AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – January 8, 2018 – Nexteer Automotive, a global leader in intuitive motion control, today announced its production milestone of 50 million electric power steering (EPS) systems – a milestone that comes with an Olympic-sized amount of fuel savings.
Nexteer EPS systems provide reliable steering control in all driving conditions while reducing fuel consumption. As a result, they increase fuel efficiency by up to 6 percent and CO2 emissions by up to 8 grams per kilometer.
To put this in perspective, the amount of fuel saved from 50 million EPS units would fill:
- More than 7,500 Olympic swimming pools or
- About 40 billion 16-ounce water bottles
Featured in global vehicle segments from small cars to full-size trucks, Nexteer’s EPS systems house a central computer that compiles data and sends it to the steering system, which translates the data into mechanical steering functions.
EPS as Key ADAS Enabler
“Many people may not realize that our EPS systems are a gate-way technology that enables advanced driver-assistance features, such as lane-keeping, park assist, active return to center, traffic jam assist and more,” said Steve Spicer, Vice President of the global EPS product line. “ADAS-compatible EPS systems will ultimately help pave the way for even more advanced safety features in semi and fully autonomous driving.”
In addition to advanced safety features, EPS uses software to tailor the driver’s experience behind the wheel to deliver the OEM’s desired brand experience. In other words, Nexteer can alter the EPS algorithm to make a muscle car steering feel like a muscle car or a luxury vehicle steering feel like a luxury vehicle.
Advanced Steering Software: More Complex than the First Space Shuttle
As Nexteer develops more advanced steering systems, the software becomes more complex and sophisticated. For example:
- A standard Nexteer EPS system requires about 4.3 million lines of code.
- Nexteer’s Steer-by-Wire system requires even more: about 13.5 million lines of code.
- Compare this to the mere 400,000 lines of code in the first space shuttle!
Nexteer Steering Gains Ground in Global Market Share
Nexteer remains the number one steering supplier in North America and has moved up to the number three slot as a global steering supplier – up from number five – thanks to a 6% global growth rate (in terms of volume/units sold per Nexteer’s Interim Results Announcement 1H2016 to 1H2017). Nexteer first introduced its 12-volt EPS system in 1999. Today, the system can be found in nine out of 10 full-size trucks in the U.S. market and one out of four small cars in Europe.
“Nexteer’s EPS market growth can be attributed to our depth and breadth of our EPS product portfolio, our global manufacturing footprint as well as Nexteer’s in-house ownership of design, testing, manufacturing and quality program execution,” said Spicer. “It’s an exciting time in our industry to be a part of the evolving role of steering for today’s vehicles and tomorrow’s re-defined mobility.”
ABOUT NEXTEER
Nexteer Automotive – A Leader in Intuitive Motion Control – is a multi-billion dollar global steering and driveline business delivering electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steering columns, driveline systems as well as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving technologies for original equipment manufacturers. The company’s global workforce of over 13,000 serves more than 50 customers in every major region of the world. The company has 24 manufacturing plants, three technical centers and 14 customer service centers strategically located in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Nexteer Automotive’s customers include BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, PSA Group, Toyota and VW, as well as automakers in India and China. nexteer.com
