If there were a platinum record for selling electric power steering units, then
Nexteer Automotive would have a few hanging on the wall right now.
The company, based in Saginaw, recently announced that it has shipped its 15 millionth electric power steering unit. The company has been manufacturing the units since 1999 and noted in a press release that all of the units combined have helped cars save more than 1.3 billion gallons of fuel.
"This is an exciting time of growth and innovation for Nexteer Automotive," says Mike Richardson, senior vice president of engineering and global strategy. "Less than 10 years ago EPS represented four percent of our sales, last year it was nearly 30 percent and by 2015 we're looking at well over half of Nexteer sales attributed to electric power steering units. Whether operating in emerging markets or leading technical innovation, we are quickly expanding into areas previously dominated by hydraulic steering systems in an effort to make the world's automobiles both more adaptive and efficient."
Within the United States, automakers continue to adapt to meet new government fuel economy regulations for the 2016 model year when new-vehicle fleet averages will be required to reach 35.5 miles per gallon. By replacing hydraulic steering systems with electric power steering, fuel economy is improved by up to six percent, making its implementation a primary method of delivering improved fuel efficiency.
The power steering systems were previously limited to compact and subcompact cars, however Nexteer recently became the first supplier to breach the full-size pickup market by implementing a high performance 12-volt system in the 2011 Ford F-150. This breakthrough, the company hopes, will lead the way for Nexteer's electric power steeringto be standard on more than 90 percent of North American full-size pickups by 2013. Additionally, Nexteer equipped the 2011 Ford Mustang with an electric power steering unit, making it the world's first muscle car to make the switch to a highly refined electric steering system.
Writer: Sam EgglestonSource: Mike Richardson, Nexteer Automotive
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