Proportion of ESP Equipped Vehicles Grows ‘Significantly’ in Europe

Bosch reports the 81 per cent of passenger cars newly registered during 2008 in its home market of Germany are now equipped with its ESP electronic stability programme, two per cent more than last year. Europe-wide, 55 per cent of newly registered passenger cars were so equipped in 2008, five per cent more than in 2007. This figure is set to keep on growing as the enforcement date for EU legislation draws nearer – the EU requires all new vehicle models from November 2011 to be fitted with the safety system, while all newly registered vehicles must have ESP from November 2014. Similar legislation has also been passed in the US and Australia.

“ESP can prevent up to 80 per cent of all skidding accidents, and is therefore a considerable boost to safety,” stated Dr. Werner Struth, president of the Bosch Chassis Systems Control division. “Moreover, nearly all future driver-assistance and safety systems will use ESP sensor signals and the possibilities for intervention offered by the system. For example, if ESP is already installed, an automatic emergency braking system can be added faster and more cost-effectively.” The ESP system was developed by Bosch and first introduced into series production in 1995.

In the UK, the number of newly registered ESP equipped vehicles increased from 48 to 56 per cent in 2008. Other European countries experienced increases, such as Italy, where usage in rose from 42 to 51 per cent. In France, by contrast, the share fell from 46 to 42 per cent, largely due to the greater proportion of small cars amongst newly registered vehicles there. “Small cars remain our main concern,” Struth says, “yet ESP is at least as important in these cars as it is in larger vehicles.” In the German small-car segment, however, the share rose by 6 percentage points to 44 per cent. Yet in Europe’s five largest markets, approximately only every fifth small or mini vehicle is equipped with ESP.

Outside of Europe, several countries have already introduced regulations that will make the use of ESP mandatory. As early as 2007, the US mandated its gradual introduction up to the model year 2012. In June 2009, the Australian government decided that the electronic stability program is to be mandatory for new vehicle series from November 2011, and for all newly registered vehicles from November 2013. ESP will therefore be universally mandatory in Australia one year before the EU.