electric power steering

[Ray Kawski]

Kieran wrote:

> I believe you are correct and I believe, to Steve's point specifically about Infiniti they were going to come up with a way to 
> try to synthesize the feedback you get with a "connected" steering wheel somehow.  
> Kind of like adding "noise" to an electric car so pedestrians will hear you coming I guess

I drove a Q50 with this and I can't say that I noticed a disconnected feeling from the road.   I can say that some of the stuff it does is quite awesome.    

For example if you are on a highway with ruts in the lanes.    Normally as you got out the rut and onto the high section and back into the rut normal steering would cause the car to pull into the ruts.    The Q50 made it feel FLAT and you didn't over correct because of it.

Another example is if the road had a slight turn to it that you had to keep the wheel slightly off center to go straight.   The system adjusted for this and you would hold the wheel straight.

I didn't notice it to be distracting but actually quite helpful.   Of course I didn't take the car onto a road course but I did abuse it pretty good with the salesman in the car.

I also tested out the crash prevention on accident.   Once getting of an exit  ramp I lifted off the gas and was coasting around the clover leaf.   There was another car in front of me and as I approached it I noticed the car was slowing more than compression braking.     I hovered over the brake pedal while we approached the merge point.     The car in front stopped and so did I with no brake input by me and nothing disruptive.   I commented that was cool and the salesman had no clue as to what had happened.       Now that I knew it worked and worked well I went to the approaching stop light with the goal to test it.     Sure enough red light and the car stopped because the car in front of me did just as if I was driving but I wasn't.     Very cool stuff.

RK