Electronic stability control (ESP)
Control electrónico de estabilidad (ESP)
- Date
- 1995 · confidence high
- Place
- Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Credited to
- Bosch (Anton van Zanten) and Mercedes-Benz
- Field
- Movement
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A system that brakes individual wheels and cuts engine power when sensors detect that the car is departing from the intended path. Bosch's ESP debuted on the 1995 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé.
Toyota (TRC/VSC) and BMW launched similar systems between 1992 and 1995; the ESP name, Van Zanten's development and the first mass use are associated with Bosch and Mercedes.
What it led to
- mandatory in the EU and US from 2011-2014
- a marked reduction in skid crashes
- the basis of driver-assistance systems