Global NCAP is a well-known project of Towards Zero Foundation, a non-profit organization registered in the UK. The company launched its popular ‘Safer Cars in India’ project in January 2014 by releasing the first independent crash test results of five popular compact cars sold in the Indian market.
Since then, many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in India have been hostile towards them as their cars have suffered serious breakdowns, some even scoring “zero” ratings in crash tests. But in recent years, “Make in India” passenger cars from OEMs such as Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and Skoda Auto India have earned a “five-star” rating not only for drivers but also for passengers. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has now partnered with GNCAP to develop Bharat NCAP, which will begin operations on 1 October.
during an interview career lineDavid Ward, CEO of Towards Ground Zero and the man behind all NCAPs around the world, said that the Indian market is very complex and very interesting. Edited excerpt:
What is the nature of the MoU you have signed with the Government of India?
This is just general cooperation. Global NCAP is like a big family, working with all the different NCAPs in the world, now we have 10, including India. The US topped the list, followed by Japan, Australia, Euro NCAP, China, South Korea, Latin America and ASEAN. This is a good opportunity to encourage dialogue and cooperation among NCAPs. Next April, we will hold the World NCAP Congress in Germany. It rotates, we rotate every other year. This will be an opportunity for Bharat NCAP to talk to other NCAPs…but in the end, for each NCAP, we will not tell them what to do. We are just a platform for cooperation. Each NCAP is autonomous, they do their own thing. They are not exactly the same due to different reasons such as market conditions.
India is only just beginning to do what other countries have already begun to do. What are your thoughts on the Indian auto market and such tests?
For India to make its own plans, I think it is too early. But who knows, five years from now, when they adopt that agreement, they might be doing something like ASEAN NCAP, doing something completely unique. I also agree with Minister Nitin Gadkari that there is always a balance between being unique and adopting global practices, for a country that wants to lead the world in terms of exports, you need to pay close attention to global best practices , because it’s really a gateway into those markets. So NCAPs are really dynamic in that they can constantly change goals as we evolve in response to technology and market conditions.
When I first came here in 2013-14, I was told the country had no interest in airbags. Nobody wants to buy a car with airbags. I said to them, ‘Are you really sure, because you never told anyone about it. ’ At the same time, immediately after our initial first crash test results, it changed the nature of the discussion about airbags, and manufacturers started spontaneously starting to say, ‘We’re going to have an airbag standard,’ which of course they’ve done in all Major markets have done so. So they are very aware of the importance of airbags.
The consumer market in India is very complex…you have all the ingredients to spread the message quickly, that’s why you see really fast shows. That’s the nature when technology changes/advances…it’s a very powerful set of ingredients.
How is Bharat NCAP different from Global NCAP? Is there a difference in terms of speed as Indian cars are tested at lower speeds?
Some of them are pretty detailed, and that’s how you award points for different things. India also has the same speed in terms of regulatory testing, which is the same as the United Nations regulatory standards. This was originally an EU standard and is still in effect.
The current EU speed limit is 56 km/h (crash test). However, NCAPs around the world use a speed of 64 km/h and the test speed is higher because this is the typical speed at which fatal injuries occur. The original 56km/h speed in some regulations was a compromise choice without a good basis. The 64km/h case is linked to the risk of death… NCAP doesn’t compare performance between manufacturers – they don’t pass or fail – so 56km/h is like a basic yes or no / pass or fail. However, 64 km/h can make you show the overall difference and be more dynamic. Therefore, all NCAPs except India have a speed of 64 km/h.
From an Indian perspective, many manufacturers are still opposed to installing more airbags due to cost factors. For example, top passenger car maker Maruti Suzuki has said that they should not make tanks…
Nobody wants tanks. Tanks are really bad… let’s just say they are very large SUVs. Just look at the case of pedestrian fatalities in the US. So, we want to avoid that. In fact, an alignment of around 64 kpmh is normal best practice…so we don’t need to build tanks to pass that test.
