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You’re referring to what some people have termed “load-based cruise” or “throttle position-based cruise”. And it would work exactly as you describe. The cruise speed would be based not on the actual speed of the car, but the load or TPS (throttle position sensor) reading at the time you set the cruise. It would work by setting the your desired speed on a flat surface, but unlike normal speed-based cruise control, the speed could, and would, fluctuate with grade changes.
This would be a huge plus in the fuel efficiency of all cars, and has probably been looked at by the OEMs, but I see a few potential problems/hazards. First, while overall speed wouldn’t be an issue on uphill portions of road, it could be a potential hazard on downhill portions, especially long downhill sections. If unregulated, the cruise would continue to push the car faster on downhill sections while trying to maintain a certain engine load or TPS reading. This could obviously lead to some major speed and subsequent speeding tickets and/or accidents. I’m convinced this is the number one reason why the OEMs haven’t already installed the system in current vehicles. The technology is already there, so it’s a freebie cost wise. Educating the general public on how this different type of cruise control system works would take a while and a form of governor would have to be hard coded into the computer to set a maximum speed above the set cruise speed that results from a certain load/TPS reading at the time of the user setting the cruise. Still, I don’t think it would pass legislative muster given the fact that you are giving the user a system that could force them to unwillingly break the law with regards to speed. Nevertheless, I would love to see such a system.
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