The ABC of automotive lingo

Do you know the difference between a BEV and a PHEV? Or how does a limited slip differential compare to the vectorization of the couple?

Here is our helpful guide to understanding the lingo of the ever expanding automotive dictionary:

Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) – One of the most effective safety features on modern cars, ABS sends fast pulses of braking force to the wheels to prevent tires from getting caught and skidding. By allowing the wheels to turn even in hard braking, the vehicle retains better cornering control and reduces stopping distances, especially on slippery roads.

Traction control – This prevents the wheels from skating by briefly reducing the engine torque or applying the brakes. If a wheel begins to lose traction, the computer reduces the power of the spinning wheel and transfers some of the force to the wheel that is not spinning.

Electronic stability control (ESC) – An advanced form of traction control that uses multiple sensors – including an accelerometer, a steering angle sensor, wheel speed sensors and a yaw rate sensor – to help vehicles stay oriented in the right way. It has many names, including Dynamic Stability Control, Electronic Stability Program and Vehicle Stability Control, but it's the same thing.

AWD (AWD)) – Although "AWD" and "4WD" are sometimes used interchangeably, the AWD is more commonly applied to vehicles that continuously drive at the front and rear axles (such as the Audi quattro system), in split or fixed mode. this varies according to the driving and the conditions of the road.

4 wheels driving – Typically applies to off-road vehicles, such as 4×4 vehicles and SUVs, in which the driver can manually select the two- or four-wheel drive mode. Why not just constantly have four-wheel drive and enjoy the benefits of traction? Because sending on both axles consumes more fuel.

differential – Turning the drive wheels at the same speed works well in a straight line but not when cornering, where the outer wheel has to travel a greater distance than the inside. A differential is a set of gears that allows the outer wheel to turn faster than the inner wheel, which allows the vehicle to turn smoothly in bends.

Differential lock – Usually used in off-road vehicles, the differential lock provides equal power to the left and right drive wheels, so that even in the case of uneven surfaces where one of the drive wheels loses contact with the ground, the other wheel propels the car forward. (A normal unlatched differential transfers all power to the wheel in the air).

Limited slip differential (LSD) – This allows the left and right drive wheels to spin at different speeds, such as a single differential, but when one wheel starts spinning faster than the other, the clutches engage to slow down the wheel who turns and transfer power to each other. It is mainly used in high performance cars to reduce understeer when cornering.

Vectorization of the couple – As an LSD, it transmits a "vector" engine torque between the left and right wheels of the vehicle, but it is a more advanced computer-controlled system that works in conjunction with electronic stability control to brake or provide more of motive force to individual wheels. By braking the inner wheel (which tends to lift and lose traction when cornering at high speed) and giving more force to the outer wheel (which is driven into the road), the car takes a faster turn .