Chapter 1: Electronic stability control
Electronic stability control (ESC) is a computerized technique also known as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC). When ESC senses a loss of steering control, it instantly applies the brakes to assist the driver in directing the vehicle in the desired direction. Automatic braking is performed independently to each wheel, such as the outer front wheel to counter oversteer and the inner rear wheel to counter understeer. Some ESC systems decrease engine power until the driver regains control. ESC does not improve a vehicle's cornering capability; rather, it reduces the likelihood of the driver losing vehicle control.
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2004 and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2006, the technology might save one-third of fatal accidents.
In 1983, Toyota introduced a four-wheel electronic "Anti-Slip Control" system on the Crown. introduced their first traction control systems. Traction control works by providing brakes and throttle to individual wheels to preserve traction during acceleration, but unlike ESC, it is not designed to assist with steering.
In 1990, In Japan, Mitsubishi introduced the Diamante.
It featured a new electronic active track and traction control system.
When it originally reached the market, TCL was its name, The system evolved into the Active Skid and Traction Control (ASTC) system used by Mitsubishi today.
Designed to assist the driver in maintaining the desired line through corners; Through sensors, an onboard computer monitored several vehicle operational characteristics.
When excessive throttle was applied when negotiating a curve, Engine power and braking were automatically adjusted to maintain the correct line around a curve and to give adequate traction under varying road surface conditions.
While conventional traction control systems had simply a slip control capability at the time,, The TCL system from Mitsubishi featured an active safety function, which enhanced performance by automatically altering traction force (called "trace control"), Consequently preventing the formation of excessive lateral acceleration during turns.
Although not a 'proper' modern stability control system, steering angle is monitored through tracing control, accelerator location and wheel speeds, despite the absence of yaw input.
The TCL system's standard wheel slip control function improved traction on slick terrain and during cornering.
In addition to the effect of the system as a whole,, Additionally, it collaborated with the Diamante's electronically controlled suspension and four-wheel steering to enhance the vehicle's overall handling and performance.
BMW, employing Bosch and Continental, 1992 saw the introduction of a technology to decrease engine torque to prevent loss of control on the majority of BMW models, apart from the E30 and E36.
This system was available as part of the winter package, possessed a limited-slip differential, heated seats, in addition to heated mirrors.
Between 1987 and 1992, Mercedes-Benz and Bosch co-developed a system called Elektronisches Stabilitätsprogramm ("Electronic Stability Program", ESP (trademark) to prevent lateral slippage.
In 1995, Three car manufacturers have introduced ESC systems.
Mercedes-Benz, provided by Bosch, was the first to implement ESP with their Mercedes-Benz S 600 Coupé.
StabiliTrak is now standard on all GM SUVs and vans sold in the United States.
North America by 2007, excluding specific commercial and fleet cars.
While the StabiliTrak name is utilized on the majority of General Motors' U.S.-market vehicles, the name is not used internationally.
market, "Electronic Stability Control" is utilized by GM's international brands, include Opel, Holden versus Saab, except for the 9-7X and 9-4X from Saab (which also use the StabiliTrak name).
The Cadillac Eldorado debuted the Integrated Chassis Control System (ICCS), an integrated vehicle handling and software control system, in the same year. It entails a computer integration of the engine, traction control, Stabilitrak electronic stability control, steering, and adaptive continuously variable road sensing suspension (CVRSS), with the goal of enhancing driver input responsiveness, performance, and overall safety, similar to Toyota/Lexus Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management.
Audi produced the first series production ESP for all-wheel drive vehicles (Audi A8 and Audi A6 equipped with quattro) in 1997. On the new Volvo S80, Volvo Cars began offering its version of ESC, termed Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC), in 1998. Others explored and built their own systems in the meantime.
During a test for moose, Swedish journalist Robert Collin of Teknikens Värld rolled a Mercedes A-Class (without ESC) at 78 km/h in October 1997.
Due to Mercedes-promotion Benz's of its reputation for safety, They recalled 130,000 A-Class automobiles and rebuilt them with a stiffer suspension and livelier tires; ESC was standard on all newly manufactured A-class automobiles, along with the revised suspension and wheels.
This resulted in a considerable decline in collisions, As the number of automobiles equipped with electronic stability control increased.
The availability of ESC in compact automobiles such as the A-Class sparked a market trend; thus, ESC became standard on all models (whether standard or as an option).
AdvanceTrac, Ford's version of ESC, was introduced in the year 2000. Later, Ford added Roll Stability Control to AdvanceTrac, which debuted in the 2003 Volvo XC90. Since its implementation in numerous Ford vehicles.
Ford and Toyota declared that by the end of 2009, all of their North American vehicles would be fitted with standard ESC (it was standard on Toyota SUVs as of 2004, and after the 2011 model year, all Lexus, Toyota, and Scion vehicles had ESC; the last one to get it was the 2011 model-year Scion tC).
The market for ESC is expanding rapidly, particularly in European nations like Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. In 2003, 15 percent of new cars sold in Sweden were equipped with electronic stability control. In September 2004, sixteen months after the Swedish road safety agency issued a strong ESC recommendation, 58 percent of vehicles were equipped with the technology. Then, a stronger ESC suggestion was issued, and by December 2004, the purchase rate for new automobiles had reached 69 percent, and by 2008, it had risen to 96 percent. By 2012, the vast majority of new vehicles should be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC), according to proponents of ESC around the world.
The European Union voted to mandate ESC in 2009. Since November 1, 2011, only ESC-equipped vehicles are awarded EU type clearance. ESC has been mandatory on all newly registered vehicles in the EU from November 1, 2014.
The NHTSA mandated that all new passenger vehicles sold in the United States be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC) beginning with the 2012 model year and predicted that it will reduce 5,300-9,600 annual fatalities.
ESC continuously checks steering and vehicle direction during regular driving. It evaluates the difference between the driver's planned direction (given by the steering wheel angle) and the vehicle's actual direction (determined through measured lateral acceleration, vehicle rotation, and individual road wheel speeds).
ESC only intervenes when it senses a likely loss of steering control, such as when the vehicle's direction deviates from the driver's input. This may occur, for instance, when hydroplaning, skidding during emergency evasive maneuvers, understeering or oversteering during poorly judged turns on slick roads, or during emergency swerves. ESC can interfere unintentionally during high-performance driving because steering input is not always indicative of the intended direction of movement (such as during controlled drifting). ESC calculates the direction of the skid and then asymmetrically applies the brakes to individual wheels to create torque about the vehicle's vertical axis, so opposing the skid and bringing the vehicle back into line with the driver's intended path. In addition, the system may restrict engine output or operate the transmission in order to slow the car.
ESC can operate on any surface, from paved roads to frozen lakes.
All ESC makers underline that the system is neither a performance enhancer nor a substitute for proper driving techniques; rather, it is a safety device designed to assist the driver in recovering from hazardous circumstances. ESC does not improve traction, so it does not permit faster cornering (although it can facilitate better-controlled cornering). ESC normally operates within the boundaries of the vehicle's handling and available tire-to-road traction. Still, a careless maneuver can cause loss of control if it exceeds these limits. During hydroplaning, for instance, the wheels that ESC uses to rectify a skid may lose touch with the road surface, diminishing its effectiveness.
Due to the fact that stability control may be incompatible with high-performance driving, many vehicles are equipped with an override switch that allows the system to be partially or completely deactivated. In simple systems, a single button may deactivate all features, whereas more complex systems may include a switch with many positions or may never be completely deactivated.
Due to their capacity to improve vehicle stability and braking, ESC systems frequently boost off-road traction in addition to their on-road functions. Due to the large number of external and internal factors at any one time,...
