HORIBA MIRA secures Euro NCAP accreditation for active safety testing

29 February Nuneaton, Warwickshire. HORIBA MIRA will increase its contribution to the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) after its accreditation was extended to conduct official active safety system testing on passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.

Globally recognised as a leader in vehicle safety engineering, HORIBA MIRA has a long-standing association with Euro NCAP. It has been accredited for passive safety testing since 2012 and is currently supporting the development of the organisation’s new heavy truck rating scheme testing protocols.

“We’re delighted to extend our co-operation with Euro NCAP and proud to be increasing our contribution to the ongoing improvement of vehicle safety standards,” Graeme Stewart, HORIBA MIRA’s Chief Technical Officer, said.

“We have been conducting active safety pre-tests for many years and our team is hugely motivated and passionate about helping to shape the future of safety on European roads and beyond, and being part of the collective effort that is driving towards achieving Vision Zero.”

Central to the delivery of Euro NCAP active safety system testing at HORIBA MIRA’s test laboratory will be its ASSURED CAV facility – recognised as Europe's most comprehensive ecosystem for supporting end-to-end CAV development.

This multimodal, award-winning resource features various physical and virtual testing environments where real-world automotive scenarios can be replicated to deliver the controlled and repeatable tests that HORIBA MIRA’s highly-skilled engineers conduct to evaluate the latest assisted, automated and connected driving systems.

The configurable environments that will be used for Euro NCAP active safety tests include an expansive highway, a city environment, and road junctions.

“We have made a significant investment in world-class test track facilities, state-of-the-art equipment and robust processes at our test laboratory in Nuneaton and we’ll be announcing more exciting developments in this space soon. We’re pleased our facilities will be used to support the mission to create a safer future for mobility,” Graeme Stewart added.

“But what we’ll provide is about more than a physical testing environment. Euro NCAP exists to create safer roads for everyone. We believe that to achieve this objective and deliver the best results, you must have a people-centric approach. We’ve therefore worked hard to assemble a group that contains some of the best engineering talent in the automotive industry.

“I know their passion for vehicle safety will shine through as they deliver outstanding service as a Euro NCAP-accredited laboratory.”

As a trusted partner to global OEMs and automotive tech innovators, HORIBA MIRA has been at the forefront of new vehicle engineering, testing and development for close to 80 years.

Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General at Euro NCAP, welcomed HORIBA MIRA’s increased contribution to the European New Car Assessment Programme. He said: “I am delighted to welcome HORIBA MIRA to Euro NCAP’s trusted network of safety assessment laboratories across Europe. The organisation is already supporting Green NCAP in assessing vehicles for their sustainability. We are impressed by HORIBA MIRA’s commitment to support Euro NCAP’s safety programme including cars, vans, and heavy goods vehicles, but also by its wish to join us in our quest to provide safer vehicles and roads for European citizens and meet Vision Zero targets. This is great news for us, but also for consumers in the UK.”

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Notes to Editors:

About HORIBA MIRA
​HORIBA MIRA is a global provider of automotive engineering, research and test services, with close to 80 years of experience in developing some of the world’s most iconic vehicles.

Working in collaboration with vehicle manufacturers and suppliers around the world, it provides comprehensive support ranging from technology development and individual product tests through to full-vehicle design, development and build programmes. ​ 

While traditionally known for its vehicle test services – including more than 40 major facilities and 100km of Proving Ground – HORIBA MIRA is so much more than this.

During the last decade, it has invested heavily in the evolution of its engineering capability and in the development of MIRA Technology Park, Europe’s leading mobility R&D location for developing the latest automotive technology.

The unique combination of engineering expertise, advanced testing facilities and prime location of MIRA Technology Park in the heart of the UK automotive industry, enables customers to develop and validate their technology, or vehicle, in one place.

HORIBA MIRA’s purpose is to improve lives by making journeys safer, cleaner and smarter.