Where Automakers Stand on Automatic Emergency Braking Pledge
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Last year 20 automakers that control 99 percent of the U.S. market agreed to make Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) a standard feature across almost all models by 2022.
After one year, some are way ahead and others have barely started.
Consumer Reports has long called for automakers to make AEB standard equipment in cars sold in the U.S., and last year CR began awarding bonus points in the Overall Score of vehicles that include AEB and forward-collision warning (FCW) as standard features across all trim levels of a model.
“It shouldn’t take buying a luxury car or pricey add-ons for a consumer to get this protection,” says William Wallace, policy analyst for Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports. “All automakers should quickly make both low-speed and high-speed systems standard.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety negotiated the voluntary agreement under the theory that consumers would benefit from the technology faster if compliance were voluntary, rather than mandated through a regulatory process. Consumer Reports supported the deal and agreed to monitor compliance.
But the agreement only calls for implementing low-speed AEB systems. As a result, even if manufacturers meet the terms of the agreement, high-speed AEB may not be a standard feature on every model. Because motorists are more likely to be killed or seriously injured at higher speeds, Consumer Reports encourages automakers to offer high-speed AEB.
If a car equipped with AEB senses a potential collision with a vehicle in front and the driver doesn’t react in time, it brakes for you. The latest study from the IIHS found rear-end crashes for models equipped with AEB were cut by 50 percent.
The automakers promised that the technology would be made standard on all models except heavy-duty pickup trucks. The agreement also includes a pledge to adopt FCW.
Audi | Audi says nearly 80 percent of its fleet comes with AEB standard. Audi reported that it would be bringing that number close to 100 percent by the 2019 model year. |
BMW | AEB is currently optional on almost every BMW; low-speed AEB is standard on only one model, the i8. Low-speed AEB will also come as a standard feature on the upcoming BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo. |
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles | Fiat Chrysler does not offer AEB standard on any models, but it is available as an option on 11 of its 21 vehicles, with one more model coming next year. |
Ford | Ford does not offer AEB standard on any models, though it is an optional feature on four models. Ford reported that AEB will be made available as an option on three additional vehicles in the 2018 model year. |
General Motors | GM reports that AEB will be available as an option on nearly two-thirds of its models by the end of 2017. |
Honda | About 95 percent of Honda models sold in the U.S. will come with AEB standard by the 2020 model year, according to a spokesman. AEB is optional equipment on most 2017 models, and it comes standard on the Honda Accord and Accord Hybrid, and two Acura models. Honda representatives did not provide explicit details about the 2018 model year. |
Hyundai | AEB currently comes standard on the Genesis, and it is an optional feature on six other models. Hyundai reported that AEB will be optional on every 2018 model with the exception of the Veloster compact car. |
Jaguar Land Rover | AEB comes standard on the F-Type, E-Pace, Velar, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport. The feature is available on all other models. |
Kia | AEB is currently optional on all models except the 2017 Rio subcompact car. AEB will be optional on all 2018 models. |
Maserati | Maserati didn’t respond to CR’s request for comment. According to CR research, AEB is optional on both models for sale in the U.S. |
Mazda | Mazda recently announced that low-speed AEB would be standard on all 2018 models, with the exception of the MX-5 Miata. |
Mercedes | High-speed AEB comes standard across Mercedes’ fleet, with the exception of the G-Class SUVs. |
Mitsubishi | AEB does not come standard on any vehicle sold in the U.S. Low-speed AEB is an optional feature on one model. Mitsubishi says AEB will be made available as an option on three additional models for the 2018 model year. |
Nissan | Nissan said that AEB will come standard on 1 million vehicles sold in the U.S. for the 2018 model year, including seven of the company’s most popular models. |
Porsche | Porsche declined CR’s request for comment on plans for the coming years. AEB is optional for all 2017 models for sale in the U.S., according to CR research. |
Subaru | Subaru has not made AEB standard on any models and did not report any upcoming changes for the 2018 model year. Subaru offers AEB as an option on six of its seven U.S. models, according to CR research. |
Tesla | As of Sept. 10, 2017, Tesla reports that some models with its most recent safety hardware package do not have an active automatic emergency braking system; the company says it expects to reinstate the system to those models by the end of October 2017. |
Toyota | AEB will come standard on almost every Lexus and Toyota model by the end of 2017. |
Volkswagen | AEB will not come standard on any 2018 VW models. For 2017, VW offers low-speed AEB standard on two U.S. models, the Passat sedan and the Touareg SUV. It’s optional on every other model except the Beetle. |
Volvo Cars | Most 2014-2016 Volvo models have standard low-speed AEB systems. Some 2017 models (XC90 SUV, S90 sedan, V90 wagon) and 2018 models (all the 2017s plus the XC60 SUV) get high-speed AEB standard. |
In addition to this report on long-term plans for AEB, Consumer Reports published this detailed list of crash-avoidance features available on all U.S. models.
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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2017, Consumer Reports, Inc.
