[ck2]

I want to point out most cars made after 2004 or so have no physical connection between not just accelerator and engine but more importantly wheels and steering wheel.

So their usability is as good as the software written to control them and the motor/sensor windings, etc.

Not unlike the software controlling that microwave.

[tristor]

This is absolutely not true. Most cars have switched to electronic power steering (EPS) which uses a manual steering rack and linkage, but driven by an electric motor controlled by haptics to create more power when turning. Steering wheels are /always/ directly connected to the steering rack, in every single vehicle intended to be operated by a human.

Drive by wire systems replaced a mechanical throttle linkage with an electronic control, and the reason for this is because it's massively better in every aspect, using EFI vs a throttle body. There are some hybrid designs called TBI (Throttle Body Injected), which are meh. EFI controls fuel and air mixtures dynamically using servos and relays driven by the ECU in response to signals from the drive by wire system.

[ck2]

ah you are correct, I confused drive-by-wire with electric-power-steering

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_steering#Electric_system...

I did not know there was still a mechanical link.

I still like the fact my car is full mechanical everything which seems to fail more "softly" than any replacement that relies on software. Toyota's electric accelerator and its spaghetti-code comes to mind.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_unintended_acceleration...

[kayodelycaon]

Electric steering is power steering using electric motors instead of hydraulics. There is still a physical linkage and you can still steer the car with the power off.

On my 2014 Prius, the brakes use an electric pump to power the hydraulics. In normal operation, the computer handles the brakes, but there is a physical backup.

The throttle is completely by wire, because there is no more reliable way to run two electric motors and a gas engine together with an analog system.

[garaetjjte]

>but more importantly wheels and steering wheel.

No. There haven't been any production cars with steer-by-wire. (except Infiniti Q50, but it still kept mechanical steering column as fallback)

[93po]

To pointlessly add on to existing replies - the brake pedal is always mechanical (if somewhat less effective with the engine off or not working). And it'd be difficult to find a car whose brakes weren't able to stop full throttle.

[hunter2_]

Accelerator pedal is entirely by wire, but steering by wire is merely supplemental to the physical linkage (same as braking).