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Mercedes EQS and a Giant Moose Are Celebrating 25 Years of ESP in a Funny Video

Mercedes-Benz has released a video marking 25 years since the introduction of ESP. The video also features a moose, the animal that led to the widespread introduction of stability programs in the car industry.
captured photo Mercedes-Benz 25 years ESP on YouTube 6 photos
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz A-ClassMercedes-Benz A-ClassMercedes-Benz YouTube 25 years ESPMercedes-Benz YouTube 25 years ESPMercedes-Benz YouTube 25 years ESP
The YouTube video is hilarious because it shows a Mercedes EQS avoiding several statues in a museum. For example, in one of the museum halls, the Mercedes EQS avoids a massive statue of a moose.

What is the link between ESP and moose? In the autumn of 1997, journalist Robert Collin of the Swedish magazine Teknikens Varld carried out an avoidance test with the newly launched first-generation Mercedes A-Class. Following this test, the car suddenly changed direction as if want to avoid an obstacle, and the Mercedes A-Class rolled over.

Robert Collin said this maneuver could often be encountered on Swedish roads where a moose suddenly appears in front of you. That's why the test was then called the moose test. Until then, this test was not part of any car manufacturer's protocol.

This event was a shock for Mercedes-Benz. Jurgen Hubbert, Mercedes' then head of development, offered his resignation, but Daimler boss Jurgen Schrempp told him: "That's out of question, fix it."

Two months after this unpleasant event, Mercedes-Benz modified the A-Class and introduced ESP as standard. Furthermore, to demonstrate that the A-Class is a very safe car, the German manufacturer invited us to join the world's press on a racetrack near Barcelona to prove that the Mercedes A-Class is a very safe car.

Despite its tall body and higher center of gravity, the Mercedes A-Class successfully passed the elk test. Since then, Mercedes has introduced the ESP systems as standard equipment on all A-Class models.

But this involved huge costs for Mercedes. There was no way that a compact model like the A-Class could have ESP as standard and larger models like the C-Class could not have it, or it could be optional. So Mercedes decided to introduce ESP on all its models.

Mercedes is now celebrating 25 years of ESP as a great achievement, but its introduction was not intended but forced by the A-Class disaster. In the end, ESP improved active safety in cars and saved tens of thousands of lives in the following years.

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