steering wheels for automated driving. At the same time, the
removal of mechanical redundancy raises the bar for safety
and robustness. Functional safety according to ISO 26262 and
DIN 70065, redundant power supply, fail-operational concepts,
and highly reliable actuators are all essential. Another key chal-
lenge is replicating and ideally improving the natural steering
feel drivers expect.
AVL’s Role in Steering Development
AVL entered the field of steering system development through
its expertise in software and controls – and has since expand-
ed into system and function development, safety concepts,
and integration. Today, the company supports both Tier 1
suppliers and OEMs – from established players to new market
entrants. Simulation methods such as Model-, Software-,
Hardware-, and Driver-in-the-Loop (MiL, SiL, HiL, DiL) accel-
erate development and support optimization well before
prototypes are available. “AVL offers a rare combination of
software expertise, advanced simulation, and system inte-
gration – providing a holistic pathway for the development of
steer-by-wire systems,” says Torsten Nager, Skill Team Leader
Vehicle Motion.
Proven in Projects and Demonstrators
One of AVL’s first projects in the steering domain was carried
out with Hyundai and focused on steering feel. Within just a
few weeks, an EPS controller was virtually calibrated from
baseline to near-production level without requiring physical
prototypes. This demonstrated how virtual tools accelerate
development, and it laid the foundation for AVL’s broader activ-
ities in steering.
To make this expertise tangible, AVL equipped an Audi e-tron
with dual steering as a demonstrator vehicle at its headquar-
ters in Graz. It is refined continuously and serves as a develop-
ment platform for software, steering feel, and functional safety
concepts. At the same time, it demonstrates AVL’s steer-by-
wire expertise to existing and potential customers, allowing
them to experience it firsthand.
In addition, AVL is engaged in a variety of successful customer
projects. Examples include:
• Commercial vehicles: development of electrohydraulic rear
axle steering systems for trucks and buses, covering the
full range from Level 1–5 system requirements to function-
al safety up to ASIL D. AVL delivered complete software for
basic and application layers, enabling improved maneuver-
ability and reduced tire wear. Series application is targeted
within the next year.
• Passenger cars: rear-wheel steering and three-motor
torque vectoring was integrated into a central vehicle
motion control architecture, enhancing low-speed agility
and high-speed stability. AVL supports with benchmarking,
target definition, and seamless system integration into
domain-based E/E structures.
• Tier 1 suppliers: long-term collaborations on handwheel
actuator concepts for a steer-by-wire system, including
requirements engineering, functional safety development
(HARA, FMEA, FTA, FSC, TSC), and application software.
AVLs Driver-in-the-loop testbed was used to support the
“hazard and risk analysis” already in a very early stage of
the project.
Enabler for Future Mobility
Looking ahead, steer-by-wire also plays an increasingly im-
portant role in the convergence of steering and its interaction
with vehicle motion control and ADAS/AD. It will allow even
smoother transitions between manual and automated driving,
greater efficiency, and new driving experience opportunities.
AVL is helping turn steer-by-wire from a promising technology
into a mainstream solution for the next generation of vehicles,
by combining profound domain expertise with innovative dem-
onstrators and close customer collaboration.
“Steer-by-wire digitizes steering
and offers completely new
degrees of freedom, from
intuitive driving experience to
storable steering wheel during
automated driving – and AVL
provides the expertise behind
this transformation.”
ERIK BOGNER
Director Product & Business Development
Chassis and Vehicle Motion
2025