CAN bus speed limiter interface
Govern a vehicle to a set speed using signals off the CAN bus, with true drive-by-wire limiting from our group company Autokontrol.
What a CAN bus speed limiter does
A CAN bus speed limiter reads road speed off the vehicle network and holds the vehicle to a set maximum. On a modern engine that means working with the drive-by-wire throttle rather than cutting a cable, so the limit is enforced smoothly and precisely.
Scorpion's group company Autokontrol has built vehicle speed limiters for decades, including drive-by-wire and the System 80 range. So the speed signal off the CAN bus and the limiter that acts on it come from the same group.
Warn or enforce: know the difference
Not all speed control is equal. Some systems only warn the driver, or nudge the throttle and can be overridden. A true limiter enforces a hard maximum the vehicle cannot exceed. For fleets fitting speed control for compliance or duty of care, that difference is the whole point.
- A hard limit, not a warning: the vehicle is held to the set speed, not just alerted.
- Drive-by-wire control: Autokontrol works with the electronic throttle for smooth, accurate limiting.
- True road speed: the limit is set against the real speed read off the network.
- Fleet-wide consistency: one approach governs a mixed fleet to the same policy.
Where speed limiting fits
Enforced speed control matters most where compliance, safety and cost meet.
HGV and 56mph fleets
Hold heavy vehicles to their regulated maximum across the fleet.
Coaches, PSV and minibuses
Govern passenger vehicles to the speed their operation requires.
Van and utility fleets
Cap speed for duty of care, fuel and tyre savings, and safer driving.
Duty of care and compliance
Back up a speed policy with a limit the driver cannot override.
Speed plus tracking
TrackSpeed pairs an Autokontrol limiter with ScorpionTrack GNSS in one system.
Grey fleet and hire
Apply a consistent maximum to mixed and short-term fleets.
Fitting speed control to a fleet?
Tell us the fleet and the speed policy, and we'll route your enquiry to the right limiter across the group.
Reference
How CAN speed limiting works
It reads the vehicle's real speed and governs the throttle to hold the set limit.
- 1
Read road speed
The system reads true road speed off the CAN bus, the same signal a tracker or tachograph uses.
- 2
Compare to the limit
It checks the current speed against the maximum set for that vehicle or fleet policy.
- 3
Govern the throttle
Working drive-by-wire with the electronic throttle, it holds the vehicle at the limit smoothly, without a hard cut.
- 4
Hold the maximum
The vehicle cannot exceed the set speed, giving a genuine enforced limit rather than a warning.
Which vehicles it covers
Drive-by-wire speed limiting suits the modern cars, vans, trucks, coaches and specialist vehicles that carry speed and throttle control on the CAN bus. Autokontrol has fitted speed limiters across the UK commercial fleet for decades.
Coverage keeps current as new models arrive. Speak to us with the fleet and the speed policy, and we'll route it to the right limiter across the group.
Speed limiting sits close to the other feeds on this site. The same clean road-speed signal that drives a limiter also feeds trackers and tachographs, so a speed pulse interface and a limiter often go in together.
For the limiter products themselves, drive-by-wire, System 80 and the TrackSpeed unit that pairs an Autokontrol limiter with ScorpionTrack GNSS tracking, see Autokontrol. Speak to us and we'll point the enquiry the right way across the group.
Common fitments include:
Common questions
What is a CAN bus speed limiter?
It is a system that reads road speed off the vehicle network and holds the vehicle to a set maximum, working with the drive-by-wire throttle on a modern engine so the limit is enforced smoothly.
What's the difference between a limiter and a speed warning?
A warning only alerts the driver, who can ignore it. A true limiter enforces a hard maximum the vehicle cannot exceed, which is what fleets need for compliance and duty of care.
Does the group make the limiters?
Yes. Scorpion's group company Autokontrol has built vehicle speed limiters for decades, including drive-by-wire and the System 80 range.
Can I combine a speed limiter with tracking?
Yes. TrackSpeed pairs an Autokontrol speed limiter with ScorpionTrack GNSS tracking, so speed control and fleet tracking come from one system.
Which vehicles can be speed limited?
Cars, vans, trucks, coaches and specialist vehicles with a drive-by-wire throttle can be limited. Speak to us with the fleet and we'll confirm the right limiter.