if you buy all this fear-mongering idiocy that electronic throttle is a problem, and that brakes, transmissions and ignition kill switches can all simultaneously fail causing a driver to lose control, it might be worth auto manufacturers of all stripes to adopt a slightly different implementation of electronic throttle [e.t.] - if not for mechanical reasons, but to shut the idiots up.
first, lets understand e.t. functionality:
- open the throttle when demanded
- close throttle when demanded
- allow "demand" to account for additional requirements like a. de-throttle on shifting for automatics, b. throttle appropriate to load at high demand [eg. full throttle at low rpms can choke an engine and significantly reduce output - thus de-throttle until revs support full open]
if we analyze the above [which is not exhaustive, but representative], we find that in almost all situations, an e.t. needs to be more closed than demanded, but seldom, if ever, more open. thus the "solution" to the fear-mongering might be to have the throttle opened mechanically - i.e. old fashioned cable linkage, but have the computer control a closer device. thus, all the above can be implemented electronically, but whenever the driver lifts their foot, the mechanical closure cannot be over-ridden. and the throttle can never be more open than the mechanical throttle command.
this would not only address the "potential" for a runaway failure [although how exactly a computer is supposed to fail such that it won't switch off, disables brakes, disables transmission select, but still runs its injection code is something i have never seen explained, even by the most strident "but it must be the electronics" crowd], but it would also remove the single most annoying thing i have ever experienced in any vehicle driving experience: chevy's idiot idea that they need a multi-second delay between foot pedal movement and e.t movement. anyone that's ever tried to drive a chevy hhr on a winding mountain road knows what i mean.
y'all can now wait for at least 10 years for arrival, but i throw it out there for what it's worth.