Rear Wheel Steering Solution Driving the European Adaptive Steering Market

Advancements in Steering Technology and Migration Toward Automated Vehicles to Diminish Demand for Adaptive Front Wheel Steering

While the automotive sector strives toward automated driving, certain segments within the industry are expected to witness a drastic shift in demand, technological development, and deployment. One such segment is steering. While the pace of innovation in automated driving has slowed due to COVID-19, the gradual transition toward the development of a vehicle with a driver out of the loop is imminent. Adaptive steering, which has gained traction primarily among premium end vehicles, is expected to be affected by such developments. While the short term focuses on semi-automated vehicles, this offers a window of opportunity for steering technologies, especially for adaptive front steering (AFS), which will have to compete with developments in other technologies such as steer-by-wire.

The basic adaptive steering mechanism comprises obtaining the vehicle speed data from the sensors and through its actuators enhance or reduce the front steering ratio or provide rear-wheel angular movement, depending on the availability of the technology in the vehicle. This not only improves the comfort and maneuverability in urban conditions but also offers directional stability while making lateral displacements at high speeds.

AFS varies the steering ratio in only the front wheels, while rear-wheel steering (RWS) offers rear-wheel angular movements that either turn in the opposite or same direction of the front wheels, depending on the vehicle's speed. All-wheel steering (AWS), on the other hand, is a combination of AFS and RWS, offering the functionalities of both systems.

This report deep dives into each type of adaptive steering and provides a comprehensive analysis of the technologies. It analyzes the market trends in Europe and discusses their impact on the growth and performance of each type of adaptive steering solution. The report also includes OEM competitive aspects such as technology penetration forecast by OEM and vehicle segment.

Key Issues Addressed

• How is the adaptive steering market forecast to grow and the key trends expected to impact growth?
• How are the take-up rates of various adaptive steering types projected to evolve between 2019 and 2030?
• Which are the vehicle segments forecast to lead the adaptive steering market growth?
• Which are the OEMs currently offering adaptive steering, and what is their market share?
• What are the types of adaptive steering OEMs offer and in which segments of their vehicle line-up?