From July 2024, every passenger car, along with light trucks and vans, will include a built‑in black box that records various vehicle movement parameters. This development is reported by Engine1 and reflects a Europe‑wide shift toward standardized data capture in road transport.
The installation of event data recorders (EDR) becomes standard on M1 class vehicles that seat up to eight passengers in addition to the driver. The European Commission has mandated EDR deployment for these passenger cars, and the rules extend to commercial vehicles classified as N1 with a gross vehicle weight up to 3.5 tonnes. In practice, this means most light commercial vehicles in the region will come with an EDR as part of their baseline equipment, aligning safety and accountability protocols across both private and commercial fleets.
European Commission documentation specifies that EDRs must store a range of critical data. This includes speed measurements, braking parameters, and the vehicle’s position and angle relative to the road. In addition, the system records how safety features respond in different scenarios. The EDRs are also required to log the activation of the eCall emergency call system, which has been mandatory in Europe since 2018. These data points contribute to post‑crash analysis, accident prevention research, and more accurate determinations of fault in incidents, while also enabling manufacturers to monitor and improve active safety systems over time.
In related notes, it is understood that the first shipments of M‑Hero SUV models were introduced in Russia, marking a notable milestone in the global rollout of next‑generation safety technologies. Market observers view this move as part of a broader push toward enhanced vehicle intelligence and connected services, where data capture supports not only safety outcomes but also vehicle maintenance scheduling, software updates, and fleet optimization. The evolving regulatory landscape in Europe is shaping how automakers design, test, and certify these systems, ensuring compliance while also unlocking potential efficiencies and safety benefits for drivers and fleets alike. The emphasis on standardized data collection underscores a shift toward greater transparency and shared responsibility between manufacturers, regulators, and road users, with perceptions of safety increasingly tied to measurable on‑board data streams as vehicles become more interconnected and autonomous features become more prevalent.