Light truck brands cool on ANCAP testing

TRUCK importers have questioned the methodology and level of consultation in response to the Australasian New Car Assessment Program's (ANCAP) first foray into light truck safety testing.

Launching its inaugural Light Truck ADAS Safety Comparison to coincide with National Road Safety Week – and in the run-up to Brisbane Truck Show – ANCAP evaluated the advanced driver assistance systems in Australia's top-selling light trucks (under 8.0 tonnes).

Models evaluated comprised the Isuzu N-Series, Fuso Canter, Hino 300 Series and the battery-electric Foton T5.

Speaking during the independent safety watchdog’s first Brisbane Truck Show (BTS) exhibit, ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg told GoAuto the program aims to set a safety benchmark for a segment that has lagged behind passenger vehicles despite being over-represented in road trauma.

"It's about sharing the new program that we've got, but also starting that conversation with the truck industry more broadly, around safety and ANCAP expanding its reach and its programs," Ms Hoorweg said.

However, several industry sources approached by GoAuto at BTS indicated that the majority of light truck manufacturers were critical of ANCAP's testing methodology – adapted from that used for vans – with several concerns including that the criteria did not properly account for the unique characteristics of trucks, nor the almost unlimited configurations and applications possible.

They also expressed concern about the fact the models tested occupied different wheelbase and weight categories and claimed that not enough consultation had taken place to ensure like-for-like models were tested and to define some more truck-specific testing methods and assessment criteria.

Ms Hoorweg acknowledged this feedback but defended the approach: "The expectation from ANCAP's side is that these vehicles should be performing over time to that same level of performance that we're seeing in vans. And I think that's where it's important to distinguish between scenarios and the actual setup and running of the protocols."

She explained that Australasia’s light truck segment differed from those of similarly mature markets such as Europe and North America, which meant ANCAP’s work in this area was somewhat breaking new ground compared with passenger cars and vans where protocols are largely harmonised – albeit with region-specific tweaks – between ANCAP and Euro NCAP.

“This one is local content, pretty much 100 per cent, but it's based on the same processes and protocols that we use in the other sectors,” said Ms Hoorweg.

“This segment is different in Europe … it is closer to the size and job of a van so that’s a good comparison for us to have but it also a segment where you see the vehicles that are our top sellers are not the top sellers in Europe, so their programs aren’t really covering this segment – it’s a little bit unique for Australasia.”

Hino Australia president and CEO Richard Emery told GoAuto that “the ANCAP process and consultation with industry raised some concerns for us”.

Mr Emery added that Hino believes “the best outcome for increasing the safety of Australia’s truck fleet is a collaborative process between the industry and government to develop a safety roadmap which is in line with government regulations”.

Addressing industry concerns about consultation, Ms Hoorweg said truck manufacturers and industry bodies such as Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia and the Truck Industry Council were “absolutely advised beforehand”.

“We’ve been very clear about our intentions publicly for quite some time; it's probably two and a half years that we've been saying publicly we are going to look at this sector, and then when it came to the final design of the program, which vehicles were selected and what we were going to do, the draft protocols were shared, the manufacturers that had vehicles that were being tested were advised before we purchased them,” she said.

“Some manufacturers have been very involved and interested in the process, and others have been less interested and involved.”

Foton Mobility Distribution light vehicles general manager Bill Gillespie told GoAuto he supported the program. The company's Foton T5 was one of those assessed and the only electric model.

Mr Gillespie said Foton had “worked closely” with ANCAP and since receiving the results his colleagues had forwarded ANCAP’s findings to the Foton engineering team in China so that improvements could be made.

“If you want to compete against the Japanese (trucks), you need them to close a couple of those gaps (in pedestrian and cyclist detection),” he said.

Mr Gillespie agreed that other manufacturers were less enthusiastic about the ANCAP process.

”The other three were all like, 'Oh, what are we doing this for?' And really, you can't rail against it, because eventually customers will bring you to task,” he said.

Some industry sources approached by GoAuto and who shared specific concerns were reluctant to speak on the record but Mr Emery said: “We would welcome further consultation with ANCAP prior to their next testing.”

Ms Hoorweg said that throughout the process ANCAP had “kept it very, very transparent”.

“We've had many discussions. Manufacturers, like our normal programs, (were) invited to observe the testing. They've been provided with all of the results after the testing.”

Reading between the lines of the ‘Inaugural Insights’ document published by ANCAP, the testing itself seems to have evolved from initial plans to rank vehicles to more of a research exercise – there are numerous caveats included among the text.

Ms Hoorweg admitted that the process “was definitely a bit chicken and egg, because we haven't looked at this segment before”.

“It's our first foray, so it was exploratory,” she conceded, adding that scoring vehicles was not deemed appropriate since many were near the end of their model cycle (for example, market leader Isuzu’s is in the process of introducing new-generation trucks across its range).

“Straight off the bat issuing them a medallion formally (as per ANCAP van testing) probably isn't the right place,” said Ms Hoorweg.

Instead, ANCAP aimed to establish baseline performance and create incentives for improvement ahead of model updates, given the lifecycle of light trucks can be much longer than those of passenger cars with which ANCAP has decades of experience.

ANCAP’s report highlighted significant road safety concerns, citing that light trucks are involved in approximately 15 per cent of all fatal crashes despite making up less than three per cent of registered vehicles – with 91 per cent of serious crashes involving light trucks impacting other vehicles or road users and only nine per cent affecting just the truck driver.

Testing revealed mixed performance across the four vehicles. The outgoing Isuzu N-Series generation demonstrated the broadest capability, with an AEB system that could detect cars, pedestrians, and cyclists, though performance was inconsistent.

Both the Fuso Canter and Hino 300 Series could detect pedestrians and cyclists only in limited scenarios – when travelling above 30km/h with vulnerable road users moving in the same direction and lane. Neither could detect road users crossing in front of the truck.

Foton’s ADAS system could detect other vehicles but not pedestrians or cyclists.

None of the trucks tested could avoid collisions with pedestrians while reversing – a feature some truck industry sources said was all but impossible given the range of custom trays and bodies fitted to these vehicles – and none featured active lane keeping or speed assistance systems.

ANCAP plans to use these findings to establish a formal safety grading system for light trucks from 2026, adopting a Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze rating structure similar to that used for commercial vans.

The truck testing program was funded by the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative with Australian Government support, reflecting increased attention on the sector as light trucks continue to grow in popularity for last-mile deliveries and trades.

According to ANCAP data, light truck sales have increased by an average of 6.6 per cent annually since 2012, driven by their relatively affordable price point and the ability for car licence holders to drive vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes.