ZF has announced that NIO’s flagship electric vehicle, the ET9, will be equipped with its latest generation steer-by-wire system. Following a strategic partnership signed by the companies in 2022, ZF is supplying the steering wheel actuator that supplies steering motion and steering feel, as well as the redundant steering gear actuator and associated software.
The steer-by-wire system has a mechatronic actuator between the wheels as the only source of transmitting steering inputs – there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and steering gear. Steering commands are issued by a steering wheel actuator in the cockpit, which includes a corresponding angle-of-rotation sensor.
A torque feedback unit then reproduces a natural steering feel and gives feedback from the road. The system adjusts the steering ratio individually so that the ratio of the steering wheel angle to the wheel angle is optimally adapted for different driving speeds or situations. The steering feel can be adjusted from a sporty and direct setting, to a comfortable and relaxed feel.
“We are supplying customers with the steering of the future. With our production-ready steer-by-wire steering system, we are launching the era of the software-defined vehicle,” said Dr Peter Holdmann, a member of the board of management at ZF and responsible for the Chassis Solutions Division.
The steer-by-wire technology also opens up the possibility of fitting more compact steering wheels that would not require drivers to change their grip on the wheel when parking, improving manoeuvrability, as the steering wheel angle is reduced when parking or during slow-driving manoeuvres.
“Steer-by-wire technology is a key enabler of software-defined vehicles, offering enhanced driving comfort, uncompromised dynamics, and future-proof technology,” stated Danilo Teobaldi, principal chief engineer at NIO.
