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TRW is launching a belt-driven electric power steering (EPS) system. It will feature on US models in 2008 and European models in 2009.

Belt drive steering, or “rack drive”, improves the fuel efficiency of vehicles with higher rack loads. These are vehicles that are either heavier or have poor steering geometry due to packaging constraints.

The system is suitable for hybrid versions of SUVs, minivans and light trucks. It can make the most of the regenerated electricity and can provide greater functionality and integration.

TRW engineering director Dieter Fehlings said: “It’s easy to adapt to modern vehicle crash structures. Its open architecture can offer the possibility of integrating future safety-related support functions and comfort functions such as automated parallel parking.”

TRW’s EPS can provide rack-assist forces of 11kN, far more than its current column-drive EPS system. Its power consumption is just 10 per cent of an equivalent hydraulic system.