By-wire will be a gradual rollout

INSIDE LINE

CSM WORLDWIDE

While news about drive-- by-wire systems (also known as x-by-wire) continues to fill the industry journals, expectations have yet to meet reality. The current electric or hydroelectric systems, sometimes incorrectly defined as x-by-wire, are simple hybrids with some electric parts that assist the conventional mechanical system. True x-by-wire refers to electric systems that have no physical connection between controller and main system parts. While replacing all mechanical systems with electrical connections is the ultimate goal, it is not likely to happen any time soon. In Europe, automakers will adopt the technology incrementally with the first …