Bendix reports continued growth of its stability system within the market

Sales for Bendix's ESP Electronic Stability Program continue to grow as more OEMs and fleets integrate the technology into their vehicles.

With more than 375,000 units delivered, the Bendix ESP Electronic Stability Program continues to drive adoption of full-stability technology. The production milestone reflects five straight years of strong, growing sales of the Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC technology – the first full-stability solution widely available for the commercial vehicle market.

“When Bendix launched ESP 10 years ago, our confidence in the system was backed by several years of rigorous and repeated testing in all road and weather conditions,” says TJ Thomas, Bendix Director of Marketing and Customer Solutions, Controls group. “Every year since then, more fleets, manufacturers and drivers have also discovered that confidence firsthand, through the improved highway safety, performance and value that full-stability provides.”

Bendix, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of active safety and braking solutions for commercial vehicles, introduced ESP in 2005. Although it took six years to reach 100,000 units sold, that mark was tripled in the subsequent three-year period as OEMs and fleets sought the technology to help improve driver and highway safety.

In late 2014, Blue Bird Corporation added Bendix ESP as a factory-installed option, making it the first North American school bus manufacturer to offer stability technology. And earlier this year, Motor Coach Industries (MCI), the leading intercity coach manufacturer in the United States and Canada, also announced the availability of Bendix ESP on its vehicles.

Mack and Volvo offer Bendix ESP as standard equipment on their highway tractors, and it comes standard on the majority of Peterbilt Motor Company’s Class 8 trucks and tractors as well. Other manufacturers offering the Bendix ESP system include International, Kenworth, and Prevost. Bendix ESP is also available for more than 80% of all medium-duty chassis configurations at PACCAR and Navistar. Fleets equipping Bendix ESP include Prime Inc., one of North America’s most successful refrigerated, flatbed, and tanker trucking companies; U.S. Xpress Enterprises, the nation’s second largest privately owned truckload carrier; and Saia LTL Freight, a top 10 carrier in the LTL sector with coverage in 34 states.

“Fleets and manufacturers require vehicles that meet a wide range of application needs,” Thomas says, “but no matter the situation, vehicle safety, performance and reliability are the highest priorities – and Bendix ESP delivers on all three.”

Full-stability technology uses more sensors than roll-only stability systems, creating a more comprehensive system capable of addressing both roll and directional stability. These additional sensors enable the unit to more quickly recognize factors that could lead to truck rollovers or loss of control. On dry surfaces, this means full-stability systems recognize and mitigate conditions that could lead to rollover and loss-of-control situations sooner than roll-only options. Full-stability technology also functions in a wider range of driving and road conditions than roll-only systems, including snowy, ice-covered and slippery surfaces.

When paired with a trailer equipped with the Bendix  TABS-6 Advanced trailer roll stability system, Bendix ESP helps optimize stability protection, since the systems together address a wider range of potential rollover scenarios and apply more braking power during system interventions.

Bendix ESP also serves as the foundation for Bendix advanced active safety technologies, including:

  • Bendix Wingman Advanced – A Collision Mitigation Technology, which combines both adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation to help drivers mitigate or reduce the intensity of potential rear-end collision situations; and
  • Bendix Wingman Fusion, a newly launched technology that fully integrates radar, camera, and brakes to offer groundbreaking new features, including stationary vehicle braking, as well as overspeed alerts and action.

Full stability may soon be a mandated technology, as the final rule on the systems for Class 7 and Class 8 tractors is expected from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in May 2015.

“Responsibility for the safe operation of the vehicle remains with the driver at all times. No technology – no matter how advanced – is as important as continuous, proactive driver training and alert, safe drivers practicing safe driving habits,” Thomas says. “Systems providing full stability and collision mitigation are designed to assist drivers, not replace them. Working in tandem, safe drivers equipped with today’s most advanced safety technologies represent the industry’s front-line effort to help make highway travel safer for everyone.”

The Bendix ESP full-stability system is part of the ever-growing Bendix portfolio of technologies that deliver on safety, plus other areas critical to fleets’ success. By improving vehicle performance and efficiency and providing unparalleled post-sales support, Bendix aims to strengthen returns on investment in equipment and technology, helping fleets and drivers lower their total costs of vehicle ownership, and enhancing roadway safety.

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