When driving on low-friction road surfaces or on roads with changing friction conditions, it is easy to lose control of the car, especially when stepping too hard on the accelerator pedal. The problem is increasing with more powerful engines such as high-performance, turbo-charged engines. Especially at overtaking, it is easy to lose driving wheel lateral stability by a too high wheel spin rate, causing dangerous skidding.

The Volvo ETC system is developed to avoid such eituations. It is designed to optimize traction and lateral stability by controlling engine torque in response to the actual road conditions.

This paper describes the theoretical background, the components and the functions of the Volvo ETC system.