Holistic inspection of modern vehicles
Testing organisations ensure safety, security and sustainability throughout the entire life cycle of the vehicle (development, approval and operation).
Position and requirement
- Current test contents (electronic test procedures, wheels, chassis, lights, brakes, ...) within the scope of the periodic technical vehicle inspection (PTI)) are supplemented and further developed in a targeted manner - including automated and connected vehicles
- Vehicle inspections as part of the PTI and approvals are becoming more dynamic. Functional and performance tests are, in particular, dynamic, effective and efficient and supplement (static) electronic status inspections.
- The conformity and integrity of software as an elementary component of electronically controlled vehicle systems must be checked for all safety-relevant vehicle systems (including checks of software updates as part of the PTI).
- The provision of (by vehicle manufacturers) and access (via OBD/OTA vehicle interfaces) to all vehicle information relevant to the inspection must be legally anchored and adapted accordingly to the technical progress of the vehicles.
- The periodic on-site inspections must be supplemented by event-driven remote-assisted inspections. The vehicle information should serve as a basis for detecting abnormalities of components, assemblies, and systems that are relevant to safety, security and the environment and for checking that the target state has been restored.
Sustainable protection of people and the environment
The inspection organisations ensure compliance with environmental standards and contribute to the introduction of environmentally compatible vehicle technologies and new mobility solutions.
Position and requirement
Further development and extension of the emission inspection within the PTI to determine and eliminate damage, ageing and manipulation of the exhaust gas after-treatment:
- Extension of the tailpipe measurement during the PTI with the measurement of nitrogen oxides for diesel engines and particle counting - for gasoline engines
- Determination of validated vehicle sensor data in the type approval for an inspection procedure via OBD/OTA interfaces in the periodic emissions inspection
- Supplementation of previous measures (PTI, In-Service Conformity, Market Surveillance) by independent field monitoring of all vehicle classes
Monitoring of environmental regulations and standards during the development, approval and periodic inspection of vehicles of all types of propulsion:
- non-discriminatory access to environmental relevant data of the motor vehicle
- manufacturer-independent, cross-model, standardised determination of the safety status and energy efficiency of the batteries of electric vehicles
- inspection requirements for all vehicles should be extended to CO2, fuel consumption and electrical energy efficiency
Digitalisation and interconnectivity for safe and sustainable mobility
As independent third parties, inspection organisations are committed to the safety of connected vehicles and user-centric access to (mobility) data.
Position and requirement
- Secure handling of – and neutral access to – mobility and vehicle data is enabled by appropriate TrustCenter solutions for user-centric use and sharing of data and information. Data access to all inspection-relevant vehicle information for sovereign vehicle inspections must be ensured without restriction.
- In line with the AI act is the certification and testing of AI/ML algorithms in automated networked vehicle systems increasingly supported by simulation and ensured by functional/ performance inspection on the real vehicle.
- Compliance with data protection and cyber security requirements (based on UN Regulation 155) for electronic, connected vehicle systems are verified as part of the PTI by means of electronic software integrity checks.
- A check of connected functions (Car2X) is required in order to protect especially vehicle occupants, other road users and traffic infrastructure.
Modern, innovation-friendly legal framework
The inspection organisations call on policy-makers and legislators to adopt a modern and innovation-friendly legal framework that supports technological developments and innovations in the automotive industry, while achieving the common objectives of road safety and environmental protection.
Position and requirement
The inspection organisations pave the way for new technologies and innovations in industry, and also ensure the safe and clean operation of current vehicles over their entire life cycle by means of independent and periodic technical inspections. This is done with the use of modern inspection technologies and procedures, as well as through the further development and harmonisation of national and international/European standards and regulations for the development, approval and inspection of modern vehicles, their systems and assemblies.
In particular, the further development of the following regulations is essential for the future activities of the inspection organisations to ensure road safety and environmental protection:
National and European regulations for the assessment and (periodic technical) inspection of modern vehicles, including for the focal points
- Data access to the vehicle via both the physical and the remote interface (OTA)
- Data standards (including ISO 20730: electronic periodic technical inspection)
- Automotive cyber security and software updates (based on UN Regulations 155 and 156)
International standards for vehicle approval (UN regulations), which are intended to promote progress and innovation in vehicle technology, as well as to ensure safety and conformity with standards
