POWER TO THE PEOPLE

What’s the big deal about electric power steering?

If there’s one thing a modern-day driver just would rather not live without, it’s power steering. Especially if the car involved is front-drive, with wide tyres. Until the day we hand over the ignition keys to autonomous cars or robot drivers, this is something we are likely to care deeply about.

But there’s more to power steering than simply being a labour-saving device. Newer electric power steering systems can save fuel and allow advanced driver assistance, although they have been castigated for lacking feel compared with hydraulic equivalents. Still, the benefits are EPS are clear enough that it’s now easily the majority steering technology.

In announcing production of its 50 millionth electric power steering (EPS) system, Nexteer Automotive made the point that its systems help save fuel; the equivalent of 7 500 Olympic swimming pools to date. Even more importantly, says Steve Spicer, vice president of the company’s global EPS product line, “Many people may not realise that our EPS systems are a gateway technology that enables advanced driver-assistance features such as lane-keeping, park assist, active return to centre, traffic jam assist and more.”

Das-compatible EPS systems will ultimately help pave the way for even more advanced safety features in semiand fully autonomous driving, Spicer says. Smart software can even tailor the driver’s experience to make a muscle car steering feel like a muscle car’s, or a luxury vehicle’s.

Nexteer is number one steering supplier in North America and in third spot globally behind Germany’s ZF and Japan’s JTEKT. The Americans’ system can be found in nine out of 10 full-size pick-ups in the US market and one in four small cars in Europe. A standard Nexteer EPS system requires about 4,3 million lines of code. Its Steer-by-wire system requires even more: about 13,5 million lines of code. The first space shuttle used a mere 400 000 lines of code.

At this year’s Detroit Auto Show, the company unveiled its first comprehensive suite of steering technology for autonomous and mixed mode driving. Its key components are:

• Steering on Demand. Press a button or grab the steering wheel and enable safe, intuitive transitions of steering control between manual and automated driving.

• Quiet Wheel Steering enables the steering wheel to remain still during automated driving mode, even while the vehicle is in the process of turning.

• Stowable Steering Column.

• Steer-by-wire. The mechanical connection between the road wheels and the steering wheel is replaced with electronics and actuators on the steering column and rack, opening new possibilities for advanced safety features, vehicle lightweighting and packaging flexibility. • High Availability Electric Power Steering provides an always-on safety net.

• Cyber Security ensures secure control of automated functions.