Brembo Expects Boost in Demand for Carbon Ceramic Brakes

After forming the long-rumored deal with SGL Group, Brembo is now readying the carbon ceramic brakes for high-volume premium cars, with the parts manufacturer expecting to see a sharp increase in demand once they launch the new product. At this time, Brembo is working to reduce the overall production costs and further increase demand, the chairman of the company told Autonews in an interview.

"At the current cost, carbon ceramic brake discs have a potential global market of roughly 1 million vehicles a year. Reaching the cost target we have in mind, means increasing the potential reach to 2.5 million annual sales," Brembo Chairman Alberto Bombassei told Automotive News Europe. "With a new manufacturing process, we aim to decrease the cost factor to about two to two and a half times a traditional disc."

The two partners have not unveiling production costs for carbon ceramic brakes but the aforementioned source says it could be up to four times more expensive compared with a traditional discs.

Brembo is currently supplying brake discs to a number of premium brands, including Aston Martin, Daimler, Ferrari and Lamborghini, while SGL is working with a couple of other top-notch manufacturers such as Audi, Bentley, Bugatti and Porsche.

"The combination of our expertise in top level brake systems and carbon ceramic disc application with SGL Group’s outstanding knowledge of the materials will allow this type of product to be applied in a broader market segment. Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes' marks a further step in Brembo’s development towards systems with even greater performance and lightweight that meet the changing requirements of the automotive world, including respect for the environment," Alberto Bombassei, CEO of Brembo S.p.A., said at the time of signing the partnership.