English is the hope of technology and Your car, like so many other technological products, is full of acronym in English. In the manuals it is more common for these terms to translate into Spanish and explain in detail, but if you attend to the controls of your vehicle, the screen or the dashboard you will see that your car It has been designed with Shakespeare’s language as a form of communication with the driver not few occasions.
ABS, ESP, TCS, TPMS, HUD, 4WD, AWD, CVT … Your car has more acronyms than you can find in a soup of letters, and Understanding that language is necessary. In this article we gather 25 acronyms that appear in most cars that are sold in Spain and that you may have to know what they mean at some point, although so far you have been able to drive ignoring what they are.
| Acronym | Meaning | What is |
|---|---|---|
| ABS | Anti-lock braking system (brake anti-lock system) | It prevents the wheels from locking up abruptly. |
| Esp | Electronic Stability Program (Electronic Stability Program) | It helps to keep control of the car in curves or sudden maneuvers. |
| TCS | TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (Traction Control System) | Prevents the wheels from skating when accelerating. |
| TPMS | Tire Pressure Monitoring System (Tire Pressure Control System) | Detects if a tire loses pressure. |
| HUD | Head-Up Display (screen projected on the windshield) | Show information such as speed or navigation without look away. |
| GPS | Global Positioning System (Global Positioning System) | It allows to geolocate the vehicle and use navigation. |
| Ecall | Emergency Call System (emergency call system) | Automatically call emergencies after a serious accident. |
| CVT | CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION (continuous variable transmission) | Automatic transmission that does not have fixed marches and varies continuously the change ratio to offer smooth and disagning. |
| DSG | Direct Shift Gearbox (automatic double clutch change) | Automatic double clutch transmission that changes march quickly and efficiently, with sports sensation and without loss of power. |
| 4WD | Four-Wheel Drive (four-wheel drive connectable) | Distribute the four -wheel power in difficult driving. |
| AWD | All-Wheel Drive (permanent total traction) | Distribute the power to all wheels constantly. |
| FWD | Front-Wheel Drive (Front Traction) | System in which the front wheels move the car. |
| RWD | Rear-Wheel Drive (rear traction) | System in which the rear wheels drive the car. |
| ICE | Internal combustion engine (internal combustion motor) | Traditional engine that uses gasoline or diesel. |
| EV | Electric Vehicle (electric vehicle) | Propelled exclusively by electricity. |
| Hev | Hybrid Electric Vehicle (electric hybrid vehicle) | Combine electric motor with a combustion. |
| Phev | Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (plug-in hybrid vehicle) | It can be recharged and circulate in electric mode. |
| BMS | Battery Management System (battery management system) | Optimizes the load, temperature and use of the battery in electric. |
| OBD | On-board diagnostics (diagnosis on board) | It allows to detect electronic failures and read car parameters. |
| DRL | Daytime Running Lights (daytime circulation lights) | Lights that improve visibility during the day. |
| Acc | Adaptive Cruise Control (Adaptive Cruise Control) | It keeps distance with the vehicle in front adjusting the speed. |
| LKA | Lane Keeping Assist (lane maintenance assistance) | Correct the trajectory if the car deviates involuntarily. |
| Aeb | Autonomous Emergency Braking (emergency automatic braking) | Stop the car if it detects collision risk. |
| ISOFIX | International Standards Organization Fix (safety anchor for children’s chairs) | Standardized system to set baby chairs. |
| RPM | Revolutions per minute (revolutions per minute) | Indicate how many times the engine crankshaft rotates in a minute. |