Goodbye brake fluid? Why the future is brake-by-wire

Brake-by-wire can be better integrated with ADAS features

Despite the almost bewildering progress of technical innovation, there are many fundamentals that have been around for a very long time. 
Hydraulic brakes were introduced in the US at the end of World War One. Since then, they have evolved beyond measure, with better design and materials and features such as power assistance and ABS. But according to ZF Friedrichshafen, which has produced more than three billion brake components in the past three years alone, hydraulic brakes’ days are numbered.
Given the advance of automated driving features, electrified drivetrains and networking of chassis systems, the component supplier says the switch to brake-by-wire (BbW) is inevitable. The ‘dry’ braking tech is already gaining a foothold both as full four-wheel systems and as ‘hybrid’ set-ups that combine both BbW and hydraulics and are aimed at light commercial vehicles.
With BbW, the pressure generated for brake pads to grip discs i