TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. has introduced its new Integrated Electric Park Brake system (EPBi) in order to improve the first Electric Park Brake technology (EPB) reducing the system’s complexity. The company will start its production in 2011.

The new technology integrates the electronics components and software into an existing control unit inside the vehicle, while the former Electric Park Brake technology needs an Extra Control Unit (ECU) in the system.

The senior chief engineer for EPB systems, Dr, Dirk Kesselgruber, commented that besides the extra installation effort required by the former system, the elimination of ECU also provides a potential cost reduction to vehicle manufactures and includes additional functions as “Drive Away Assist”, an automatic hill hold and electronically controlled deceleration.