WABCO launches ESCsmart on Tata Prima range of trucks
Trucks, buses and multi-axle vehicles account for about one third of road accidents in India and about 84% of accidents happen due to loss of vehicle control. In order to address this issue, WABCO India Limited, a leading supplier of technologies for the commercial vehicles, and Tata Motors Limited, have jointly launched Electronic Stability Control (ESCsmart) for trucks and buses at WABCO India’s test track in Chennai. Tata Motors becomes the first OEM to deploy ESCsmart for the Prima range, helping to prevent accidents by increasing vehicle stability and safety.
WABCO’s ESCsmart functionality builds on its Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Braking System (EBS) platforms. It is an active safety system that monitors the roll and directional stability of vehicles. The system can automatically intervene, independent of the driver, when a high risk of instability is detected, thus helping to reduce the likelihood of accidents particularly associated with rollover, skidding and jackknifing.
ESCsmart was showcased at WABCO’s test track through the demonstration of special maneuvers conducted by WABCO on Tata trucks equipped with the technology. Jacques Esculier, WABCO Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said, “WABCO is a global leader in innovating technologies that contribute to safer and more efficient road transportation of people and goods. Following the introduction of ABS for commercial vehicles in India, WABCO is extremely proud to now launch ESCsmart and to play a key role in further helping to support the Government of India’s vision to reduce road accidents.”
“WABCO is honoured and proud to partner with Tata Motors to launch ESCsmart on its Prima range of trucks. We look forward to pave the way for its further adoption in India,” Esculiar said. Along with reducing the risk of accidents associated with vehicle instability, the self-learning capabilities of ESCsmart also help vehicle manufacturers to eliminate the necessity of physically testing all variants of vehicles during homologation. This saves considerable time and labour.
A K Jindal, Vice President and Head Engineering (CVBU), Tata Motors Ltd said, “Safety is of paramount importance to us and the introduction of Electronic Stability Control (ESCsmart) further reiterates our commitment to strengthen the safety performance of our products and introduce future technologies. With this partnership, Tata Motors becomes the first OEM in India deploying ESCsmart safety technology on the Prima range. ESCsmart has been customized to incorporate more safety parameters for operation in India. We are delighted to work with WABCO to develop innovative products for our Indian customers.”
P Kaniappan, Managing Director, WABCO India Limited said, “We are excited to launch ESCsmart
technology in India in partnership with Tata Motors. This is fully in line with WABCO’s strategy to be the supplier of choice for products and systems that contribute to the safety of commercial vehicles. ESCsmart is the industry’s first intelligent ESC system for pneumatic ABS in India.”
“This technology provides comprehensive value to customers by increasing vehicle stability, reducing accident risk and repair cost, and improving vehicle uptime. By integrating ESCsmart technology, WABCO aims to support commercial vehicle manufacturers in building safer vehicles and fleet owners to operate their fleets more efficiently. ESCsmart marks the next level of technology partnership with our customers to make commercial vehicles safer for Indian roads,” Kaniappan added.
WABCO pioneered Electronic Stability Control for commercial vehicles in 2001 and has continued to innovate this safety technology ever since, selling more than 1 million ESC systems worldwide since its introduction.
WABCO’s ESCsmart is the commercial vehicle industry’s first and most efficient technology to homologate ESC, saving significant time and effort for OEMs. Features of ESCsmart system include Yaw Control and Roll Stability Control. While Yaw Control provides directional vehicle stability on low-friction surfaces, Roll Stability Control works effectively on highfriction surfaces.
WABCO’s ESCsmart technology has been certified by TÜV Nord Germany, an accredited technical service, and has been approved for use in 27 countries in the European Union and 20 other countries.
WABCO is a leading global supplier of technologies and services that improve the safety, efficiency and connectivity of commercial vehicles. Founded nearly 150 years ago, WABCO continues to pioneer breakthrough innovations for advanced driver assistance, braking, stability control, suspension, transmission automation and aerodynamics. Partnering with the transportation industry as it maps a route toward autonomous driving, WABCO uniquely connects trucks, trailers, cargo, drivers, business partners and fleet operators through advanced fleet management systems and mobile solutions.
WABCO India designs, manufactures and markets conventional braking products, advanced braking systems, and related air assisted products and systems. The company has established a leading position in the Indian commercial vehicle market, and, also, serves its aftermarket customers through a nation-wide distribution network.
Commenting on the Indian business, Kaniappan said, “India is the production hub for brake actuators and a key production base for a list of products. With about 4400 employees, WABCO India accounts for one third of its global workforce and the number continues to grow. Also, more than 500 engineers are sitting in India and are involved in design and development of every product and system. The component sourcing from India has been growing and last year it amounted to Rs 550 crore. The present capacity is about 45,000 systems a month and the current capacity utilisation level is about 85%.”
With 5 world-class manufacturing facilities spread across India, an Application Engineering Centre in Pune, a technology center and a vehicle testing facility in Chennai, WABCO India excels in engineering and manufacturing, serving customers locally, and through WABCO, globally.