The Evolution of Power Steering

What is power steering? Power steering is a system in a vehicle that helps turn the steering wheel. This technology has been around for several decades and has evolved over time to become more reliable and efficient in modern vehicles. 

While power steering is a standard feature in most vehicles now, in the past, it was only found in luxury cars. In the 1950s, the first power steering system introduced was called hydraulic power steering.

Instead of manually steering the wheel, this new system used hydraulic pressure to assist the driver in turning the wheels. There proved to be a few drawbacks with the hydraulic power steering system because it required a good amount of regular maintenance and was bad for fuel efficiency because it weighed down the car. However, overally, this complex system was the start to making steering easier. 

In the 1980s, the hydraulic pump was replaced with an electric motor. The electric power steering system required less maintenance and was compact and lighter. The electric power steering system solved the manual steering problem. Today, most vehicles have it installed as a standard feature. This evolution of power steering to where it is today has made driving more efficient, reliable, and easier.