With eBoost, GM trucks can stop 20-percent shorter when towing a trailer
Photo: GM
GM continues to forge ahead with new tech in 2020. To this end, it recently debuted a new towing-focused tech called the eBoost Trailer Brake Concept.
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About the eBoost
The eBoost Trailer Brake Concept enables a 20 percent shorter stopping distance for trucks, as evidenced during testing. Per GM Authority, the eBoost system brings a truck and trailer to a stop 40 feet earlier than in tests that used a traditional electronic trailer brake.
The system relies on a seven-pin trailer wire connector, which eliminates the need for extra connections. It also employs stability control to reduce trailer sway, for a more stable ride quality when towing.
Granted, the trailer used during the tests had modified rotors, calipers, and tires to enhance this shorter stopping distance. But still, it’s an impressive achievement.
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Envisioning a safer tomorrow
Future GM truck models like the Sierra and Silverado might be able to stop even shorter if the brand decides to take the eBoost concept to production
Photo: Chevrolet
GM’s goal for the eBoost Trailer Brake is to improve the overall towing experience, as Global Product Programs vice president Tim Herrick articulates. “This advanced trailer braking technology is yet another example of GM’s leadership and a hint at what’s possible in the future.”
Per the press release, the eBoost Trailer Brake concept is just the latest stride the brand is making toward making its “zero crashes, zero emissions, zero congestion” vision a reality. From Hitch Guidance with Hitch View to the Trailering App and MultiPro tailgate, GM has already contributed quite a few significant technologies to enhance the user experience and boost safety when towing with a Chevy or GMC truck.
GM will need to partner with technology companies if it decides to bring the concept to production. That’s because the eBoost system requires a compatible, properly-equipped trailer for optimized performance. Still, it’s an inspiring innovation for the industry to consider as both automakers and tech entities envision how to improve truck and trailer safety.
Whitney Russell is a current resident of Dayton, though her spirit can be found beach-bumming in Puerto Rico (the land of her half-Puerto Rican heritage). When not adventuring through the exciting world of car news, she can be found hiking with her husband and their two dogs, motorcycling, visiting her cute nephews and nieces, discovering new memes, reorganizing and/or decorating some corner of the world, researching random things, and escaping into a great movie, poem, or short story. See more articles by Whitney.
