One of the pioneers of Mercedes-Benz’s blossoming all-electric lineup, the Mercedes-Benz EQS has spent a few years on the market as a flagship luxury electric sedan. Now, however, it’s on the cusp of a new generation, and one of the most ambitious technologies to be introduced to the new EQS is an optional steer-by-wire system. That will make the Mercedes-Benz EQS the first production vehicle from a German manufacturer with the technology, and it promises to transform the steering feel and experience of the vehicle.
Once the stuff of science fiction-like pipe dreams, steer-by-wire is on the horizon for the production car world. In the case of the Mercedes-Benz EQS, steer-by-wire allows the driver to intuitively and effortlessly steer without adjusting their grip in various driving and parking maneuvers, and for the vehicle to eliminate vibrations in the steering wheel caused by uneven surfaces, among other benefits.
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Thanks to steer-by-wire, the design of the steering wheel for the Mercedes-Benz can be changed for drivers who opt for the system, with a flatter shape that allows more space for the driver, improves the view of the instrument display, and improves ingress and egress. In addition, the system combines with the innovations of rear-axle steering to make the EQS incredibly agile.
The system has endured over 600,000 miles of testing on tracks and in road traffic, and uses redundant architecture, advanced sensors, and more to ensure its safety. To accommodate the new steering wheel design, a new airbag has also been developed, and painstakingly so, to meet the highest safety standards from Mercedes-Benz. As the manufacturer celebrates 140 years since Carl Benz invented the production automobile, Mercedes-Benz is continuing to bring cutting-edge innovation to its lineup, including steer-by-wire, which is coming to the new EQS.
Image Source: Mercedes-Benz
