Cartorque vol 8 - ‘Steer-by-wire: How much do you trust it?’
The rise of the use of electronics in the automobile has undoubtedly risen steadily since the birth of the car itself.
For instance, the electric handbrake is an example that has been implemented for a while now. Renault, BMW, and Lancia introduced the idea to the mainstream production market in 2001 according to Autoexpress. Fast forwarding to more recent times, larger components are now getting the electric treatment and none have caused quite the stir in the car community than the likes of steer-by-wire. It was first introduced in 2013 by Infinity and has been thrusted into CarTorque around the world more recently (see what I did there). The reason for the debate is not hard to see, in a world where mainstream manufacturers are seemingly obsessed with making everything electronic, how much do you trust electric components over mechanical?
The word 'trust' is the important lexical choice in that question as the first and most glaring problem raised with drive-by- wire is there is a concern of no mechanical fallback if the system fails. No need to go into detail for why that is an issue. It's not only your regular bump in the road that could cause this in a steer-by-wire system either, electrical faults and software bugs are something that bares being aware of. Cybersecurity is also a concern, with multiple sources saying that particularly 'connected' cars are at risk of cyberattack. Not something that gets checked over on your yearly service.
To add to this, if your drive-by-wire system were to go sideways, kiss goodbye to trying to mend that yourself with your family heirloom of a toolkit. You're dragging yourself down to the local dealer for a hefty fee, another blow to the right to repair debate.
Perhaps most importantly for people like us, is the reduction of mechanical feedback from the road. Feeling how the car is reacting to the road surface is replaced by artificial replication as the steering wheel is no longer physically connected to the wheels of the car. Pair this with the electric handbrake which would of undoubtedly been fitted and your sense of control over the vehicle is reduced tenfold. Something which is annoying for enthusiasts like us but also could pose an genuine danger for the everyday driver when put in low traction conditions.
I'm not here to completely bash electric steering and handbrakes though. It's an interesting direction and an idea that certainly holds appeal for some people that don't have as much of a concern for the reliability...or the safety...or the control...or the maintenance. Joking aside, it's a direction that's relatively new in the grand scheme and thus has teething pains like anything else in its infancy. If the car companies of the world can get it nailed, it does have its benefits. Weight reduction for one, hence improving fuel efficiency and power to weight ratio. From a more practical standpoint, which can be usually overlooked, it promises more flexibility for interior design by removing all the steering linkages usually present. Something which certainly appeals to your everyday car buyer.
So we've arrived at a rather unsatisfying end to the question: it depends but if you want to be sure, wait. Despite being introduced over 10 years ago now on production vehicles it simply hasn't had the attention to progress enough to inspire confidence in the average driver.
Sean Isaac
Writer
