EURO NCAP Scores Tesla Low In ‘Assisted Driving’, Said The Name ‘Autopilot’ Is Inappropriate, Unsafe

EURO NCAP scores Tesla low in ‘Assisted Driving’, said that the name ‘Autopilot’ is inappropriate, potentially unsafe.

Tesla Model S, together with the Volvo EX30, MG ZS and Mazda CX-80, were awarded a ‘Moderate’ rating for Assisted Driving.

Euro NCAP provide European consumers with information regarding the safety of passenger vehicles.

Belgium-based Euro New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) has stressed that safe Assisted Driving systems must be intuitive, clearly communicate limitations, and support drivers effectively in emergencies.

Euro NCAP said this after finding Tesla Model S and Volvo EX30 wanting in key areas, leading to both models, together with the MG ZS and Mazda CX-80, being awarded a ‘Moderate’ rating for Assisted Driving during its latest round of gradings.

According to Euro NCAP, its experts assess vehicles’ safety technology under a range of criteria, which falls into two scored categories : Assistance Competence and Safety Backup.

It said that the Assistance Competence reviews the clarity of consumer information, including capability limitations, status alerts, driver monitoring (keeping hands on the steering wheel) and how the system allows for driver collaboration.

On the other hand the Safety Backup assesses how well a car’s system avoids a collision when faced with other cars and vulnerable users, as well as what action the car takes when the driver becomes unresponsive.

“Euro NCAP singled out Tesla’s latest Autopilot system fitted to the Model S for its contrasting performance : very well in Safety Backup with 94 per cent, but very poorly in Assistance Competence with 30 per cent,” the agency said.

Euro NCAP, which provide European consumers with information regarding the safety of passenger vehicles, said poor design and misleading marketing as seen with Tesla’s Autopilot can undermine safety and driver awareness.

“The name ‘Autopilot’ of Tesla’s system, as well as its promotional material, all suggest full automation, which is deemed inappropriate and potentially unsafe by Euro NCAP and consequently led to the downgrade in their score.”

• See Also : Euro NCAP Awards Mercedes E-Class The “Best Performer” For Being The ‘Safest Car Tested’ In 2024