Interesting/worrying story from Scotland - ZS with no brakes.

I've always pondered about this...
Put an automated system in an aircraft and it needs fail-safes, backup systems, heavy regulation, inspections, and approvals.
Put a similar system in a car/truck/coach and you run it on a cheap computer, no real fail-safes, no backup systems, no real regulation, no inspections, and give the programming to a bunch of graduates. People's lives are at risk from both systems.

Discuss!
 
After reading the story kindly posted by @N2STY.
It appears that Brian had only had his EV for a short while, was this Brians first EV ?.
Was it possible that the adaptive cruise control / pro pilot had been engaged inadvertently ???.
This would account for the car maintaining its steady speed, but does not answer the question why it did not disengage when the foot brake was pressed ?.
Had the floor carpet rode up over pedals ?.
What did the police officer simply do, to turn off the car when they brought it to a total stop ✋??.
It’s strange one alright !.
I am sure many other owners will be eagerly awaiting both the insurance and MG’s evaluation / investigation into the cause of this incident.
Regardless if it is “man or machine” at fault here, it really is not something anybody would willingly want to be subjected to or happen again on another vehicle.
I am sure other motoring authorities like the DOT and the MAA will be monitoring the progress on this story.
It really goes without saying that this requires very urgent attention now, in order to establish the true cause of this serious incident.
I expect that both the MG CS switch board and the MG dealers switchboards, will be bombarded with calls over the next few days. Owners wanting some concrete reassurances that their cars are still safe to be used !.
Of course the anti EV lobbyists will jump right onto top of this story, but it fairness it would be the same if it was an ICE car.
I clearly remember an MG owner on this forum, that suffered from a complete brake failure when his wife was driving with their child onboard.
Luckily nobody was injured and no damage was sustained to the car.
A very new car that suddenly lost all of its brake fluid.
The cause of the problem was quickly identified as a flexible rear brake hose that had been incorrectly routed and unsecured by a simple metal clip at the bodyshell.
This caused the rim of the road wheel to come into contact with the rubber flexible brake hose and slowly it cut right through the pipe.
All of the brake fluid was lost and therefore the brakes failed 😞.
Phantom braking is not a nice thing to endure but this is the complete opposite and must have been a terrible thing to be put through.
Happened to me once on a Jaaaaaguar. New rear tyre installed, the mechanic had left the flex hose in such a place that it was fouled by the tyre. Gradually wore it away until the hose split and fluid left the system. Long brake pedal that day.... I used the handbrake.
 
With regard to the brakes, presumably there is some sort of electric vacuum pump involved, so if that was one of the failing systems there would be no servo assist. That would give a solid feeling brake pedal but little or no braking action.
 
So how does that happen with dual circuit brakes?
Many years sinceupon I had such an episode in my venerable Renault Espace: total inability to reduce speed or stop by treading on the brake pedal.
It turned out to be the one single point of failure in the dial circuit: from memory it was a proportioning valve somewhere under the middle of the car.

On story:

Green Flag attended and announced that yes, it was definitely broken brakes and no, they didn't fix brakes at the roadside.
Got trailered back from Preston to Horsham, doing it the fastest I'd ever done the journey.
The driver needed to stop for diesel and whipped into a motorway services. The car pumps were all occupied so he went to the HGV pumps and told me he wasn't really supposed. He said that if anyone asked, to say I was diabetic and needed to get home to where my meds were.
Got back home, unloaded and he was off back up North like a ferret down a rabbit hole. Wouldn't even stop for a cuppa.
 
So how does that happen with dual circuit brakes?
Most likely the servo pump was commanded off by the ECU, its electric, so unlike an ICE car. You are right that dual circuits should not both fail so you always have front or rears. Citroen used to put the handbrake on the front wheels - great system that as you could brake under any circumstances.
 
Not the first time this has happened. Seems to be an issue with the breaks / break pedal on these cars. Look back through the forum for evidence. Worrying. There will soon be a recall of some sort after this incident, I’m sure of it.
 
Sorry, I didn't realise that this has been already discussed in another thread! I should have checked.
It looks like we'll never know what really happened!!
 
The MG ZS EV uses a Bosch electric steering system and therefore COULD be using the Bosch brake I Booster system.
Below is a link to the Bosch web site, for anybody is interested in how the brakes are assisted in an electric car.
Half way down the page there is short video explaining / demonstrating how the system operates.
Vacuum is supplied by an electric motor that is constantly producing a vacuum to keep the servo reservoir top up.
The Tesla system works in a similar way.
Not too dissimilar to the servo unit used in an ICE car, but it this case the vacuum is provided by ICE.
When the reservoir is filled, even if the electric motor looses power, there should be enough stored vacuum to bring the car to a stop.
 
Hello. My name is Brian Morrison and i can verify that everything in my facebook post is 100% True.

I am still shaken up. How dare most of you even consider i am lying after what i went through driving home from Kilsyth through Kirkintilloch and heading towards Bishopbriggs where i live.

It does not matter to me what people think, but please think about peoples mental health who could still be struggling after such an incident.

I was coming here to actually post all about it, to see if anyone had similar issues .... and shocked to see so much negativity
Hi Brian
Your experience sounds horrific. What have MG said about it?
 
From the Telegraph version of the story:

"A police officer jumped into my car and did something which seemed to keep the car still."

Errrr....can we all guess what that thing might have been 🤔
The police officer off duty has learned how to be an EV whisperer?
 
Just on the subject of "it's on the BBC so it must be true."

Some years ago there was a "clickbait" type story from Helensburgh, the perennial "black panther" narrative. This allegedly enormous black cat had been seen on the outskirts of the town prowling along a railway line. Several times. There was video footage!

The video showed a black cat of apparently normal size. The size wasn't hard to gauge because at one point the animal stepped on top of one of the railway lines and walked along it for a few yards. It wasn't even slightly doubtful.

The BBC ran this on the early evening Reporting Scotland, complete with breathless narrative about how Helensburgh was right on the edge of the Highlands and this panther could be living in the Highlands and coming into the town along the railway line. All this spoken over the video of the obvious medium-sized black moggy.

The other shoe dropped a week or so later, but the only place you would find this was in the pages of the local rag, the Helensburgh Advertiser. The owner of the cat in question had come forward. The cat was called Puss-Puss and she was the pet of an eight-year-old girl who lived nearby. The child was pictured holding the cat, and telling the reporter that as soon as she saw the pictures on the news she knew it was Puss-Puss because the railway line was part of the cat's regular roaming range.

Not a syllable of correction from the BBC.
 
I've merged the new thread in with the existing one, hopefully it won't be too confusing.
Just noticed your new banner. :)

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