Mercedes is the first German manufacturer to introduce steer-by-wire steering from 2026. The steer-by-wire technology eliminates the mechanical link between the steering wheel and the wheels offering a new steering feel and is compatible with all-wheel steering.
Steer-by-wire steering no longer requires a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels, steering commands are transmitted via a cable, ‘by wire’ as the name suggests.
Steer-by-wire steering offers a new experience for the driver with many advantages:
– improved agility
– easier parking as steering effort is reduced and there is no need to move hands on the steering wheel
– it is compatible with all-wheel steering where, on some Mercedes models, the steering angle is up to 10 degrees.
– is also compatible with variable-ratio steering
– since there is no direct contact between the steering wheel and the wheels, and therefore between the steering wheel and the road surface, no vibrations on the poor roads are transmitted to the steering wheel.
From an interior design point of view, the steer-by-wire steering allowed:
– Creating a flatter steering wheel, which gives the driver more room and better visibility of the digital instrument cluster.
– The flat steering wheel allows easier access into the car thanks to the flat lower surface.
– In combination with autonomous driving systems, the driver can have a more relaxed driving position. Some Mercedes models including the S-Class and EQS have Level 3 autonomous driving systems.
How does steer-by-wire work?
Depending on the driving speed and situation, an actuator on the steering wheel (steering feedback unit; SFU) sends the driver’s steering signal to the steering rack (steering rack unit; SRU), which steers the wheels. The SFU also generates the steering feel typical of Mercedes-Benz. Since the mechanical decoupling of the steering wheel and wheels eliminates steering torque, the tire-road contact is calculated on a model-by-model basis with the help of the restoring forces of the steered wheels.
Steer-by-wire steering is present on several cars today such as the Tesla Cybertruck, the Lexus RZ450e, and the Nio ET9. The system used by the Nio ET9 is developed by ZF and is compatible with all-wheel steering. Mercedes doesn’t mention in the press release whether its steer-by-wire steering system is of its own design or is taken from ZF.
Mercedes did not announce the models that will get the new steer-by-wire system but looking at the official spy pictures with EQS, we believe that Mercedes EQS will be the first. The steer-by-wire system is more compatible with the electric cars and at the same time, it could be a selling point for EQS which registered weak sales.
We believe that the Mercedes S-Class will also get a steer-by-wire system with the occasion of the 2026 facelift.