16 car acronyms you recognise but never knew what they stood for
22 Dec 2017|11,898 views
Anti-lock Braking System
An ABS prevents the wheels from locking up under hard braking and allows the tyres to maintain traction in order to avoid uncontrolled skidding.
Adaptive Cruise Control
ACC, sometimes referred to as Autonomous or Active Cruise Control, automatically adjusts vehicle speed to maintain a safe distance from the one in front.
Automatic Emergency Braking
AEB systems monitor and detect impending collisions with the vehicle in front. They alert the driver to take corrective action and automatically apply the brakes if they detect that a crash is imminent.
Continuously Variable Transmission
CVT is an automatic transmission that shifts through a continuous range of effective gear ratios while a conventional mechanical transmission cycles through a fixed number of gear ratios.
Continuous Variable Valve Timing
CVVT is the continuous adjustment of the valve timing, which allows the timing to be optimised for all engine speeds and conditions.
Dual-Clutch Transmission
DCTs, sometimes called twin-clutch or double-clutch, are automatic transmissions that use two separate clutches for odd and even gears. Some DCTs you may recognise are Audi's S-tronic, BMW's M DCT Drivelogic, Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) and Volkswagen's Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG).
Electronic Control Unit
ECUs control electrical systems in a vehicle. The acronym also stands for Engine Control Unit, which is an Electronic Control Unit that controls actuators on an internal combustion engine to ensure optimal engine performance.
Electronic Fuel Injection
EFI relies on sensors and controls to deliver the appropriate amount of fuel required in order to achieve better performance in internal combustion engines.
Electronic Stability Control
Sometimes referred to as Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) or Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), ESC aids in vehicle stability and helps reduce skidding. Some carmakers also use their own names for ESC. These include Volvo's Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC), and Porsche's Porsche Stability Management (PSM).
Hill Start Assist
An HSA stops a vehicle from rolling backwards while moving off on a gradient. It simulates the 'handbrake hill start' portion of the Traffic Police driving test
Porsche Active Suspension Management
PASM is an electronic damping control system, which actively and continuously adjusts the damping force of the suspension based on current road conditions and driving style.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
PHEVs use rechargeable batteries, or other energy storage devices, in conjunction with an internal combustion engine and generator.
Single Overhead Camshaft, Dual Overhead Camshaft
An overhead camshaft is a valvetrain configuration, which places the camshaft and cylinder heads above the pistons and combustion chambers. SOHCs have one camshaft within the cylinder head while DOHCs have two camshafts, one per cylinder bank.
Traction Control System
TCS is sometimes used as a secondary function to ESC and helps prevent the loss of traction between the tyres and the road. It is activated when the system detects a disparity between throttle input, engine torque and road surface conditions.
Vehicle Identification Number
A VIN is a serial number used to identify individual vehicles and serves as a vehicle's fingerprint. No two vehicles will have the same VIN.
Variable Valve Timing
VVT is the process of altering the timing of a valve lift event in an internal combustion engine. It is often used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions. Some carmakers have also given their VVT technologies unique names such as Toyota's Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) and Honda's Variable Timing & Lift Electronic Control (VTEC).
Anti-lock Braking System
An ABS prevents the wheels from locking up under hard braking and allows the tyres to maintain traction in order to avoid uncontrolled skidding.
Adaptive Cruise Control
ACC, sometimes referred to as Autonomous or Active Cruise Control, automatically adjusts vehicle speed to maintain a safe distance from the one in front.
Automatic Emergency Braking
AEB systems monitor and detect impending collisions with the vehicle in front. They alert the driver to take corrective action and automatically apply the brakes if they detect that a crash is imminent.
Continuously Variable Transmission
CVT is an automatic transmission that shifts through a continuous range of effective gear ratios while a conventional mechanical transmission cycles through a fixed number of gear ratios.
Continuous Variable Valve Timing
CVVT is the continuous adjustment of the valve timing, which allows the timing to be optimised for all engine speeds and conditions.
Dual-Clutch Transmission
DCTs, sometimes called twin-clutch or double-clutch, are automatic transmissions that use two separate clutches for odd and even gears. Some DCTs you may recognise are Audi's S-tronic, BMW's M DCT Drivelogic, Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) and Volkswagen's Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG).
Electronic Control Unit
ECUs control electrical systems in a vehicle. The acronym also stands for Engine Control Unit, which is an Electronic Control Unit that controls actuators on an internal combustion engine to ensure optimal engine performance.
Electronic Fuel Injection
EFI relies on sensors and controls to deliver the appropriate amount of fuel required in order to achieve better performance in internal combustion engines.
Electronic Stability Control
Sometimes referred to as Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) or Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), ESC aids in vehicle stability and helps reduce skidding. Some carmakers also use their own names for ESC. These include Volvo's Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC), and Porsche's Porsche Stability Management (PSM).
Hill Start Assist
An HSA stops a vehicle from rolling backwards while moving off on a gradient. It simulates the 'handbrake hill start' portion of the Traffic Police driving test.
Porsche Active Suspension Management
PASM is an electronic damping control system, which actively and continuously adjusts the damping force of the suspension based on current road conditions and driving style.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
PHEVs use rechargeable batteries, or other energy storage devices, in conjunction with an internal combustion engine and generator.
Single Overhead Camshaft, Dual Overhead Camshaft
An overhead camshaft is a valvetrain configuration, which places the camshaft and cylinder heads above the pistons and combustion chambers. SOHCs have one camshaft within the cylinder head while DOHCs have two camshafts, one per cylinder bank.
Traction Control System
TCS is sometimes used as a secondary function to ESC and helps prevent the loss of traction between the tyres and the road. It is activated when the system detects a disparity between throttle input, engine torque and road surface conditions.
Vehicle Identification Number
A VIN is a serial number used to identify individual vehicles and serves as a vehicle's fingerprint. No two vehicles will have the same VIN.
Variable Valve Timing
VVT is the process of altering the timing of a valve lift event in an internal combustion engine. It is often used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions. Some carmakers have also given their VVT technologies unique names such as Toyota's Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) and Honda's Variable Timing & Lift Electronic Control (VTEC).
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