Bendix’s German parent company Knorr-Bremse is making an acquisition to position it for future autonomous vehicle technology.

Knorr-Bremse is taking over tedrive Steering Systems, also a German-based company, which adds “state-of-the-art” steering systems to its portfolio. Tedrive Steering’s intelligent Hydraulic Steering Assist (iHSA) technology, with electric steering actuation, was developed with a view to meeting the demands of autonomous driving in commercial vehicles.

“For us as a manufacturer of braking systems, entering the steering market is the logical next step in expanding our systems expertise,” explained Peter Laier, Member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG responsible for the Commercial Vehicle Systems division. “Through the smart connection of systems and subsystems we will be able to generate added value for our customers, be they commercial vehicle manufacturers or operators, in the development, production and operation of their vehicles.

“This is particularly important against the backdrop of increasingly widespread driver assistance systems and the automation of driving functions – developments that not only offer greater safety but also reduce total vehicle operating costs,” he continued.

He noted that Knorr-Brense’s new generation of Global Scalable Brake Control products is designed to support the complex control procedures required for autonomous driving.

“Together with the steering expertise of tedrive, this core competency of Knorr-Bremse opens up additional opportunities to supply our customers with highly integrated and efficient system solutions.”

Autonomous driving requires control of longitudinal and lateral vehicle dynamics independent of driver input. Today, Knorr-Bremse’s electronic brake control systems already control longitudinal motion and at the same time ensure the dynamic stability of the vehicle. In combination with iHSA, in the future Knorr-Bremse says, it will be able to offer extended automated driving functions such as active lane-keeping on highways, platooning, or autonomous yard maneuvering.