Down to the wire

摘要

Drive-by-wire technology, which promises the biggest revolution in car design since the synchromesh gearbox, won't be with us until the turn of the decade. The big car makers and suppliers agree that technical reliability and regulatory obstacles will need to be overcome, and consumer attitudes change, before steering columns and hydraulic brakes can be phased out altogether. But development won't be standing still. It's 25 years since we first saw anti-lock brakes, and eight since electronic stability control appeared (as ESP on the Smart and Mercedes A-Class). With stability control now fitted to one in two cars made in Germany ― in France it's one in five, the UK one in 12 ― component suppliers are seeking ways to use developments of the technology to offer big car makers new driver aids.