What happened
Euro NCAP, the European New Car Assessment Programme, published its assisted driving grading for the Volvo EC40, formerly the C40 Recharge, on 23 October 2024. It tested Pilot Assist, which combines adaptive cruise control with lane guidance. The system reads speed limits from maps and real time camera inputs. It does not adapt its speed for curves or junctions ahead. The EC40 avoided or mitigated a collision in many of the adaptive cruise control scenarios and scored 24.9 of 40 points there. Through an S-bend, it stayed fully in its lane only at the lowest test speed. With an unresponsive driver, it made a controlled stop in its lane. Euro NCAP scored the system 78% for safety backup and 66% for assistance competence and graded it Good. It found that the sensing of the driver's hands on the wheel was not robust, and the car scored 0 of 25 points for driver monitoring. No crash outcome on public roads is reported. Euro NCAP does not mention machine learning.
Sources
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Assessment report, by authors with no tie to the system.
The EC40 from Volvo provides good Vehicle Assistance with a similar level of Driver Engagement. Combined with a high level safety back-up, the system, overall, offers Good highway assistance.
The EC40 responds to avoid or mitigate a collision in many of the ACC test scenarios.
Details
AI system
- Workflow
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The system combined map-based speed limit information with real time camera inputs. It balanced the driver's steering input with lane guidance. If the radar or camera was blocked, the car warned the driver and prevented activation.
Follow-up
- Conditions for replication
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The driver supervises the steering, since the car's sensing of hands on the wheel was not robust. The driver slows for curves and junctions, since the system does not adapt its speed for them.
Entry details
- Sector
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Road vehicle crash avoidance / assisted driving.
- Purpose
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Volvo Cars built Pilot Assist to help the driver with speed, following distance and steering.
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Cite this record
Peter H. Vartanian. (2026). Euro NCAP grades Volvo's Pilot Assist Good on the EC40 (AIBD-0940). Artificial Intelligence Benefits Database, edition of 1 November 2026. https://petervartanian.xyz/aibd/records/AIBD-0940.html (archived at https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/AADSII, version 7.0)