Ford Motor Co. is upgrading the electronic stability control system on its 2011 Ford Explorer to help the SUV perform better if a driver takes a curve too quickly.
The curve control system uses the same sensors as Ford's stability control system, which monitors the steering wheel angle, wheel speed, tilt of the vehicle and other inputs 100 times per second. Stability control cuts the engine's power and applies the brakes to individual wheels if it senses a driver going off-course. Curve control adds another layer of monitoring and can cut power even more quickly if it senses the SUV isn't turning as fast as the driver wants it to. Curve control will be able to drop the Explorer's speed by as much as 10 miles per hour in a second.
The system will be standard on the Explorer, which comes out late this year. Ford plans to add it to 90 percent of its North American crossovers, sport utility vehicles, trucks and vans by 2015.
Curve control will complement, but not override, a driver's own braking action, said Tony Rendi, Ford's manager for brake controls. When a driver hits the brakes, curve control can add more pressure to the individual brakes that are most needed. The system also can react more quickly than a driver can.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9GK1T681.htm
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