In March 1995, Mercedes-Benz introduced the Electronic
Stability Program ESP®.
Alongside the seat belt,
airbag and ABS, the Daimler invention is by far the most
significant safety system of modern passenger cars and over
the years has helped to save the lives of several thousand
people. ESP® has been mandatory for new passenger cars in
Europe since November 2011.
It was with ABS (1978)
and acceleration skid control (1985) that safety pioneer
Mercedes-Benz began to control dynamic driving processes
with electronic systems for the first time. The next step
followed in 1995: additional sensors that recognise the
driver's directional intentions (steering angle sensor)
and whether the car is sliding sideways (lateral acceleration
sensor), or is in the process of rotating around its own
vertical axis (yaw rate sensor), provided the basis for
the Electronic Stability Program ESP®. From March, this
worldwide innovation was fitted as standard on the S 600
(C 140) luxury Coupé. A few months later came its application
in the S-Class Saloon (W 140) and the SL Roadster (R 129).
The V12 models had the safety system as standard, while
for the V8 models of this series it was initially available
as an option.
However, it was in 1997 that the rapid
spread of safety technology began: a Swedish car tester
exceeded the critical limits of driving dynamics by causing
the new compact A-Class to overturn during an abrupt evasive
manoeuvre ("Elk test"). What at first seemed to be a setback
for Mercedes-Benz became a triumph: in 1997 the company
systematically made ESP® standard equipment – first for
the A-Class, then for all its models. All the other manufacturers
had to follow suit: following a directive by the European
parliament and the Council dated 13 July 2009, it has been
mandatory to equip all passenger cars and light commercial
vehicles newly registered in the EU with ESP® as standard
since November 2011.
"Alongside the seat belt, the
airbag and ABS, ESP® is by far the most significant safety
system of modern passenger cars", stresses Prof. Dr Thomas
Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and
responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.
The introduction of ESP® was a significant step towards
reducing accident rates: according to estimates made as
early as 2008 by accident researchers of the German Insurance
Association (GDV), if all cars had been fitted with such
a stability program then each year in Germany alone around
37,000 accidents resulting in injuries and 1100 accidents
resulting in deaths could have been completely avoided or
their consequences significantly reduced. Based on these
figures, ESP® has already helped to save the lives of several
thousand people throughout Europe.
Support in critical
situations: how ESP® works ESP® helps the driver in situations
in which he or she risks losing control of the vehicle.
If it detects a critical dynamic driving situation, it specifically
applies the brakes to one or more wheels according to the
situation and requirements. In addition, if the system detects
it to be necessary, the engine torque is automatically adapted.
In this way, ESP® helps the driver to stabilise the vehicle
once again – particularly when cornering and in sudden evasive
manoeuvres.
At the heart of the stability program
is a yaw rate measurement unit. It constantly monitors the
movement of the vehicle around its vertical axis and compares
the actual value which is measured against the specified
value, based on the steering input of the driver and the
speed. As soon as the vehicle deviates from this ideal line,
ESP® intervenes and controls any skidding movements as soon
as they arise.
Smooth intervention, new functions:
how ESP® has advanced A quicker and more finely dosed
build-up of brake pressure, a control unit with greater
processing power, more compact components, new algorithms
– in two decades ESP® has been continually enhanced. A key
milestone was the introduction of electric power steering:
while only brake intervention and a reduction in engine
torque were possible up until this point, from 2005 steering
input also began to play a helping hand in vehicle stabilisation.
However, it is in the area of the fine-tuning of
the ESP® system that the most noticeable advances have been
made for car drivers: whereas the electronics of the first
A-Class were still somewhat radical in bringing it to a
virtual standstill, in the meantime ESP® has been developed
to intervene in a very cautious manner, keeping the vehicle
on the road with minimal loss of speed.
And the
3-stage-ESP® of the sporty Mercedes-AMG models even boasts
tailor-made transmission modes: with "ESP ON", "SPORT Handling
Mode" and "ESP OFF", the dynamics of the vehicle can be
modified at the press of a button.
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