ZF All Set to Make ESC in India

India is heading towards an era when safety norms with regard to the automotive sector will become more stringent. ZF is taking advantage of this emphasis on safety to forge ahead in the Indian market. The Indian government is planning to make autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) mandatory for new vehicles between 2022 and 2023.

ZF Friedrichshafen is one of the key players in the field of driveline and chassis technology as well as active and passive safety technology. The company has significantly expanded its safety systems portfolio in India and ramped up its manufacturing capabilities in India to cater to the expected surge in demand for electronic stability control systems.

India is planning to soon implement the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP) and as part of the safety regulations related to the program, it will be mandatory for all new cars sold in India to have airbags and ABS as standard features. Other features that will soon become mandatory include reverse parking sensors, seatbelt indicators and a speed alert system. It is expected that the new regulations will come into effect from April 2019 for new cars that are sold in the country.

ZF has a wide range of safety systems and solutions and with the imposition of these new regulations, many automotive suppliers are all set to expand their presence and manufacturing bases in India. With its huge product portfolio and local presence, ZF says it is optimally positioned to help OEM meet new safety requirements.

Suresh KV, president of ZF India said that ZF has localized a number of key safety technologies in the Indian market like seatbelt and airbag systems (through its JV partner Rane TRW Steering Systems), in addition to advanced braking systems like its Electric Park Brake (EPB) and Anti-lock Braking (ABS) technology with JV partner Brakes India. It is expected that these locally manufactured safety components will play a key role in improving the overall safety of the driver and the vehicle.

ZF recently participated in the “Stop the Crash’ safety campaign that was held in Delhi in conjunction with the Global NCAP World Congress. During the congress, the focus was on demonstrating the benefits of key safety technologies and promoting their widespread adoption.

The StopTheCrash event highlighted the importance of the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) technologies which will help OEMs meet regulatory requirements.

Suresh KV said, “ESC is a proven safety technology that has been mandated across a number of global markets. It also provides a building block on which a number of integrated safety systems are based. Studies have shown that ESC can lead to substantial reductions in crashes, deaths and serious injuries.
ZF is today a worldwide leader in ESC, having launched its first generation in 2002. It now has development and manufacturing capabilities in all major global regions with plans to localize in India.”