BackgroundWith the rise of industrial modernization, autonomous vehicle steering technology is becoming increasingly vital for safety and precision control. However, the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system commonly used in autonomous driving faces challenges such as insufficient steering angle accuracy and large response delays.MethodsThis study proposes a system model based on a column EPS system and designs a controller integrating the fuzzy control theory with a proportional-integral-derivative method.ResultsPerformance evaluation shows that the proposed controller achieves a stability time of 0.18 s and 0% overshoot, outperforming the comparison controller. Additionally, at 25 km/h, it maintains a centroid lateral deflection angle of 0.2°, demonstrating superior stability.DiscussionThe above quantitative results fully demonstrate that the research has solved the problems of insufficient steering angle accuracy and significant response delay. These findings highlight the controller’s practical value in optimizing autonomous vehicle steering, improving safety, and advancing steering control theory.