Electronic Stability Control (ESC) in Cars and How it Works | Tata AIG Blog (2024)

• Electronic stability control in cars, also known as electronic stability programmes, is a traction control system that assists cars in maintaining stability when braking or manoeuvring on the road.
• Imagine you come across an obstacle on the road suddenly.
• You first brake to slow down your car, take a swift turn to avoid obstruction, and then get back on your lane to avoid going off the road.
• If you perform all these manually, the car will lose control without ESC and cause an accident.
• Automobile manufacturers mount sensors to critical parts of ESC-enabled vehicles, such as the steering wheel and the tyres, which are in connection with an onboard computer that monitors whether the car responds to driver inputs continuously.
• As in the previous scenario, the ESC engages the ABS, which applies individual brakes and adjusts the power output.
• This allows the driver to react more quickly and maintain control of the car using the available traction.

• Accidents can happen without warning, and road conditions can change in seconds.
• Humans cannot control many things in situations like these, such as how the car reacts to forces, the loss of friction on wet or icy surfaces, etc.
• Still, we can predict these situations and prepare accordingly.
• A stability control system in your car makes all the difference between life and death, resulting from meticulous planning and engineering.
• Driving through otherwise challenging environments is made easier with the assistance of stability systems.
• In the United States, Canada, and Europe, ESC Control car has been made a mandatory requirement in cars.
• Stability Control and Traction Control are also available on premium cars in India.

In cars, ESC helps you control oversteer and understeer when cornering or making sudden manoeuvres. The system manipulates individual wheels' brakes and engine throttle to avoid spinning or ploughing out. Below are the points that explain how this safety feature works.

• With wheel speed sensors and steering inputs, the ESC monitors the wheel speed constantly as soon as you start the car.
• The ESC automatically activates a driver who loses control of the vehicle if the sensors detect that.
• To correct oversteer or understeer, the oversteer or understeer correction system releases or engages the brakes of each wheel.
• The ESC steers it in that direction by increasing the pressure on the brakes on one side of the car.
• Through the yaw control sensor, the system monitors the skidding direction. The vehicle remains in line with the driver's steering inputs by applying brakes on individual wheels asymmetrically.
• A driver applying too much throttle will also cause the electronic stability control to reduce engine power.

Cars will activate ESC in the following situations.

• The ESC is activated when you lose the steering control in a car. As you turn the steering wheel, the system monitors your inputs continuously.
• Suppose the driver steers the vehicle in a different direction than the car is heading. In such cases, the ESC will then activate and correct the vehicle's course or prevent/minimize skidding.
• Additionally, the system will start if the driver, in an emergency situation, suddenly turns the steering wheel too much. ESC will activate to correct the course of the car. Overcorrecting is a manoeuvre of this type.
• A slippery road surface can cause over-correcting when the vehicle oversteers or understeers.

The ESC safety feature has the following advantages.

• The efficiency of ESC is one of its most significant advantages. Without requiring human intervention, it applies brakes individually to each wheel.
• By preventing the car from skidding, it prevents serious accidents. It is also possible for a vehicle to roll over if it skids out of control. Averting such incidents is possible with ESC.
• Under adverse driving conditions, it serves as a driver assistance feature. During slippery road conditions, stability control can assist you in regaining control of your vehicle.
• In an emergency, ESC can keep your car under control even when you try to steer or brake hard.

Listed below are some of the disadvantages of ESC.

• ESC does not improve cornering performance, even though it is a critical safety feature.
• The tire design is for controlled cornering, so it will not help when cornering at high speed.
• Since it can't increase traction when driving spiritedly, it won't help you corner faster. This is a common problem with electronic stability control.
• When driving aggressively in a closed environment, the system may interfere unnecessarily.
• ESCs will not allow you to drift on a race track. Some cars, however, have the option to disable stability control partially or entirely.
• There may be a tendency for the driver to push the car beyond its limits after the activation of ESC.
• However, if the cornering speed is too high, the safety feature may not be able to help you. You will eventually lose control of the car if you push over the limit.

The following are the popular cars in India with ESC.

• Maruti Swift
• Volkswagen Polo
• Kia Seltos
• MG Astor
• Tata Altroz
• Mahindra XUV300
• Hyundai Creta
• MG Hector
• Hyundai i20
• Hyundai Venue
• Maruti Baleno
• Tata Harrier
• Tata Nexon
• Kia Sonet
• Nissan Magnite
• Toyota Fortuner
• Mahindra Thar
• Hyundai Alcazar
• Mahindra XUV700
• Honda City 5th-Gen

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