30th
November 2007 - WABCO Welcomes
Pending EU Mandate on Electronic Stability Control (ESC) for Heavy
Trucks and Buses
WABCO Holdings today
announced its support of the UN/ECE (United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe) agreement that paves the way for new EU legislation
mandating electronic stability control (ESC) systems for certain
categories of heavy truck/trailer combinations and touring coaches. The
agreement allows the EU to make ESC a mandatory requirement by reference
to UN/ECE braking Regulation 13, which will require new vehicles to be
fitted with ESC systems starting in 2010.
"We are proud to have
brought the first ESC systems to market in 2001 and to have participated
in the UN/ECE working group on braking," said WABCO chief executive
officer Jacques Esculier. "We are confident that this agreement will
help expedite the introduction of similar requirements in other parts of
the world," he added. According to the European Commission*, Regulation
13 which is widely accepted in many parts of the world, promotes
harmonization of standards and encourages the wider use of ESC systems,
even in countries where they may not be a mandatory requirement.
WABCO pioneered commercial
vehicle ESC in 2001 when it offered the system as an option on the
company's electronic braking system (EBS). The company is one of the
leading providers of electronic braking, stability, suspension and
transmission control systems for the commercial vehicle industry. Today,
less than 10 percent of all new heavy trucks and buses in Europe are
equipped with electronic stability controls.
Stability control systems
help drivers to maintain control of their vehicles in a variety of
potentially dangerous situations by automatically taking corrective
action, for example during sudden lane changes or while cornering at
excessive speed. They can help prevent truck-trailer combinations from
rolling-over, skidding or jack-knifing. Stabilization of the vehicle is
achieved by selective braking on each wheel while simultaneously
reducing engine power.
WABCO has a strong track
record of technology leadership and pioneered many of the industry's
most important innovations focused on improving the performance, safety
and efficiency of commercial vehicles. These include anti-lock braking
systems (ABS) developed in cooperation with Daimler in 1981,
electronically controlled air suspension (ECAS) systems, automated
manual transmission controls, electronic braking systems (EBS) and a
range of stability control systems.
WABCO Stability Control
Systems
Roll Stability Control (RSC)
is integral to the anti-lock braking system (ABS). An accelerometer is
mounted directly to the electronic control unit (ECU) to monitor the
vehicle's lateral acceleration. The RSC system focuses on a vehicle's
center of gravity, wheel speed, and the lateral acceleration threshold
where rollover may occur. When critical lateral acceleration thresholds
are exceeded, RSC intervenes by reducing engine torque, engaging the
engine retarder and automatically applying the drive axle and trailer
brakes. The deceleration resulting from the intervention reduces the
vehicle speed and rollover threshold allowing improved maneuverability
and stability.
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) combines the features of the company's RSC system with added yaw
(horizontal-plane rotation) sensing. This improves the vehicle handling
and performance if there is an impending loss of control due to
rotational forces. These forces may occur as a result of rapid lane
change, or cornering maneuvers on slippery surfaces.
Roll Stability Support (RSS)
is an independent system for trailers and offers electronic assistance
to reduce the likelihood of rollover. The technology is integrated in
the trailer ABS system, requiring no additional hardware. Similar to RSC,
RSS focuses on the lateral acceleration, wheel speed, and monitoring the
critical lateral acceleration limit threshold. If this limit is
exceeded, the trailer brakes are automatically applied helping to reduce
the vehicle's speed.
While stability enhancement
systems provide additional driver assistance, no system can prevent loss
of control, or rollover in all driving conditions. It remains the
responsibility of the driver to ensure that the physical limits of the
vehicle are not exceeded.
About WABCO
WABCO is one of the world's
leading providers of electronic braking, stability, suspension and
transmission control systems for heavy duty commercial vehicles.
Customers include the world's leading commercial truck, trailer and bus
manufacturers. Founded in the U.S. in 1869 as Westinghouse Air Brake
Company, WABCO was acquired by American Standard in 1968 and spun off in
2007. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, WABCO employs more than 7,000
people in 34 offices and production facilities worldwide. In 2006,
WABCO's total sales were $2 billion. WABCO is a publicly traded company
and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock symbol WBC.
Web site:
www.wabco-auto.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information contained in
this press release contains forward-looking statements, which are based
on management's good faith expectations and belief concerning future
developments. These forward-looking statements are subject to the
inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions.
Certain factors could cause actual results and conditions to differ
materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements, and
some of these factors are enumerated in WABCO's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission
Source: Test