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20 Years of ABS at Volkswagen
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Volkswagen is celebrating the 20th anniversary of ABS, a trend-setting
safety system. In 1986 the Volkswagen anti-lock brake system was implemented
first in the Passat and then, later in the year, in the Golf. Volkswagen
thus once again democratised vehicle safety as the Golf and the Passat were
two of the first affordable mass-market vehicles worldwide to be fitted with
this safety system. The Volkswagen product was very nearly given a different name: in 1981
Volkswagen presented the research vehicle "Auto 2000" with numerous innovative
safety features that looked ahead to the future. One of the features was the
"automatic brake-lock prevention system", known at the time as the ABV. It was
launched five years later as the ABS in the Passat. Since this date, over 25
million Volkswagens have been produced with ABS fitted. This was possible thanks
to the good cooperation of both system suppliers, Bosch and Conti Teves. In the event of an emergency braking situation or when the vehicle is braked
on a slippery road surface, ABS prevents the wheels locking. The vehicle
maintains its steerability and obstacles can be avoided: an invaluable and
potentially life-saving feature. The ABS control unit allows the full brake
pressure to be applied to each individual wheel several times per second until
the locking point is reached. A solenoid valve then reduces the pressure to the
point where the ABS sensors detect that the wheel is moving freely. Integrated brake assist system: almost all Volkswagens also have a hydraulic
brake assist system that is closely linked to the ABS control system. In
emergency situations, the brake assist system immediately increases the brake
pressure to ensure that the full potential of the brake system is utilised.
ABSplus for the Touareg: a special anti-lock brake system for off-road vehicles
will be available for the Touareg next year. The system developed by Volkswagen
is the first of its kind in the world and is capable of reducing the braking
distance by up to 20 percent on loose surfaces such as sand, gravel and grass.
New intermittent control causes the wheels to lock briefly on loose surfaces and
thus build up a wedge of the loose surface material in front of the wheels. This
reduces the braking distance. As the brakes are continuously released so that
the wheel can rotate freely, the Touareg maintains its steerability. | |||||
ABN 47106248033 |
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