ANCAP closer to US pick-up truck crash testing

Safety testing of full-size American pick-up trucks by ANCAP in 2025 could still include a limited crash program.

The independent safety authority ANCAP is in the process of assembling the field for its testing, which should include the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, RAM 1500 and Toyota Tundra.

A fifth as yet un-named model is also expected to join the test.

While proving popular in terms of sales in Australia, the full-size pick-ups have come in for a significant amount of media attention and criticism because of their 6.0 metre length and 2.5 tonne kerb weight.

That has prompted ANCAP’s attention on a segment that currently goes unrated.

At a minimum, ANCAP plans to assess ADAS (advanced driver assist systems) such as emergency braking and lane keeping for the full-size US pick-up trucks.

But because of the consistent concerns expressed about the consequences for occupants of other usually lighter and smaller vehicles in a crash, ANCAP may also add what’s known as a frontal offset barrier test.

This replicates a partial collision between two oncoming vehicles at a closing speed of 100km/h.

Assessment of pedestrian impact injury when struck by a pick-up is another area ANCAP would like to add to the pick-up testing.

With or without the crash test, when the pick-up results are issued mid-2025 they are still likely to be graded in medal colours as per commercial van testing by ANCAP.

They will not be awarded a star rating, which is reserved for testing conducted under all four pillars of the ANCAP regime, which includes adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, vulnerable road user and safety assist assessment.

ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg told carsales green lighting crash testing of the big trucks was a tough one to get over the line for the first test.

“In terms of [2025] testing that will only be ADAS and we are still considering whether we can squeeze anything else into this first round,” she explained.

“This is a first step. This will evolve over time so whilst we will start with ADAS we might include crash testing or pedestrian impact testing later on.

“If we can get it into this program we will,” she added.

“But at this point we are weighing up costs and what we have budget for in that program.”

All four of the big USA trucks are remanufactured from left- to right-hand drive locally, three of them – the Chev, RAM and incoming Tundra – by Walkinshaw Automotive, while RMA looks after the F-150 conversion.

Originally, ANCAP had hoped to conduct a full suite of crash tests on these vehicles but prohibitive costs and the limited value of the data returned has ruled it out.

In November 2023 Hoorweg pre-empted this decision, telling carsales: “There is an element of ‘what are we going to learn from it [crash testing]?’

“What information are we going to be able to provide?”

Hoorweg urged the brands with pick-ups involved in the upcoming testing to co-operate with ANCAP.

“We prefer if we get vehicles from the OEM [brand] and don’t have to pay for them, but where we don’t get support we just go and pay for them. That’s the backstop.

“The manufacturers do better if they co-operate with us because there are opportunities for them to provide further information that fleshes out the scoring and that usually works in their favour.

“Even if they can’t contribute a vehicle there is a strong preference for us to work hand-in-hand with them through all the additional information.”