In contrast to conventional distributor and in-line injection pumps, with EDC the driver's acceleration input is no longer transmitted to the injection pump by Bowden cable or mechanical linkage, but is registered by an acceleration position sensor and transmitted to the ECM (this is also known as drive-by-wire).

A voltage is generated across the potentiometer in the acceleration position sensor as a function of the accelerator-pedal setting. Using a programmed characteristic curve, the pedal's position is then calculated from this voltage.