[DigitalToday reporter Hyunwoo Chu] Tesla has applied an electronic braking system with no brake fluid or brake lines to the production two-door electric Cybercab. InsideEVs reported on Sept. 4 (local time) that Tesla unveiled the Cybercab that day, and the first production car is set to be deployed on Austin roads and join a robotaxi fleet.

The Cybercab is a two-seat electric vehicle. The vehicle is known to have no steering wheel or pedals, and the unveiling confirmed it also does not use a traditional hydraulic brake system.

The Cybercab has no brake fluid and does not include brake lines connected to the wheels or a central master cylinder. Instead, it uses electronically controlled actuators mounted on each caliper to apply braking force to the rotor.

This method is called dry brake-by-wire. The Cybercab is among the early mass-produced vehicles in the world to apply this system. China’s Chery Exeed EX7 also introduced a similar system in April.

Many existing brake-by-wire vehicles use a dual structure that includes a hydraulic master cylinder alongside electronic control. The Cybercab differs in that it brakes electronically only, without such a hydraulic backup device.

Steering is also electronic. The Cybercab has no steering wheel and therefore no steering column, and the steer-by-wire unit is placed behind an electric motor mounted at the front.

Elon Musk (일론 머스크), Tesla’s chief executive officer, explained that electronic brakes reduce the complexity of a hydraulic system. That is because there is no need to route plumbing throughout the vehicle. Cables, however, still need to be connected to the calipers.

This structure also reduces the number of parts. With the brake fluid reservoir, brake lines and hydraulic brake master cylinder removed, manufacturing costs can be lowered in part. Another feature is that it can apply different force to each wheel during braking. A hydraulic system sends the same pressure to each caliper.

The supplier of the braking system has not been disclosed. Companies cited as suppliers of electronic brake systems include Brembo, ZF and Bosch. Brembo has previously introduced its Sensify electronic braking system through several Tesla vehicles, but it is not confirmed whether it is applied to the Cybercab.

The key point of the Cybercab is not only that it eliminates the steering wheel and pedals, but that it integrates braking and steering electronically. Tesla has signalled a direction of simplifying robotaxi vehicle design while reducing the number of parts and structural complexity.

Having electric brakes avoids the complexity of a hydraulic system: no need to rout plumbing all around the car https://t.co/DGBhdvbSZk