Euro NCAP slams BYD electric car’s assisted driving tech
October 23, 2024 by David Motton
Car changing is a big deal
The safety experts have rated five new cars, with the BYD Atto 3 at the bottom of the pile
- BYD Atto 3 Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control ‘Not Recommended’
- Euro NCAP found tech failed to interpret road signs correctly
- Steering support was found to switch off after period of inactivity
- Mercedes C-Class and BMW i5 scored Very Good in Euro NCAP test
- VW ID7 and Volvo EC40 scored ‘Good’ in driver assistance tech test
The BYD Atto 3’s assisted driving systems have been slated by Euro NCAP’s safety gurus. The Chinese electric car finished a distant last in the assessment of five new cars’ assistance technologies. BYD’s system was the only one given a ‘Not Recommended’ rating.
Euro NCAP found several problems with the Atto 3’s Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control. The speed assistance system failed to interpret road signs correctly. The BYD technology also picked up a modest score in the Assistance Competence category (the balance between the level of assistance and the degree to which the system keeps the driver engaged).
More worrying was the system’s poor performance when confronted with a stationary vehicle, and the lack of action taken if a driver was not responsive. In Euro NCAP’s testing, the steering support was found to effectively switch off after a prolonged period of inactivity. Euro NCAP described this failing as “leaving an unresponsive driver to his or her fate”.
In fairness to BYD, the same is true of any car without this kind of high-tech driver aid, but all the other cars tested performed far better.
Carwow approached BYD but they declined to comment.
Mercedes C-Class and BMW i5 score well in test
The two best systems were those fitted to the BMW i5 and the Mercedes C-Class. These were rated as ‘Very Good’. Both provided effective control of speed and direction and gave plenty of warning if the driver needed to take back control.
The Mercedes scored especially highly in the Safety Backup category, which rates the measures taken to avoid a collision in dangerous situations. The system can move the car to the hard shoulder and perform an emergency stop if the driver is unresponsive.
The other two cars assessed were the Volkswagen ID.7 and the Volvo EC40. Both received a ‘Good’ grading, although neither matched the sophistication of the BMW and Mercedes systems.
Euro NCAP has warned car buyers to be aware of the limitations of assisted driving features and to never fall into the trap of treating them as autonomous driving systems.
Adriano Palao Bernal, Euro NCAP’s ADAS and AD technical manager, said: “Car buyers interested in this technology must be aware that whilst it enables a comfortable driving experience, it has flaws under certain conditions and may create new risks when misused – hence driver supervision and situational awareness must be ensured at all times while operating these systems.”
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