Who invented power steering

What's more, tomorrow's autonomous, self-driving cars will rely on electric power steering, because it allows the car to be steered by an onboard computer system when on automatic pilot. Between the hydraulic and electric types of power steering, there's a hybrid of the two systems called electrohydraulic.

It functions like a hydraulic-assist system, only that the hydraulic pressure is created by an electric motor, rather than driving the pump off the engine. This gets rid of the wasted-energy complaint noted earlier but doesn't enable all of the features possible with electric power steering.

Only a few vehicles, including some heavy-duty pickup trucks, currently use this system. If you're interested in a deep dive into the mechanics of how steering assist is created in either hydraulic or electric power steering systems, check out this Car and Driver technical explainer. Here at Car and Driver, the three major steering characteristics we evaluate in every vehicle we test are effort, response, and feedback.

Two of those—effort and feedback—took a turn for the worse in early EPS systems, which didn't replicate the highly evolved, natural feel-for-the-road imparted by hydraulic systems. This made it hard to sense when a vehicle's tires were running out grip and starting to slip. Although driving enthusiasts like us were, not surprisingly, up in arms about these negative developments , they actually affected all drivers—and still do.

There's a real-world need for vivid feeling through the steering wheel when a vehicle is approaching its limits—say, when it's about to skid on a surface that's slick from rain, snow, or ice. A vehicle with more communicative steering makes for a better-informed, safer, and more confident driver in all situations. However, the good news is that engineers have spent much time and effort through the years evolving electric power steering and creating sophisticated algorithms that faithfully re-create the steering sensations lost after the switch from hydraulic units.

They let you know what the front tires are doing just as faithfully as the old hydraulic steering systems did—which is a very positive development for both cars and their drivers. New Cars. Buyer's Guide. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Sign up.

Main Menu Search driving. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or tap here to see other videos from our team. Metal craftsman creating a coupe that never existed. First Look: Acura Integra prototype isn't surprising, but exciting.

Thanks for signing up! Notice for the Postmedia Network This website uses cookies to personalize your content including ads , and allows us to analyze our traffic. Choose Trim. My Picks. You already have 5 vehicles in your picks. From power windows to glove boxes, it is these components and features that have truly redefined the way we look at modern-day vehicles.

This is why we trace the history of these iconic features so that you know where they come from. Here is everything you need to know about the history of power steering. If you happen to drive a vehicle, you are probably aware of what power steering is.

In other words, power steering is the invention that prevents you from turning the steering of your car over and over again, just to set it in the right position. Instead of you turning the wheel, the job is done through hydraulics and motors. Cars in their early days of development were difficult to steer and shift at the same time. If you wanted to turn left, then you had to physically turn the wheel all the way to the left.

While doing so required the use of excessive force, turning the wheel when the car was stationary was another herculean task back then. Therefore for those who actually wanted to experience the pleasure of driving, this manual turning of the wheel was problematic.

This need led to the patenting of power steering and its advancement into the sophisticated system that we know today. The history of power steering can be traced back to an engineer named Francis Davis, who created the first power steering system back in Davis had spent a major portion of his life figuring out how to make steering easier.

From to 43, Davis acquired five patents, each one for a certain component that became a part of his power steering system. Contracted by General Motors, Davis made improvements on his hydraulic powered steering system; however, his improvised version was never put into the market.