The ongoing evolution of technology sometimes results in some things being left by the wayside. That statement applies as much to personal technology items as it does to automobiles. First, we lost the hand crank starters, then the carburetors, and, we’re still reeling from the gradual death of the manual transmission. But now, there’s another, less visible piece of car technology that’s being replaced: the handbrake.
The manual parking brake, the one operated by pulling on a handle, has been slowly disappearing over the past decade as car manufacturers move towards electronic parking brakes instead. This smaller, less obtrusive solution is lauded by manufacturers for improving interior packaging, increasing the amount of usable interior space, and reducing the risk of human error while behind the wheel. The electronic parking brake also allows the vehicle to engage it automatically in certain situations, such as when the vehicle is in a forward or reverse gear, but a door suddenly opened.
The electronic parking brake in the 2020 Baojun RM-5
Certain car manufacturers, like Jaguar, Land Rover and Porsche, have moved entirely away from the conventional parking brake. General Motors, likewise, is also moving in that direction. In fact, all recently-overhauled GM vehicles offered in North America now feature the electronic parking brake, including the big sellers like the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra (in LD and HD guises), and Cadillac XT5.
As of this writing, only five GM models offer a manual handbrake in the U.S. market:
- Buick Encore
- Chevrolet Malibu (without the Enhanced Driver Confidence Package)
- Chevrolet Spark
- Chevrolet Sonic
- Chevrolet Trax
In other words, neither of GM’s current batch of sports cars – the Chevrolet Corvette (C7 or C8), Chevrolet Camaro, or the now-discontinued Cadillac ATS-V or CTS-V – feature a manual parking brake. The circumstance is a little different for international-market GM models, such as the Chevrolet Onix – which was just overhauled but still features a traditional handbrake.
All-new 2020 Chevrolet Onix features a traditional/manual handbrake
Meanwhile, many body-on-frame General Motors products offer a push-pedal style parking brake in the footwell:
- Chevrolet Colorado
- GMC Canyon
- Chevrolet Express
- GMC Savana
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- Chevrolet Suburban
- GMC Yukon and Yukon XL
- Medium Duty Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD and 6500HD
In other words, a total of 13 GM vehicles currently do not have an electronic parking brake. That should dwindle to just ten when several of the automaker’s full-size SUVs – the Tahoe, Suburban, and Yukon – get overhauled for the 2021 model year. Interestingly, the Cadillac Escalade has already abandoned the push-pedal parking brake as of 2018.
Foot-activated manual parking brake in 2019 GMC Canyon
For the majority of drivers and vehicles, the gradual move away from the manual parking brake and toward electronic parking equivalent is a non-issue. In fact, it’s probably a benefit. But there are a few vehicles, in particular, where this technological development is a bit of a bummer.
Like the C7 before it, the all-new 2020 Corvette C8 will feature an electronic parking brake
In small cars and sports cars, having an old-school manual handbrake offers the supremely enjoyable experience of doing handbrake turns. And for the drifters in the house, having an actual handbrake is a crucial component to the sport. So, while it may not be an everyday activity, we are certainly going to miss having a physical handbrake, along with the option of using it as we please, as they continue to get phased out of new cars.
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Comments
I have had an electric parking brake on my Chevrolet Malibu Premier model since 2016. My new 2020 Malibu Premier has it also so I guess I could look forward to something that they won’t take away like they have in my new model that I had in my 2016 model .
I have been working on cars for 12 yrs and amazed at how cars are changing but change for the worst in my opinion. I own a 92 sierra for 5 yrs ORIGINAL ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION and never had issue of check engine lights , throttle body failure , electronic pedal , junk that many owners deal with today. Also how even changing spark plugs involves tearing apart half the engine is ridiculous. Im sticking with my 92 and hate the thought of owning a newer vehicle.
I rented a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu last month and it also has electric parking, not manual.
I have a gen6 Camaro SS with a manual trans and absolutely hate that electronic parking brake. One more electronic gadget to fail. Most people my age called it a n “emergency” brake which was handy for inclines and brake failure. There’s nothing I can do to hold the Camaro on a incline while releasing the brakes to gas while letting out the clutch. The hill assist only works on steeper hills?
Wasnt a problem on mine. You just have to be quick to find the bite point. At worst the pedals are close enough to heel toe it.
I enjoy the e-parking brake in my Verano; I don’t miss the lever consuming space. I use it daily even though I have a slushbox now; 25 years of driving a manual still leaves me with a few habits that aren’t essential when driving with an auto box.
COOL! Now show me where the EMERGENCY brake is….used to be DOT MANDATED….dud it not?
I had the electronic brake on the 2013 Malibu and now the manual push pedal brake on my 2017 Equinox. I have to say I like the manual better. Like electronic SUV back doors, why are we losing more and more physical activity, however small, for effortless electronics? I just get a better feel with manual- and we can all use a little more physical effort- not the trend in the auto industry.
The reason is lower cost and less weight. Taking out all the parts and replacing them with a plastic button and wire cuts both.
I like manual e brakes as I have used them many times with cars that have bad master cylinders etc.
Also how can you do a Rockford J turn with a button?
The next step is brake bywire and steer by wire.
I have always used the parking brake, until I got the Avalanche. You have to push to engage, then you have to push even harder to disengage,(no more hand levers).The Sierra is the same. Well with my legs I CAN’T push it hard enough to disengage it. And that’s the only fault I have with the manual brake. Not sure I like the thought of an e brake deciding for me when it should be engaged! What’s the matter, is the new generation not smart enough to know when to use it?
“What’s the matter, is the new generation not smart enough to know when to use it?”
What’s the matter, is the old generations legs too flimsy to disengage a parking brake?
You’d think an electric parking brake for someone like you would be a benefit. Instead and confusingly, you’re complaining about younger people for some unexplained reason…like it’s their fault you can’t use a parking brake.
“Grawdaddy,I merely wondered about an e brake doing the thinking for me. I had no problem with the old parking brakes. I just find the newer ones un usable for me. that`s all.
are you really that weak? my 67 year old 5 foot tall mom can release the pedal on my K1500.
James Akemon,-Maybe when your mother is in her 70`s & has 2 damaged knees she might have a bit of trouble,releasing the brake.
I can’t imagine the electronic brake is lighter, it requires electric motors to operate the mechanical parking brake system. In my 2017 Jetta the handbrake is connected to a cable that actuates the parking brake… no motor required!
We just got a Buick Regal TourX and the electronic parking brake is one of the worst features next to auto stop. Luckily auto stop is easily defeated with a plug in Range device, not so with the electronic brake. It’s slow to engage and disengage, and in the situation of a major failure, I no longer have a manual emergency brake. This is a bad innovation.
People who don’t have a manual transmission don’t use a parking brake. While it’s used as a parking brake more often than anything else, it’s also designed as a secondary braking system in case the primary fails. Hence, the term EMERGENCY brake.
I hope that in 20 years, when the brake lines start to rust out on these vehicles, that people are able to stop safely in an emergency. If the electronic brake operates as either “on or off”, there won’t be enough finesse to keep control when it locks up the tires at 65 mph. (If it’s even allowed to work at all while vehicle is in motion.) I’ve seen it happen, some old man curiously fully applied his e brake on the highway, shot straight left from right lane across 4 other lanes directly into the divider. Got hit by the guy in front of me in the fast lane. All were luckily ok.
Seems like engineers these days fail at taking into account real world scenarios, or redundancy in general.
Oh, and just curious…. Does it work when the battery is removed_ as all parking brakes from the dawn of time have???
I have been working on cars for 12 yrs and amazed at how cars are changing but change for the worst in my opinion. I own a 92 sierra for 5 yrs ORIGINAL ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION and never had issue of check engine lights , throttle body failure , electronic pedal , junk that many owners deal with today. Also how even changing spark plugs involves tearing apart half the engine is ridiculous. Im sticking with my 92 and hate the thought of owning a newer vehicle.
I don’t know anyone who ever used the ‘parking’ brake as an actual parking brake unless it was a manual transmission and those are few and far between now. For an automatic, most people just put it in park.. The actual use was always as an emergency brake. That was always taught in drivers ed class. You would have a physical cable connection to the rear brakes in case of a hydraulic failure anywhere in the system. Usually a brake line failure. This is your manual override, your lifeline in case of emergency…
I’m actually surprised the removal of this lifeline cable is even legal. There should Always be a manual override for things like this. This is almost as bad as manufacturers wanting to do away with steering wheels.
I have the push on/push off foot pedal on my Equinox. I’ve not tested its ability to stop my vehicle by itself, in the case of a brake failure, but most likely it would at least slow me down. Have they built that functionality into the electronic E-brake somehow, so it ‘senses’ a failure and engages? Or, has that just been overlooked as an impossibility like some many other man-made disasters that happen to our surprise. Having had to use it a few times, I will miss the reliability of the manual E-brake.
my 2010 lacrosse has it –good feature easy to engage or disengage.
Do current slushboxes still have parking pawls? My first car’s autobox did and whenever I parked on a hill, I engaged the parking brake to take the strain off of the pawl. Otherwise, it was very difficult to shift out of Park.
If e-brake is set and battery goes dead, does e-brake disengage or is it locked? If locked you can’t tow it.
My battery never goes dead because it has two batteries as a Hybrid. The larger 400 VDC traction battery charges the smaller 12 VDC battery with an onboard DC-DC converter. All EVs will have the same feature. All EV and hybrid batteries hold a low level change for long periods, and will not allow the driver to discharge it completely.
“If locked you can’t tow it.”
Wrong. Have you ever heard of or seen a wheel-lift with dollies?
Electronic parking brakes has many advantages. My 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid can set it automatically when I stop and shift into “P”, and release it automatically when I shift into “D”. I recommend reading the Owner Manual of every vehicle you are interested to buy and study how it handles the parking brake. I bet those who had trouble never read the “F” (free) manuals.
Another advantage is for young, weak, and senior drivers who don’t have the strength to pull the hand level or push the foot pedal. One is my wife, so she loves the electronic parking system.
I have a 2014 Silverado. 30 months after new, the foot operated pedal mechanism broke. I didn’t push overly hard.
The dealer said $100 for parts and $500 for labor.
Anybody know if that is a NHTSA safety issue?
So long as the tow truck is equipped with ‘wheel lift dollies’. Seems most trucks are flatbeds or roll-backs. Still doesn’t answer my original question.
Your question was anwered, as every reputable tow company carries dollies. If you’re towing an AWD car without a flatbed, it’s essential to use dollies. A car with electric brake would be no different.
You’re trying too hard to make anything electric sound horribly unreliable and untrustworthy, like it’s a threat to your existence or way of life. Perhaps you shouldn’t be listening to your gut and making rash, snap judgement calls if the logical answer is staring you right in the face.
More often than not, the answers to your questions that you think nobody has ever considered exist right under your damn nose.
Holy Grawdaddy! You still haven’t answered the question I originally asked. As far as type of e-brake I couldn’t care less. Just looking for some info. Not looking to change the world. Chill!
Just something else electronic to fail! My question is why??? The manual parking brake can be used in emergencies …can the electronic ? The pedal has never got in my way. Like i said ….something else that when it fails to disengage will force you to take it to someone with a computer tool to charge the crap out of you for a simple (used to be ) system. Again… WHY?
I agree with prev commenter that asked ‘where is the emergency brake?’ E-brake on my ‘14 Impala only works on up-hill, when going down-hill won’t engage. Also, in Massachusetts, DMV won’t allow a road test in vehicle that doesn’t have a manual brake lever in the console, allowing tester to yank up in an emergency (was my son ever embarrassed, but that’s another story). Not sure what they’ll do going forward.