AEB uptake could provide opportunity

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is now available on 60 per cent of Australia’s 100 top-selling light vehicles, according to crash-test authority ANCAP, with the inevitable repair and calibration of this and other sophisticated safety systems presenting a huge opportunity to VASA members.

In September, around 40,000 new vehicles with AEB joined the Australian fleet, according to ANCAP CEO James Goodwin.

“This is a significant milestone for the industry and the marketplace, with supply and demand working together to provide positive safety outcomes,” he said.

As shown by the infographic below, the proportion of new vehicles with standard AEB has rocketed from just three per cent in 2015 to 54 per cent in mid-2019. Just two years ago, just 18 per cent of new vehicles had standard AEB.

It is not just a case of market forces; ANCAP requires a vehicle to be equipped with AEB in order to achieve a maximum five-star crash-test rating.

Perhaps ironically, given the accident-prevention goal of AEB and other active safety systems, it is primarily collision repairers that have to repair, replace and recalibrate the various sensors and cameras.

Due to the location of these sensors and cameras, windscreen repairs and replacements also tend to require recalibration work to take place

Workshop equipment such as the Hella-Gutman CSC rig (pictured above) exists for aftermarket repairers to carry out recalibration work for AEB and other active safety technology.

If you are a VASA member that already provides services such as air-conditioning recommissioning to collision repairers, it is worth considering the huge looming potential market of cars with AEB that will need calibration and repair of their sensitive onboard camera and sensor equipment.