Steering All Vehicle Types with Our Complete EPS Portfolio

If you’ve driven a new vehicle in the past 10 years, you’ve certainly experienced electric power steering (EPS) and its benefits in action. From improving fuel efficiency to increasing ADAS and advanced safety features, OEMs have implemented EPS on a majority of vehicles on the road today – from subcompact cars to EVs, full-size trucks and soon even light commercial vehicles (LCVs) and heavy-duty trucks.

To steer this wide range of vehicle categories means a wide range of EPS systems is needed to steer the wide range of loads of each vehicle type. Beyond simply steering these vehicles, the magic happens when we harness the personality and steering feel of each vehicle and brand – while delivering advanced safety, performance and packaging features.

As a global steering specialist, Nexteer has produced more than 70 million EPS systems for over 60 customers around the world. Our diverse EPS portfolio meets OEM needs for everything from small cars to heavy-duty trucks:

• High Availability EPS – Our award-winning High Availability EPS ensures the steering safety net is always on through built-in backup hardware and software systems. Our EPS system redundancies play an important safety, back-up function as the automotive industry moves toward varying levels of automation.
• High Output EPS – H.O. EPS opens a new hydraulic-to-electric conversion wave for heavy-duty pick-up trucks and commercial vehicles – enabling advanced safety, comfort and fuel economy. With higher rack force capability, this system helps OEMs give heavy-duty truck drivers the safety and comfort benefits typically found only in less expensive light duty trucks.
• Rack Assist EPS – Steering 9 of 10 North American trucks, our REPS is designed for heavier vehicles, such as full-size trucks and performance vehicles, to handle higher front-axle loads and optimize packaging space.
• Dual Pinion Assist EPS – DPEPS, used in larger cars, SUVs and light trucks, allows for the primary pinion to be optimized for vehicle dynamics and performance, while a secondary pinion is optimized for assist. It also provides additional design flexibility to locate the motor, controller and assist mechanism opposite the driver side of the vehicle underhood – offering a cost-efficient option to accommodate EVs’ heavy loads due to battery mass.
• Single Pinion Assist EPS – Nexteer is a global leader in SPEPS, a versatile system for compact to mid-size segments. It expands application range and flexibility and offers greater packaging flexibility, reduced crossbeam strength and stiffness requirements and reduces torsional compliance of driving torque through the column and intermediate shaft assemblies.
• Column Assist EPS – CEPS integrates system electronics and the assist mechanism with the steering column. This system is primarily used on small vehicles, with brush motor column-assist EPS (BEPS) tailored for developing markets.

In our company’s 110+ year history we were once part of a global OEM – which means “vehicle-level thinking” is in our DNA. This system-level approach, coupled with our proven EPS experience, helps our global team move fast, customize solutions and deliver superior systems integration across software and electro-mechanical systems. Our in-house ownership of design, testing and manufacturing also enables industry-leading safety and product reliability – because we personally own the entire process.

EPS Software & Advanced Safety & Performance Benefits

As the industry migrates toward vehicle-level designs that are more defined by software than hardware, we’re using our software and electronics expertise to deliver advanced safety and performance features in safety-critical steering.

Nexteer’s EPS software solutions enable advanced steering capabilities including driver assist features, low FIT levels (meaning built-in back-up redundancies in hardware and software), cyber security and even customized steering feel that can be tailored to an OEM’s brand.

Speaking of driver assist features, our EPS systems enable many of these already on the road today, such as lane keeping, park assist, traffic jam assist, cross-wind compensation, lane departure warning and more. In the future, low FIT steering systems, like Nexteer’s 10 FIT High Availability EPS, are safety-critical for ADAS Levels 3+ applications.

It’s gratifying to know that our EPS technologies touch the lives of millions of drivers around the world – defining their behind-the-wheel experience with safety, comfort, fuel efficiency, value and “feel of the road”.