WABCO, Nexteer Steer Into Agreement

WABCO Holdings Inc., a global supplier of technologies and services for commercial vehicles, announced that it has signed a long-term cooperation agreement with Nexteer Automotive, a global provider of intuitive motion control technology, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich. No financial details were provided, nor was there any indication as to the duration of the agreement.

WABCO said the companies will collaborate to develop and supply active steering systems for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles using Nexteer MagnaSteer actuation technology, a system engineered to provide advanced steering assistance. WABCO and Nexteer will integrate MagnaSteer’s technology with Sheppard’s suite of power steering gears for heavy-duty commercial and specialty vehicles.

As previously disclosed, WABCO has signed an agreement to acquire Sheppard, subject to customary U.S. regulatory clearance. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter.

Through an existing exclusivity agreement between Nexteer and Sheppard, WABCO aims to offer a compact, cost-effective, breakthrough technological solution that enables active steering control for commercial vehicle manufacturers in North America. In addition, WABCO has access to this technology for all medium- and heavy-duty commercial truck markets outside North America. This access is on an exclusive basis, except in China.

“This cooperation agreement marks another key milestone as WABCO advances toward enabling self-driving commercial vehicles,” said Jorge Solis, WABCO President, Truck, Bus and Car Original Equipment Manufacturers Division. “We have a clear line of sight on the fundamental technologies — such as active steering, active braking, electronic stability control and other advanced driver assistance systems — which will enable significant intermediary steps on our industry’s path to realize fully autonomous driving.”

Nexteer’s MagnaSteer is precision engineered for flexibility as a modular design that fully integrates within Sheppard’s gear product line. It also scales efficiently for manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses.