Electronic handbrake
I’m looking to replace my aging xtrail but am concerned that most cars nowadays are fitted with electronic parking brake,are these easy to use ie hill start with caravan on.just seems another gimmick that we could do without.Have been told if you have a flat battery car cannot be moved.would welcome comments from fellow towers.
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That’s a good point, ToT. I’m no longer a tugger but if I was, I would look for a car with a hill hold function, ie one that holds the foot brake on for a few seconds while you move your foot across to the throttle.
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electric parking/hand brakes are ... IMHO ... the answer to a problem that never existed. It seems that a lot of them will release automatically when you set off, but even if it doesn't, it's just the press/pull of a button/switch to release it.
An EPB probably won't easily release with a flat battery, but you won't be going very far or very fast if your car battery is flat anyway. 😉 As far as hill starts are concerned, if your chosen 'new' car doesn't have any form of hill hold, that's what your left foot is for .... assuming of course your car will have an auto gearbox (as all cars should 😉)
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A flat battery stops one at not getting past door, never mind handbrake. However, if the towing socket is wired correctly there is a permanent live feed there, and one can make/buy a simple adaptor to plug in to provide 12v INTO the car.
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The EPB on our Volvo won't release unless you have your seat belt on
That's Volvo off my list of 'new' cars then ..... IIRC VAG cars do the same ?? Surely it's up to the driver to decide when the parking/hand brake is released.
I was sceptical about an EPB when I got my ML350, but by & large, it only applies when I apply it - it does apply itself sometimes though I've yet to work out how/why
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A flat battery stops one at not getting past door, never mind handbrake
Cars still have a normal key to get inside for such times the battery is as flat as a witches. Trouble is, because they're never used, when you do need to use it, the lock mechanism is seized. That's why it's a good idea to use the actual key from time to time.
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Hill start no problem. Flat battery send for man.
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I tow an 1800kg Coachman with a Land Rover Discovery Sport D200 and I wouldn't be without the combination of an electronic 'hand brake' which comes with hill start assist and an auto gearbox. Hill starts are effortless. And I can't remember the last time I had a flat battery on a modern car - probably my VW Golf when I was at university in the 80s. Possibly some of the CAMC towcar reviews will put your mind at rest.
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EPB generally works well, but I have had problems on hilly, and particularly poor visibility junctions where you have to inch forward and then stop because of previously unseeable traffic, and hitching up on a slope. I now end up using the motor mover more frequently as the fine control simply isn't there, although I admit I am getting a little better. Give me a handbrake for these circumstances. But give me an EPB for hill stops, where I know the brake is on adequately - I have inched (most typically) backwards with the old car and its manual brake.
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In my experience, the Volvo (and now Polestar) EPB wont _auto_ release unless you have your seatbelt on. If you chose to manually release it by pulling a button, it will.
If you have your seatbelt on, put it in drive and press the go pedal, EPB releases and off you go.
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So you need your seat belt on to just move your car on the drive unless you manually release the EPB? 🤷♂️ My hand/parking brake is rarely used anyway ... it's an Auto & goes into Park when parked up .... it's not going to roll away. Does an all electric car have a conventional gearbox? Or is it all done on the motor?
In normal circumstances, if my EPB is actually applied it will also auto release if I set off, like wise HOLD which uses the 'normal' brake system & doesn't use the EPB as some cars seem to do.
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Cars still have a normal key to get inside for such times the battery is as flat as a witches.
Indeed, but the mechanical key unlocks only the door with the keyhole, and not the other doors if a "dead lock" function has been used. Does not unlock electrically operated tailgate/boot, which is where most people would keep any tools or battery charger they might be carrying.
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but once you're in the car you can pop the bonnet & either replace, charge or jump the car's battery & then you can use the remote fob as normal. And the 3 box saloons I had, you could access the boot from inside the car .... but I appreciate that's not always the case.
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Small Paul will indeed hold things on the level (in most cases). Does not do well if the vehicle gets bumped though.
Is your 30 years similar to Triggers Boom though?
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No ... EPB doesn't apply when Park is selected. Turning the ignition off or opening the driver's door will automatically put the car in Park though.
Anyway back to OP ... releasing an EPB is no more difficult to release than a conventional handbrake.
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Yeeeesss - I think so (now I have to go and test it).
Electric cars (in general) have no gear box at all. The motor and drive train are directly connected and roll in either direction. Mine has a selector for forward, backward and "park" (don't move when in park) which also engages the parking break. As soon as I select drive or reverse, the parking break comes off (I have to check the seatbelt interlock now).
The EPB and hold mode are the same for me as for you.
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Nope - I take it back. The Volvo definitely had the seatbelt auto parking break interlock. The Polestar does not. Open the door, sit down, close door (or put on seat belt), foot on break, engage drive and go. No need for seat belt (if door is closed) (though it will beep ferociously after about 10 seconds). No need to "start" it (it has no start button or key hole). And no need to release the EPB.
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But you’ve blamed the EPB. It could have been driver error.
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Yes.
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