Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) becomes mandatory in Europe

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Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) becomes mandatory in Europe

 

By 2024, the automatic hand or parking brake on commercial vehicles will be mandatory in Europe. This should greatly reduce the number of accidents with rolling vehicles.

At the suggestion of Germany, the ECE R 13 guideline was amended in September last year. It now states that from 2024 all commercial vehicles must be equipped with an automatically activated handbrake. By 2026, every new van, truck and bus in Europe must be equipped with the EPB.

 

The new regulations apply to vehicles with an electric braking system. In the future, the parking brake will be applied automatically when the vehicle is stationary and the ignition is switched off or the driver’s seat is left. The vehicle electronics can detect that the driver is leaving the driver’s seat, for example by opening the driver’s door or taking off the seat belt.