Cupra will use real-world driving data to optimise safety systems as part of a Volkswagen Group initiative.

Cupra’s all-electric line-up will use data from real traffic situations to optimise driver-assistance systems

The brand’s all-electric line-up – including Tavascan, Born and, shortly, Raval – will draw on sensor and image data alongside information from real traffic situations to continuously optimise driver-assistance systems and automated driving functions.

The safety-focused programme starts from this month and will run across some 40 European countries.

The scheme has already gone live across Volkswagen Passenger Cars models and is now being rolled out for Cupra’s fully electric line-up. Škoda, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Audi and Porsche will also join the scheme.

Building on successful experiences made by Volkswagen Group in Germany, the goal is to continuously improve driver-assistance systems and automated driving functions through software updates.

This will make a positive contribution to overall safety for all road users, while VW Group customers can benefit from these improvements through simple, intuitive software updates along with increased comfort to driving functionality, according to the group.

Cupra, along with the wider Volkswagen Group, has stressed that privacy compliance and data protection regulations are strictly observed. Customer consent is a fundamental prerequisite for the transfer and processing of data.

The Volkswagen Group, including Cupra, already uses data to help improve road safety. Vehicles use anonymised swarm data to generate high-resolution maps. This helps vehicles maintain lane guidance on roads without lane markings. It also enables precise driving recommendations and hazard alerts, which can be refined by local weather conditions.

The group said that using data from real driving situations – seen as significantly more practical than tests with prototypes or simulations – would enable the design of assistance functions that customers perceive as effective to ideally keep activated at all times.

Cupra engineers are focused on particular scenarios where driver-assistance systems are especially useful. These can include traffic situations involving cyclists and pedestrians, such as intersection traffic near an elementary school, or busy, complex supermarket parking lots.

Vulnerable road users are a key focus for future tech enhancements, including by analysing real-life data at pedestrian crossings and sidewalks as accurately as possible. If the camera detects pedestrians moving toward the street – for instance, playing children – the vehicle can proactively build up brake pressure to enable even faster braking in an emergency.

Data collection and transmission may also include other vehicles or road users such as pedestrians and cyclists in the immediate surroundings. Volkswagen Group said this is essential because camera-based systems must visually classify objects and people accurately, even under challenging conditions, and correctly assess complex traffic situations.

Data will only be transmitted in specific situations triggered by the emergency braking assistant, manual full braking, and sudden evasive manoeuvres. Certain sensor, functional, and image data are particularly relevant in these cases. These include camera images of the vehicle’s surroundings and detection results from the environment sensors, as well as driving direction, speed, and steering angle. Information on weather, visibility, and lighting conditions also plays an important role.

Customer consent is a fundamental prerequisite for the transfer and processing of data. Cupra customer consent can be given via My Cupra App, while it can be revoked at any time.

Interested parties can review the recording conditions and privacy statements here.