Intelligent speed assistant, breathalyzer and black box: a big change is coming to the new car market from July 7

The goal is, of course, to increase traffic safety and protect drivers, pedestrians and cyclists more effectively. However, such a wide-ranging and significant change also raises many challenges and questions, be it the price of new cars, expected delivery times, administrative problems or even the protection of personal data. Balázs Kövesdán, ALD Automotive | LeasePlan’s deputy commercial director summarized the most important information. Can a price increase be expected on the domestic new car or leasing market due to the new mandatory safety equipment? Due to the legislation, there is no need to fear a sudden price increase, as the manufacturers have already included these items in the list price of the basic equipment of the vehicles. More precisely, this means that most car manufacturers have already made some or all of the mandatory safety technology elements available as standard equipment on their models from July 7. What should those who are thinking about purchasing a company car expect, is there a longer waiting period due to the new legislation? The most important thing for customers is predictability, so also the expected delivery time, which has been showing a constantly improving trend since the beginning of the year. In contrast to the last 3 years, this year you no longer have to wait at least 12 months for a factory-ordered vehicle – of course, there may be longer waiting times for extreme models or in the case of remote production locations – but you also do not have to plan a year in advance in the case of fleet expansion. No disruption is expected due to the required new safety systems either, thanks to the fact that the majority of manufacturers have already prepared for this in time. The regulators established the criteria that are now coming into force already in 2019, thus leaving plenty of time for the transition. What administrative problems may arise due to the new regulation, what difficulties should companies prepare for when purchasing a new car or fleet? An administrative problem may arise if the customer chooses a vehicle that does not have the newly prescribed, mandatory safety technical elements, but could only be put on the market after July 7. Such may be the models available in stock, which have already arrived at dealerships. In these cases, the importer and the dealer can jointly request that the vehicle be put on the market for a postponement, i.e. it can be put on the market within the next year even without the required elements. Of course, the number of certificates that can be issued is limited, but this situation is not expected to cause any noticeable disruption.