Bosch launches new ESP for premium segment

August 22, 2012: Bosch is adding an especially high-performance variant to its Generation 9 brake control systems. Summing up its advantages, Gerhard Steiger, the president of the Bosch Chassis Systems Control division, says: “The new ESP 9 premium is the ideal basis for high-performance assistance and safety systems.” The core of this new version is an especially efficient return pump that can build up brake pressure very fast, and almost without any vibration.

While current brake control systems work with two pump elements, a total of six pistons are integrated into the ESP 9 premium. They build up brake pressure especially fast, as well as very evenly, regardless of whether high or low brake pressure is required. On the one hand, this means that the brake control system can brake hard in an instant, and thus defuse critical situations. On the other hand, it can also provide the kind of gentle intervention needed for automatic dry braking or for an adaptive cruise control system with stop-and-go function. This pressure build-up is assisted by two additional pressure sensors integrated in the hydraulic modulator. Moreover, the smooth operation of the pump means that less vibration is transmitted to the bodywork, practically ruling out irksome noises and vibrations on the brake pedal.

Highest performance Generation 9 version

Bosch was the world’s first company to produce the Electronic Stability Program, and since then has improved it continuously. When designing its new Generation 9 brake control systems, the company has placed special importance on a high level of flexibility, which is why much of the hardware and software is modular in construction.

While the ESP 9 base provides full protection in critical situations, ESP 9 plus already allows a number of common assistance functions to be executed, from hill hold control to adaptive cruise control (ACC) with a stop-and-go function. And with ESP 9 premium, there is hardly any limit to the sophisticated driver assistance systems that can be offered. These include the lane keeping assistant, emergency braking assistant, and smart cruise control, as well as torque vectoring, a vehicle dynamics control function in which torque is distributed individually to each wheel. All these and many other functions can be configured as desired by an automaker and in this way create the character they want for their brand or individual model.

Despite all these additional functions, ESP 9 premium is smaller and 800 grams lighter than its predecessor. This supports automakers’ efforts to reduce the overall weight of new models. Service life has also been increased – for example, by using a modified return pump.

Photograph: Depending on the range of functions vehicle models feature, automakers can choose between ESP base, ESP plus and ESP premium (left to right).