Better Motoring through Wires?(Column)

Byline: Matt Davis

The Geneva motor show is fast upon us: a very expensive town with maybe six hotel rooms, all costing about a grand a night.

But we love it because it is squeaky-clean Switzerland, it is the unofficial finale to each year's major auto show season, and every heavy-hitting car exec comes to linger for a few days of letting secrets slip over wine-soaked and cigar-smoked meals on the company tab. With the cancellation of the Turin show a few years ago, Geneva has also become the show where all the Italian design groups flash their wares.

Besides new design trends getting the thumbs-up or down, new by-wire technologies-that in turn free up space for design solutions-often have their coming-out here. Bertone has led the way through partnerships with SKF in the Filo concept (2001), the Novanta (2002) and, at Paris 2002, the GM Hy-Wire. Each concept explores the total by-wire driving experiences.

Pininfarina gave us the Osee by-wire-mobile at Geneva in 2001. This year Italdesign-Giugiaro has something electrifying up its sleeve called the Volta-a hybrid that is supercar-fast in top speed and acceleration, and does everything apart from the steering with wires.

The Japanese, typically the leaders in showcasing smart technologies, have been the first to use by-wire throttle and braking in mass production, followed closely by BMW with its shift-by-wire work and by-wire-feeling active steering system. The one technology nobody trusts quite yet is steer-by-wire, since the real-world feedback through mechanical parts of the steering system is highly desirable.

As with all hydrogen/hybrid-type and wired technologies, my question remains: When? Or better yet, when without losing tons of money in the bargain? I ask this because both the Honda Civic hybrid and Toyota Prius cost their respective companies a lot more than ...