Steer-by-wire

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SpeedE, an academic concept car developed for studying drive-by-wire technologies Erprobungsfahrzeug SpeedE der fka GmbH.jpg
SpeedE, an academic concept car developed for studying drive-by-wire technologies

Steer-by-wire, in the context of the automotive industry, is a technology or system that allows steering some or all of a vehicle's wheels without a steering column that turns the direction of those wheels mechanically. It is different from electric power steering or power-assist, as those systems still rely on the steering column to transfer some steering torque to the wheels. [3] It is often associated with other drive by wire technologies.

Contents

A vehicle with a steer-by-wire system may be manually controlled by a driver through a steering wheel, a yoke, or any other controller which is connected to one or more electronic control units, which uses the input to control steering actuators that turn the wheels side-to-side, steering the vehicle. The steering wheel or yoke may be equipped with haptic feedback to simulate road feel and wheel resistance, and change depending on the vehicle speed or customizable settings. [3] [4]

The safety of drive-by-wire systems is often ensured through redundancy, for example through redundant input sensors, redundant vehicle communication networks and power grids, redundant steering actuators per wheel, and fail-operational steering. If steering fails for one or even two wheels, the system can compensate with torque vectoring using the other available wheels. [5]

One-off vehicles

Up-fitted drive-by-wire systems, such as the Paravan Space Drive, have been available since as early as 2003 for existing production vehicles. [6]

Several one-off vehicles and concept vehicles implemented steer-by-wire, such as the early-1990s Saab Prometheus, [7] 1996 Mercedes F200, [8] 2001 SKF Filo based on the Opel Zafira, [9] 2003 General Motors Hy-wire, [10] 2005 GM Sequel, [11] 2007 Mazda Ryuga, [12] and others.

Schaeffler Paravan Technologie has provided steer-by-wire systems for one-off racing vehicles, for example: a steer-by-wire Porsche Cayman GT4 raced the 2020 24 Hours of Nürburgring and finished 2nd place in its class and 29th overall; a steer-by-wire Mercedes-AMG GT3 raced the following year using the same system and finished 16th overall. [13] [14]

Production combustion-engine vehicles

Coupled with traditional steering

Rear-axle-only steer-by-wire may be coupled with traditional front wheel steering for conditional four-wheel steering, reducing turning radius at low speeds and increasing stability at high speeds. [15] Purely mechanical four-wheel steering systems have been available in production cars since the mid 1980s, soon followed by computer-controlled systems in the late 1980s. Manufacturers implementing these systems included Citroën, Honda, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, and Toyota. The popularity of four-wheel steering waned in the 1990s, with few models being offered in the early 2000s. Four-wheel steering systems reappeared in the late 2000s and 2010s in models by manufacturers including Acura, BMW, Nissan, Porsche, and Renault. [16] Car manufacturers that have offered rear-axle steering in the 2020s include Acura, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, General Motors, Genesis, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Rolls-Royce. [17]

One such rear-axle-only steer-by-wire system couple with traditional front steering was Quadrasteer. It was developed by Delphi and was offered starting 2002 on some General Motors trucks. Despite favorable reception the system was discontinued in 2005 due to poor market penetration of only 17 percent of sales of the same model, partially due to lack of familiarity with the system and partially due to its $1000 mark-up. [15]

Rolls-Royce vehicles based on the Architecture of Luxury platform, such as the Cullinan, Spectre, Ghost, and Phantom, have computer-controlled four-wheel steering. [18] The front wheel steering uses electric power assist [19] while an electronic system controls the rear wheel steering and turns them in the opposite direction of the front wheels when turning at lower speeds, and slightly in the same direction as the front wheels at higher speeds in order to increase stability. [20]

Without traditional steering

The Infiniti Q50 was the first production road-vehicle without a traditional steering column, though one was still equipped as a backup. Infiniti Q50 2013 NAIAS.jpg
The Infiniti Q50 was the first production road-vehicle without a traditional steering column, though one was still equipped as a backup.

Steer-by-wire without the use of a steering column was first offered in a production car with the Infiniti Q50 in 2013. [4] The system has a backup steering column separated from the steering wheel with a clutch. The clutch connects the steering wheel to the steering rack in case of failure of the electronic steering sensors or actuators. [2] After negative reception the model was retrofitted with traditional hydraulic steering. [21] Steer-by-wire continued to be offered with the QX50 and QX55, and as of 2022 is being offered with the Infiniti Q60 coupe. [22]

Production electric vehicles

Production battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with rear-axle SbW coupled with traditional front-wheel steering include as of 2024 the Rolls-Royce Spectre, [23] Lotus Eletre, [24] GMC Hummer EV, and Chevrolet Silverado EV. [22]

Production BEVs with steer-by-wire with no steering column include as of 2024 the Tesla Cybertruck [25] which is sold at retail, and the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle [26] and REE Automotive P7-C [27] which are sold to fleet operators. Planned production vehicles with no-steering-column SbW as of 2023 include: Lexus RZ 450e, [28] Toyota bZ4X, [22] and Geely Super Van. [29] As of 2023 Lotus, [24] Mercedes-Benz, [30] Nio, [31] and Peugeot [32] plan to offer no-steering-column steer-by-wire cars in the mid to late 2020s.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steering</span> The control of the direction of motion of vehicles and other objects

Steering is the control of the direction of motion or the components that enable its control. Steering is achieved through various arrangements, among them ailerons for airplanes, rudders for boats, tilting rotors for helicopters, and many more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four-wheel drive</span> Type of drivetrain with four driven wheels

A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case providing an additional output drive shaft and, in many instances, additional gear ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steering wheel</span> Type of steering control in vehicles and vessels (ships and boats)

A steering wheel is a type of steering control in vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout</span> Automotive design

In automotive design, an RR, or rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout places both the engine and drive wheels at the rear of the vehicle. In contrast to the RMR layout, the center of mass of the engine is between the rear axle and the rear bumper. Although very common in transit buses and coaches due to the elimination of the drive shaft with low-floor buses, this layout has become increasingly rare in passenger cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-engine design</span> Automobile design in which the engine is placed between the front and rear axles

In automotive engineering, a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles, but behind the front axle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drive by wire</span> Automotive technology

Drive by wire or DbW technology in the automotive industry is the use of electronic or electro-mechanical systems in place of mechanical linkages that control driving functions. The concept is similar to fly-by-wire in the aviation industry. Drive-by-wire may refer to just the propulsion of the vehicle through electronic throttle control, or it may refer to electronic control over propulsion as well as steering and braking, which separately are known as steer by wire and brake by wire, along with electronic control over other vehicle driving functions.

Power steering is a system for reducing a driver's effort to turn a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, by using a power source to assist steering.

HICAS is Nissan's rear wheel steering system which was fitted to cars from approximately 1985 to 2010, including models ranging from the Skyline and Fairlady Z (Z32) to smaller vehicles like the Nissan Cefiro (A31), Silvia /240SX/180SX and Nissan Serena/Nissan Largo. It is also found on models from the Infiniti division, such as the Q45, J30, M45/M35 and G35/G37.

ATTESA is a four-wheel drive system used in some automobiles produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan, including some models under its luxury marque Infiniti.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to automobiles:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheel hub motor</span> Electric motor in the middle of a wheel

A wheel hub motor, hub motor, or in-wheel motor is a motor that is incorporated into the hub of the wheel. Wheel-hub motors are commonly found on electric bicycles. Electric hub motors were well-received in early electric cars, but have not been commercially successful in modern production cars because they negatively affect vehicle handling due to higher dynamic wheel load and their placement makes them prone to damage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W222)</span> Motor vehicle

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII</span> Ultra-luxury flagship automobile in its eighth generation

The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a full-sized luxury saloon manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. It is the eighth and current generation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, debuting in 2017, and the second launched by Rolls-Royce under BMW ownership. It is offered in two wheelbase lengths. This is the current flagship model made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuchs wheel</span>

The Fuchs wheel or Fuchsfelge is a wheel made for the first Porsche 911 model in the early 1960s. Designed in conjunction with Otto Fuchs KG, Porsche modeler Heinrich Klie and Ferdinand Porsche Jr for the 1967 model year Porsche 911S, the Fuchs wheel was the first light-weight forged wheel to be fitted to a production automotive vehicle. They provided the rear-engined sports car with a reduction in unsprung mass, using an alloy wheel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tesla Cybertruck</span> Electric pickup truck

The Tesla Cybertruck is a battery electric pickup truck built by Tesla, Inc. since 2023. Introduced as a concept vehicle in November 2019, it has a body design reminiscent of low-polygon modelling, consisting of flat stainless steel sheet panels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyota bZ4X</span> Battery electric compact crossover SUV

The Toyota bZ4X, also marketed in Japan, Australia, US, Canada, Europe, and China as the Subaru Solterra, is a battery electric compact crossover SUV manufactured by Toyota. The vehicle debuted in April 2021 as the "bZ4X Concept". It is the first vehicle to be based on the e-TNGA platform co-developed by Toyota and Subaru, and the brand's first model to be part of their Toyota bZ series of zero-emissions vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexus RZ</span> Battery electric luxury crossover SUV

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV</span> Battery electric mid-size luxury crossover SUV

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda Prologue</span> Battery electric mid-size crossover SUV

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Spectre</span> British luxury electric vehicle

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References

  1. ↑ SpeedE - Forschungsplattform, ika - Institute for Motor Vehicles of RWTH Aachen University, 2016
  2. 1 2 3 Lutz Eckstein (2016), "Future Trends for Automotive Steering Systems" (PDF), JTEKT Engineering Journal English Edition (1013E)
  3. 1 2 Chris Perkins (March 17, 2023), "How Toyota Is Making the Case for Steer-By-Wire", Road & Track
  4. 1 2 Jancer, Matt. "Take a Look Inside the First Steer-by-Wire Car". Archived from the original on 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  5. ↑ Arunkumar Sampath, "Toward functional safety in drive by wire vehicles" (PDF), Mobility Engineering (December 2020)
  6. ↑ Lydia Saß (July 26, 2023), "25 Jahre PARAVAN", barrierefrei-magazin.de
  7. ↑ Gary Axon (May 21, 2018), "That time Saab built a car with a joystick", Goodwood
  8. ↑ Adrian Padeanu (August 15, 2022), "Joystick-Driven Mercedes F200 Imagination Spotted With Its Many Screens", Motor1
  9. ↑ Luca Ciferri (June 18, 2001), "Filo: is this the most high-tech independent car design?", Automotive News
  10. ↑ Ralph King (October 1, 2003), "GM'S Race To The Future", CNN Money , archived from the original on February 25, 2007
  11. ↑ Cesiel, D; et al. (April 3, 2006), Development of a Steer-by-Wire System for the GM Sequel, doi:10.4271/2006-01-1173
  12. ↑ "Mazda Ryuga Concept Captures the Spirit of Motion", Bloomberg , January 10, 2007
  13. ↑ "First race participation of a GT3 without steering column on the Nordschleife". www.schaeffler‑paravan.de. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  14. ↑ Bosch, Miguel (6 May 2021). "Schaeffler Paravan brings steer-by-wire system to GT3 with Mercedes-AMG entry in Nürburgring 24 Hours". www.gt‑report.com. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  15. 1 2 Benjamin Hunting (January 5, 2021), "Why Did GM's Excellent Quadrasteer Full-Size Pickup Four-Wheel Steering System Simply Disappear?", DrivingLine
  16. ↑ Aaron Severson (June 12, 2015), "Four-wheel steering demystified", Autoweek
  17. ↑ Jonathon Klein (July 23, 2021), "How Exactly Does Four-Wheel Steering Work?", The Drive
  18. ↑ Daniel Golson (October 18, 2022), "Rolls-Royce Spectre EV Is the Brand's Most Important Car Yet", CNET
  19. ↑ Mark Vaughn (October 9, 2018), "Rolls-Royce Cullinan first drive: Seeing is believing", Autoweek
  20. ↑ Mark Ewing (October 25, 2017), "First Drive: Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Has No Rival, Equal Or Peer", Forbes
  21. ↑ O'Kane, Tony (2 September 2014). "2016 Infiniti Q50 To Get 'Old Fashioned' Hydraulic Power Steering: Report". themotorreport.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 Jordan Golson (May 21, 2022), "What is Steer-by-Wire?", CapitalOne
  23. ↑ Britta O'Boyle (July 3, 2023), "Rolls-Royce Spectre review: The pinnacle of electric motoring", Pocket-lint
  24. 1 2 Georg Kacher (July 10, 2023), "2024 Lotus Eletre review: First international drive", Which Car?
  25. ↑ Kevin Williams (November 30, 2023), "Huzzah, The Tesla Cybertruck Has Steer-By-Wire", InsideEVs
  26. ↑ Frank Markus, "The 2024 Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle rocks the boat in our first drive review", USA Today
  27. ↑ Ed Garsten (January 11, 2024), "REE Automotive delivers first totally by-wire commercial truck chassis", Forbes
  28. ↑ Dave VanderWerp (September 20, 2023), "Lexus Continues to Hone Steer-by-Wire System, RZ Yoke Still a Year Away", Car and Driver
  29. ↑ "Chinese Farizon Auto launches its brand-new electric Super VAN, ready by 2024. Europe is the target", Sustainable Truck & Van, January 30, 2023
  30. ↑ Anthony Alaniz (July 3, 2023), "New Mercedes S-Class Could Have Yoke Steering Wheel, More Physical Buttons", Motor1.com
  31. ↑ Yang Jian (October 20, 2022), "ZF to supply steer-by-wire system to Nio", Automotive News
  32. ↑ Chris Chilton (January 6, 2023), "Hypersquare Steering On Road Cars By 2026, Peugeot CEO Says", Carscoops
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