Ali Jammoul, center, Ford's chief engineer for chassis in North America, Martin Frey, left, steering manager and Brad Hochrein, technical specialist, with an electric power assist steering system.

Paul sancya / tHE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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DETROIT — Beneath your car's hood, there are belts hooked to the engine, running the power steering, air conditioning and other items that drag on the engine and cut gas mileage.

But as fuel efficiency becomes paramount with high gas prices and pending government regulations, automakers across the world are trying to get rid of as many belts as they can, switching them to electric motors.

The power-steering pump is likely to be the first casualty. Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. already have electric power steering on some models, with more in the works, they report fuel-efficiency gains of up to 8 percent.

"It's one of the top technologies on percent of fuel returned for the dollar that you put in," said Ali Jammoul, Ford's chief engineer for chassis in North America.

Ford, which launched electric power steering in January on gasoline versions of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner small sport utility vehicles, reports an 8 percent fuel economy increase. The electric motors already were in use on hybrid models.

But fuel economy isn't the only benefit. Electric power steering has been linked to sensors so a car parallel parks itself, such as the system used on some Lexus models. And the motors can be tied to sensors that stop a car from leaving its lane unless the driver wants it to.

Because there is no power-steering fluid to monitor maintenance costs are lower, manufacturers say.

Steering feel can also be changed electronically from a softer feel for highway driving to a tighter, more sporty setting for winding roads.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was on three quarters of all our models in five years because the advantages are huge," said Paul Williamsen, national manager of Lexus College, a training school for dealers who sell Toyota's luxury brand.

Toyota already has electric power steering on multiple models from Lexuses to Camry to Scion.

Eliminating the power steering pump and fluid also helps gas mileage by shedding weight, said Williamsen, who reports a 3-to-5 percent fuel efficiency gain depending on model.