[RahulNagaraj]

Toyota is said to be working on a new steer-by-wire system for its future models. The new steer-by-wire system is expected to debut on the Lexus RZ450e electric crossover in a few years' time.

The steer-by-wire system itself isn't new and was first seen on the Infiniti Q50 almost 10 years back. However, the new system from Toyota is said to be significantly different from that on the Infiniti Q50. Where the Q50 came with a traditional steering system as backup, Toyota is planning to do away with the conventional system entirely. The Japanese brand plans to remove the steering shaft and instead control the vehicle's steering with just some wiring.



According to reports, the system starts out regularly with the wheels connected to a rack and pinion gear. The pinion gear though is further connected to an electric motor rather than a connecting shaft. The electric motor receives signals via wires connected to the steering wheel. Since there is no physical contact between the wheel and the rack, the steering ratio can be continuously variable. This allows Toyota & Lexus to take advantage of the system, especially on models like the RZ450e and BZ4X which gets a yoke-like steering.

Yushi Higashiyama, Assistant Chief Engineer for the Lexus RZ, stated that one of the reasons to implement steer-by-wire tech in the new RZ450e is to allow the steering system to keep up with the improvement in accelerator and vehicle movement response. He further added that the new tech isn't being added just to be new, but it's being implemented to help the carmaker prepare themselves for future applications.

Source: Road&Track

Link to Team-BHP news

[Kosfactor]

GM introduced a concept like this in 2002.

Drive by wire everything, skateboard drivetrain and what not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpItEOZw3kA

I guess Kodak was not the only company of that sort.

[rohitoasis]

Engineering explained video giving a brief intro. He also touches on the obvious flaws we know of total disconnect. But it is good to know that Lexus has spent lots of brainpower to make it much more intuitive than we could have considered. The amount of redundancies shown is mind boggling. They seem to have even programmed in steering jitters when going over bumps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agMrewRJTow

For a daily user, it might take some time to adjust to being disconnected between the steering and the wheels. Gran Turismo generation might be at home with such steering i guess.

This car is still in prototype stage and i am sure Japanese would spend years perfecting this system further.

[ganeshsp]

Sounds so cool. Not trying to sound pessimistic, however, once my car's window suffered a malfunction because of a rat bite; I still managed to drive though. God forbid if it is going to be the Toyota Steering!!

[jinojohnt]

I am so worried about rats chewing out the steering wire more than half way through and then the wire snaps while you drive.

[kadanaJ]

Yushi Higashiyama, Assistant Chief Engineer for the Lexus RZ, stated that one of the reasons to implement steer-by-wire tech in the new RZ450e is to allow the steering system to keep up with the improvement in accelerator and vehicle movement response. He further added that the new tech isn't being added just to be new, but it's being implemented to help the carmaker prepare themselves for future applications.

From what it sounds like, this is not going to be a standard in all Toyota cars.

No need to worry folks, your Fortuner's and Innova's will, in all probability, still come with a good ol' fashioned connecting shaft.

It seems that this tech will be more useful for performance cars, where being able to adjust the steering electronically may come with certain advantages (if tuned well, could possibly offer greater control).

Even more likely, it's intended use is for autonomous vehicles so that the tyres can turn without the need to move the steering wheel.

[ds.raikkonen]

This is similar to the time when car makers were trying to remove mechanical connections in the braking system and replacing it with hydraulic mechanism.

In one of Jay Leno's Garage episodes, he explained how hard the manufacturers tried to convince buyers that the hydraulic system would be better than the mechanical linkage braking system. Cadillac even gave a gauge to show the brake force being applied! Things do move on in the end once buyers become familiar with the system.

When I moved from a 3 pedal car to a 2 pedal one, I trained my left leg to do the braking instead of keeping it redundant and initially it was tricky but eventually it became 'normal' for me to do so.

[Gummybear]

Why not go wireless? Tech is already there, drones are steered remotely, same should be possible to adapt and enhance for wireless car steering.