FLEETDRIVE
should be commended for that performance
because we are raising the bar as you’ve heard,
things have evolved and continue to expand.
Notwithstanding these changes vehicle brands
continue to respond and ensure they strive for
and meet that 5-star standard that we’re setting.
Now obviously the hot topic of 2020 – we
can’t not talk about it – would be COVID-19.
The effect that’s obviously having on the
automotive industry in terms of sales,
in terms of kilometres being driven, is
immense. Has it affected ANCAP or is the
testing able to operate in a socially distant
kind of world?
As with most organisations the world over,
COVID-19 has had an effect on what we do and
how we do things. Fortunately so far for ANCAP,
we don’t anticipate any significant changes to the
work we do and the ratings that we produce. But
there have been some delays to model releases
and we’ll probably start seeing the breadth of
variants offered being delayed or omitted from
some new model line-ups. There have been
some temporary production plant closures
overseas and some slowing of overseas testing
but we’re now seeing those plants reopen and
the labs reopen and luckily here in Australia, we
haven’t felt the brunt that has been felt overseas.
Locally our 2020 testing kicks off in the next
couple of weeks and we’ll see our first 2020 test
results published. Some of those models that
are in the pipeline for local testing are sure to be
of keen interest to fleet purchasers. I’ll leave you
in suspense but there are likely to be some very
new platforms meeting the highest requirements,
so we’ll see what comes out there.
Long term COVID-19 might result in people
having less of a budget or less financial
opportunities to drive the latest and safest
vehicles. What would you say to those
people who are considering a cheaper
solution in the short to mid-term?
Our message here at ANCAP has always been
for consumers to purchase the safest vehicle they
can afford. Of course newer vehicles tend to offer
more advanced safety features and technologies,
and this is where the year date stamp element of
our ratings becomes so important. But you don’t
have to buy new to buy safe. There are many
near-new and affordable 5-star rated vehicles
available across price points and segments.
In terms of fleet buyers, they may not be in a
position to update their vehicles as regularly as
they once did, but when they are considering that
next purchase, they should continue to do what
they are already doing, which is to aim for 5-star
models and look for a date stamp of no older
than two or three years where they can.
And I guess encouraging fleets to utilise
ANCAP’s resources and materials is going
to be ever more important. What tools are
available to fleets right now that might be of
more benefit to them?
Fleet purchasers are responsible for injecting
close to half a million or more vehicles on the
road each year. So they play a vital role in
improving road safety, not only for their own
employees, but also others that they interact
with on the roads. An important message from
ANCAP is that we are here as a fleet purchaser’s
resource. We want to be your resource, and
there are some simple ways that we can help.
ISSUE 23 2020 / WWW.AFMA.ORG.AU
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