Keeping
its commitment to Vision Zero, a world with zero road crashes, zero fatalities,
and zero injuries, technology company Continental has added a new assembly line
to manufacture airbag control units (ACUs) at its Central Electronics Plant in
Bangalore. Road safety is undergoing a transformation in India.
Driving this
change are factors like the implementation of safety regulations and stringent
crash test norms as well as increasing safety awareness among end users. The
country is witnessing an increase in the take rate of safety features in
vehicles.
Dr.
Bernhard Klumpp, Head of Continental’s Passive Safety & Sensorics business
unit, remarked:“The adoption of safety technologies in India is on the rise.
Two of the factors driving this are government-regulated safety norms and
growing awareness among consumers. Vision Zero is ambitious, but we are guiding
the world of mobility towards it with our cutting-edge safety technologies. Our
localization strategy ensures that our technologies are affordable on local
markets, consequently achieving a fundamental level of safety.”
Prashanth
Doreswamy, Market Head of Continental India and Managing Director of
Continental Automotive India, added: “We are continuing to invest in India to
support its growing market. With the increase in safety awareness and
legislative norms in India, demand for safety technologies is at an all-time
high. Continental is prepared to address this need. We are fully committed to
making mobility safer in India, and to supporting OEMs in adopting technologies
efficiently.”
Sukhdeep
Sandhu, Head of the Passive Safety & Sensorics business unit in India,
commented about the new development: “We are committed to the Indian market.
Our state-of-the-art production line for airbag control units began operation
in 2016 at our Central Electronics Plant in Bangalore, long before legislation
came into effect. Today we are working at full capacity, supplying our local
market and exporting to Japan and Thailand. Adding the second production line
will enhance our capacity significantly, which will help us to meet the
increasing requirements of more OEMs in India.”
Affordable Safety
Each
version of Continental’s Airbag Control Unit is based on a modular safety
platform called SPEED (Safety Platform for Efficient &Economical Design),
which is scalable, flexible, and cost optimized via modular building blocks.
With its basic functions and integration option of additional safety functions,
it is designed to meet all market requirements. The basic version supports
basic passive safety functions and therefore is suited to rising demand for
cost-effective safety features, such front and side airbags and belt
pretensioners, in emerging markets. Additional safety functions such as Vehicle
Dynamics Sensing, Rollover Detection, and Event Data Recording can be
integrated within the modular concept.
Norms in India
Implementing
vehicle safety measures is getting much-needed attention in India, the fourth
largest car market in the world. The Indian government has devised stringent
crash test norms to reduce road fatalities. The Bharat New Vehicle Safety
Assessment Program (BNVSAP) is a proposed New Car Assessment Program for India
implemented by law and intended to increase the safety of vehicle occupants.
All new cars sold in India will be assigned star ratings based on their safety
performance. Crucial safety features that support vehicle safety such as
airbags, ABS, and seat belt reminders will be assessed, and crash tests will
become mandatory. These safety features must be standard in new cars sold in
India.
Source: Continental