This new gas pedal fights your foot to keep you safe

Bosch active gas pedal

Bosch today announced its new connected gas pedal with haptic feedback. The Bosch active gas pedal promises to reduce fuel consumption by seven percent, simply by giving drivers a gentle nudge at the pedal if they're driving with a lead-foot, theoretically telling them to let off the gas a wee bit.

Car makers can connect the Bosch active gas pedal to the vehicle's CAN bus to interact with the navigation, engine, transmission and safety systems. Theoretically, the haptic feedback feature can subtly notify drivers of an optimal shift point for a transmission, work with the navigation system to read speed limit signs and tell the driver to slow down if they're approaching a sharp curve too fast, or give a heads up when a gasoline motor is going to start in hybrid and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles (PHEV).

I'm intrigued by a gas pedal with haptic feedback. While audible and visual alerts on forward collision and lane departure systems help, they are very annoying. I find the haptic feedback seat or steering wheel implementations for warnings a lot more pleasant, and they don't annoy passengers, so I imagine the experience is similar with a haptic feedback gas pedal.

As for the fuel economy savings features, the pedal can apply counter pressure so it's harder to fully press down on the pedal, which theoretically results in fuel savings. Nissan's Eco mode in the Leaf and some gasoline models have a similar feature, which I never use, because I prefer to control the pedal myself.

Bosch doesn't say when its active gas pedal will make it into any production cars. However, Bosch is a major automotive parts supplier for German automakers, including: Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and others.

Latest in Vehicle Tech
Mercedes-Benz CLA 2025
I’ve tried the new Mercedes-Benz Superscreen – and its Google Gemini-powered smarts push EV infotainment to the next level
The Toyota FT-Me Concept sitting in a car park
Toyota's self-charging concept EV could help you tackle the daily commute on solar power alone
Nissan EvolvAD Autonomous Drive on the road
I’ve tried Nissan’s latest advanced driverless technology – and it handles 60mph on rural roads better than most humans
Rivian R1T
Big Rivian update delivers hands-off driving to rival Tesla Autopilot – and a new 'Rally' mode
The Deepal EO7 from the side, an SUV and pick-up truck combo
I drove an electric SUV that transforms into a pick-up, and it’s as fun as it is functional
Tesla Model 3
Tesla's EV sales are plummeting – as used Model Y and Model 3 prices crash to bargain levels
Latest in News
Google Pixel 8a in aloe green showing
Google Pixel 9a benchmark link teases the performance of the upcoming mid-ranger
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #1148)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #645)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON
Leaked iPhone 17 dummy units may have given us our best look yet at all four models
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over