and interact with it
appropriately. The goal of EBFD is to provide drivers with optimal braking efficiency. It
cannot warn drivers of impending collisions or bad road conditions, so drivers must remain
attentive and responsive to potential hazards. In addition, EBFD is only useful at speeds
under a certain threshold. Beyond a safe speed, it may be impossible to combine EBFD
braking power with safe steering directions.
Whether or not EBFD benefits drivers depends on how quickly they react to hazards and
how safely they steer to avoid them. Speeding, driving while fatigued, driving while
distracted, tailgating, and driving in bad weather can all negatively affect the benefits of
EBFD because these behaviours impair a driver’s ability to react to obstacles and drive
safely. The good news is that as long as drivers continue to drive safely and attentively they
will accrue all the safety benefits EBFD has to offer.
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How common is EBFD in today’s vehicles?
EBFD began being installed with ABS in the mid-2000s. Most modern ABS systems now
include EBFD as a standard or optional add-on. In the model year 2010, 89% of cars and
99% of new light trucks had ABS installed; however there are no data on how many of
these ABS systems included EBFD. Since Transport Canada does not require that ABS be
installed on new vehicles, the best way to find out whether your vehicle has EBFD is to
consult the owner’s manual.
