General Motors has stood to benefit from the downward demand for Toyota products as the Japanese automaker faced recent unintended acceleration problems plaguing the majority of its vehicles. Consumer fear and stop sales have contributed to much lower sales numbers than Toyota is typically accustomed to and this drop has benefited domestic counterparts such as GM and Ford. GM has even offered incentives for disgruntled Toyota owners to trade in their vehicles, a move that’s currently a hot-button topic among the automotive press.
In an additional measure to improve consumer perception and increase the safety of its vehicles, GM is equipping all passenger cars that have automatic transmissions and electronic throttle control with technology GM calls an “enhanced smart pedal.” This brake override system will modify electronic controls and reduce power to the engine when the brake and accelerator are simultaneously depressed.
GM assures that their standards are among the highest in the industry and wants to further inspire consumer confidence and guarantee that people can depend on the brakes in their GM vehicles. The worldwide roll-out of this technology will be completed by the end of 2012, but we wonder how this will affect those of us who like to smoke some tires while concurrently mashing on both the throttle and the brake. We’ll just have to wait and see!
Read the full press release after the break!
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