Truck board member Bernd Spies explains the background to Knorr-Bremse’s appearance at IAA Transportation, the leading trade fair for commercial vehicles, which takes place in Hannover from 17 to 22 September 2024.
Mr. Spies, what would you say has changed in terms of the key industry trends since IAA Transportation 2022?
Two years ago, it was already becoming clear that automated driving was moving somewhat into the background. This trend has further solidified, so we are currently seeing a stronger budget focus on the areas of electric mobility and zero emissions. This applies not only to Europe as a result of stricter regulations, but also to North America and Asia, especially China under the New Energy Vehicle label. In addition, digital services are gaining more and more attention.
We have also continued to digitalize our trade fair presence. In Hannover, we are showcasing far fewer hardware exhibits than in the past and instead offering more interactive experiences – of our products and services for commercial vehicles, buses and trailers, and our aftermarket portfolio.
What role does automated driving play for Knorr-Bremse today?
We continue to work tirelessly on redundancy concepts and systems for Level 4 architecture. A few years ago, we still believed that we could offer a fully automated driving system. Then we focused on our core competence of safety – safety through redundancy systems for brakes, steering and power supply. Product scalability is proven by various concepts designed to bring the truck to a safe stop even in the event that safety-relevant functions fail. The use cases range from executing a minimum risk maneuver to continuing the journey with reduced system functionality to completing the transport assignment with virtually the same system performance. This is what our customers need, and here we boast unique advantages thanks to our system expertise and experience. To demonstrate this, we are participating in the Atlas-L4 funding project, which has the goal of developing an autonomous truck, alongside partners from the vehicle industry, research and public administration.
What innovations is Knorr-Bremse exhibiting in the field of e-mobility and zero emissions?
At Knorr-Bremse, we have an innovation unit dedicated to the task of advancing development in areas where we can acquire new business and consolidate our position. We have chosen to focus our organization and our thinking on zero-emission commercial vehicle solutions. Zero emissions in road traffic is also our goal. As part of our roadmap, we are currently working on our modular disc brake family SYNACT, new technologies for air treatment, and the highly innovative project of all-electric steering.
We are also looking at oil-free compressor technology, for example, to increase energy efficiency and sustainability. In terms of energy supply for safety-relevant systems, we are presenting the redundant power management system as well as a brake resistor system that is still required to ensure truck availability in all situations.
We have chosen to focus our organization and our thinking on zero-emission commercial vehicle solutions. Zero emissions in road traffic is also our goal.
Bernd Spies – Member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse with responsibility for the Commercial Vehicle Systems division
How far along is the electromechanical brake system (EMBS) for commercial vehicles?
We have been pursuing this idea for many years and continue to drive forward the development of the electromechanical brake. I hope to gather input during and after the IAA on this topic, which is very important to us. An electromechanical brake can replace the conventional safety architecture with a new technology that is capable of “full-by-wire braking”. The EMBS consists of a redundant electrical power supply, redundant brake control and electromechanical brake actuators, including an integrated parking brake function. This is a very challenging development project that brings together all our capabilities, from technical excellence to complete functional safety. We are optimally positioned for this new technology and are fully focused on its application in trucks.
How do the trends differ from region to region?
There is a certain time lag in terms of technological solutions. One example is the EBS system: in Europe, the penetration rate is almost one hundred percent; in North America, it’s only a nascent trend. This year, we will be the first manufacturer to bring an EBS system into mass production in the USA. In the case of disc brakes, which have become widespread in North America in recent years, we have helped to shape the trend through early investment and local production. We will do the same in China, where we currently have a large market share in the supply of disc brakes. Given the increasing focus on road safety, we believe disc brakes are also on the verge of a breakthrough in China.
How do you address customers to set Knorr-Bremse apart from the competition?
We have been in the business for a long time, we boast a vast wealth of experience in developing complex and safety-relevant systems, and we know the market requirements. We have ample development capacity in every relevant market, including South America, and can also draw on the capabilities of our global networks.
Based on our expertise and our newly introduced Global Scalable Brake Control (GSBC), we can cover every trend in every region, offering modular implementation. Many of our international customers already count on us to serve their global platforms.
Are you satisfied with the feedback you have received from customers in the run-up to IAA Transportation?
We’re getting positive feedback not only on the products and innovations we offer, but also on our target model. It describes where we are active and where we are not. Having presented this to many customers, they appreciate our clear focus and know they can count on Knorr-Bremse’s full expertise, be it in redundancy systems, all-electric steering, new braking systems or our state-of-the-art compressor technology. Their feedback is essential for us. It’s the only way for us to know whether we’re on the right track. I want us to try out many things, but to recognize as early as possible whether these ideas are bringing us to our goal.
Why is there a new concept for the trade fair appearance this year?
For this year’s IAA Transportation, we have developed a brand new booth concept that I’m really excited about. We have opted for high-quality containers that can be repurposed afterwards, which minimizes our use of materials. We will also be using the exhibits and digital content in a future roadshow. We aim to clearly set ourselves apart and inspire our customers with the concept behind our trade fair booth. It provides the framework for a highly innovative, state-of-the-art technology presentation that will showcase our new product ideas and services while also putting sustainability principles into practice.
Why are you planning an elaborate roadshow to start after IAA Transportation?
IAA Transportation takes place over the course of a week, but we hold talks with our customers all year round. The roadshow allows us to bring the trade fair directly to our customers. Then we can discuss the content in more detail based on the digital presentations and exhibits. After all, time for discussions is often very limited at a trade fair. The roadshow therefore offers the perfect chance to hold in-depth talks with customers at their premises afterwards, and that’s something we’re really looking forward to.
Do you aim to appeal to truck drivers as well as manufacturers?
That’s the beauty of our product portfolio: we offer many systems that positively impact the driver. Driver assistance systems such as the lane keeping assistance system, the emergency brake assistant, the lane departure warning system and the blind spot information system (BSIS) make it safer and more comfortable to work in the driver’s cab. Moreover, all-electric steering gives the driver a smoother, more pleasant steering response.
Our range of digital services for organizing swift repairs also brings many benefits – not just for fleet operators, but also for drivers. Ultimately, however, we want our technology to prevent such cases in the first place. We are stepping up our development of predictive maintenance solutions and, together with Cojali, we are driving forward remote diagnostics capabilities to warn drivers and operators of any looming failures before they occur.
Final question: what are your expectations of policy-makers on the road to Vision Zero Emission?
In this context, it is important that industrial companies and legislators do not become disconnected. Zero emissions can be achieved in a number of ways: using electric drives with batteries or fuel cells, or even combustion engines that run on alternative fuels. All these approaches require considerable intervention in the infrastructure, the refueling systems and the way we supply trucks at service stations so that enough time is left for refueling or recharging.
I would like to see much closer cooperation between lawmakers and manufacturers in order to define more quickly what exactly we require of tomorrow’s technologies. This would help to sharpen the focus and make more reliable plans for products over the entire life cycle. A highly open discussion of this topic would be very welcome.