May 23 2005
Delphi Corp has been awarded two new Electric Power Steering (EPS) programs with a North American OEM totaling more than $400 million in lifetime revenue.
The revenue will be generated over the length of the contracts, which average four years. Details of individual contracts remain confidential at the customer's request.
Higher gas prices, positive market reaction to vehicles with hybrid powertrains, and high domestic sales of trucks and SUVs driving OEM fleet CAFÉ ratings up are all factors that influence the need for technology that can help improve fuel economy on passenger vehicles.
Delphi EPS can help consumers save up to 4 percent at the gas pump while making the total driving experience more fun through better handling.
"Beyond fuel economy, our EPS system helps improve a vehicle's drivability through patented features that help enhance the steering system's response to driver input and the road," said Robert J. Remenar, Delphi Steering President. "This is part of the reason we consistently receive feedback from OEMs stating that the Delphi system is the best performing EPS system they've ever driven."
Delphi EPS provides differentiating features like patented active returnability, active damping, and continuously variable effort steering, all of which make it more fun to drive. In addition, infinite tuning configuration capabilities enable OEM specific steering characteristics that help contribute to desired vehicle personality.
"The tuning capabilities of our EPS system are remarkable. We can put the same system in two different cars and, with a few keystrokes on a laptop, change the driver's feel at the steering wheel from sporty to luxury," said Remenar. "Each of our applications is tuned to reflect the steering feel preferred by our customer for their vehicle."
In general, EPS systems eliminate the pump, hoses, and hydraulic fluids for reduced maintenance and recycling. Fewer parts reduce assembly time by up to four minutes. Development time is reduced via rapid laptop tuning-from eight months to just one week. Safety is improved by maintaining power steering in the event of an engine stall.
In production since 1999, Delphi has produced more than 3.5 million EPS systems for a full range of vehicles from compact to midsize. Delphi's column EPS system is currently featured on five European and three North American vehicles.
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