Recently, many people have been asking about what to do if the brakes fail on a Xpeng P7. Indeed, after several brake incidents involving Tesla vehicles, the safety and effectiveness of braking systems in electric vehicles have come under widespread scrutiny. Coincidentally, the P7 uses brake boost products from the same component supplier. So today, let's analyze this braking system.
In fact, electric vehicles generally do not have a stable engine vacuum assist. Currently, there are two common alternatives: using an electric motor to create vacuum or directly using an electric motor to provide boost. With the growing popularity of advanced driver assistance systems, precise control of brake boosting is required. Therefore, more manufacturers are leaning towards using electric motors for direct assistance. The Xpeng P7 also uses the Bosch iBooster electronic brake booster system, which is common in the market. This system uses sensors to collect data on the speed and distance of the brake pedal being pressed and calculates the required boost. Then, an electric motor helps push the brake pedal to provide sufficient braking force.
There are two main types of failures that could lead to brake malfunction:
1. Mechanical Failures: These are similar to those in traditional vehicles, such as leaks in the brake system or damage to the mechanical structure. Due to years of development and technological improvements, such failures are very rare, and there have been no reported cases of this type recently.
2. Electric Booster System Failures: This is a concern for many. If the electric boost system itself malfunctions, the vehicle may lose assistance or receive insufficient boost, leading to accidents and danger. In such cases, the most noticeable symptom for the driver is a hard brake pedal, making it difficult to press the brakes. However, with the iBooster system used in the Xpeng P7. even if the boost is lost, the driver can still apply mechanical braking by pressing the pedal with force. However, the braking force will drop to about 1/4 to 1/5 of normal, and the braking distance will significantly increase, requiring careful operation.
Engineers who design these systems consider potential issues such as pedal sensor failures, signal line issues, control unit malfunctions, or problems with the boost motor. They implement software backups to handle these situations. If the brake pedal is pressed but the boost motor fails to work, the ESP control unit will activate to provide close-to-normal braking performance. Therefore, there is no need to worry too much; the iBooster system has been used in many models from various manufacturers.
If there is a problem with the brake booster, it is usually indicated by relevant fault codes. However, replacement costs can be quite high. Currently, Xpeng's after-sales service quotes a price of 8.762 yuan. Of course, there might not be any P7 vehicles out of warranty yet. So if you notice any issues with the braking system, you can go directly to after-sales service for a free solution.
Finally, it's important to mention that in many cases, brake issues, such as increased braking distance, pedal vibrations, or hardening of the pedal, are due to low road surface grip. For example, icy or snowy conditions, sandy roads, damp garages, crosswalks, or even briefly driving over speed bumps can exacerbate these issues. As long as the braking system returns to normal on regular road surfaces, it does not fall under the category of a fault or failure. Driving is both a skill and an art; we hope everyone drives safely and enjoys their car.
