It came about because of consumers' (pointless) lust for disc brakes on the rear wheels. Disc brakes and mechanical handbrakes are a tricky (pricey!) combination.

Easily sorted though, as MB and BMW (not sure about Lexus) do, the rear disc brakes have small drum brakes inside purely for the handbrake

They prove very reliable and (including linings) usually last the life of the car unless an alleged driver tries handbrake turns too often, replacement discs are no more expensive than ordinary rear discs, quick sand down or wire brushing of the handbrake shoe friction surface when you change the discs, grease up the mechanism, job done.

I too will be avoiding this automatic/electric fad for as long as possible.

As for pricey, yes they will certainly be pricey for the car owner when the system fails...kerching.

Think I was taught "properly" too. Handbrake on, car in first gear and wheels pointed towards the kerb (facing downhill) or car in reverse gear and wheels pointed way from the kerb (facing uphill). In those days (!) cars weren't so reliable and you knew you had to allow for possible mechanical failure. Incidentally, it is not only BMW and MB that have drum parking brakes bulit into the rear discs, Volvo have had this feature for as long as I can remember. Only problem is with automatics and drivers who never use the handbrake, only the P position on the gearbox. If you get one driven by one of these then the cables and mechanism may well be seized.

Handson, i doubt calipers would be needed but seeing as i haven't and never will own a car with an electric handbrake i can't be certain, but suspect the electric pulley is under the floor and pulls the probably normal cables in the usual way...i sincerely hope there are not two individual motors, one attached to each caliper.

If there is room between the front seats then i see no reason, other than contravening some EU wide C&U regs, and this is where i think it will all come to a grinding halt, why a properly designed handbrake could not be retro fitted...possibly need the floor reinforcing to take the lever assembly, so fitting could be very complicated...read expensive, plus the car would need reprogramming to take out the handbrake.

I think cost would be prohibitive too, apart from legal implications.

Car buyers as with the no spare wheel scam have the answer to this...dont buy the junk, if owners of used cars with electric handbrakes found themselves saddled with unsaleable cars they'd soon stop buying them new....new car buyers/users in most cases arn't concerned with long term reliability due to warranty, so the cure for this rubbish lies with the used buyer.