If Peter Kunsch, a research engineer at Audi, had his way all mechanical and hydraulic car parts would soon be replaced by drive-by-wire electronic control systems.
Typical traditional mechanical components such as the steering column, shafts, pumps, hoses, belts, coolers and master cylinders all add extra weight and thus more fuel consumption to the car. But when it comes to "by wire" technology on safety-relevant parts, the legislator wants to be heard too.
Many of the concept studies shown at recent motor shows have already done away with most mechanical parts, spurred by the trend toward electric drive technology. The electric Audi A2 Concept shown at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show relies completely on electronics and there is no longer any mechanical link between the cockpit and the engine.
Kunsch is particularly proud of the electronic steering in the new Audi. A sensor picks up the movement of the steering, passing it onto an electric motor. This makes the steering column obsolete, allowing the engine to be installed at a lower level and thus improving weight distribution.
"Apart from that the car is much safer because the steering column poses no danger in an accident," says Kunsch. In addition the brake also works "by wire" without complicated hydraulics and within a split second. Drive-by-wire also opens up numerous design options in four-wheel drive vehicles. "When an E-Motor provides power for the rear axle you no longer need a mechanical connection through a central tunnel," says Peugeot spokesman Bernard Voss. The concept was used for the first time in the hybrid version of the 3008 van, saving much space for the interior.
The VW CrossCoupe study, a possible successor to the Tiguan, has an electric motor positioned at the rear. The space normally taken up by the propeller shaft is filled by lithium-ion batteries.
"By wire technology first and foremost makes the designers happy," says Audi engineer Kunsch. "If you don't have mechanical components in your way there is much more room for interior design."
The Nissan design study Pivo3 takes the drive-by-wire technology a step further. The city car is powered by electric engines in the wheel hubs.
Eliminating the necessity to turn the steering or to press the accelerator, the Pivo3 drives by itself, looking for a parking space while the occupants are already shopping or eating somewhere.
Until the car becomes a production reality, the technicians still have to solve numerous problems. Audi's Kunsch says many legalities still have to be clarified "and much convincing still needs to be done." But he is confident that this hurdle too can be overcome because "fly-by-wire" technology is already standard technology in most aircraft today.
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