Press and Media

11 September 2019

Connected with your future!

The automotive industry is a microcosm of the far-reaching changes currently taking place throughout society. But proactive support is on hand from the experts at TÜV SÜD Division Mobility to help master the increasingly complex demands of the automotive market in technological, economic and structural terms. TÜV SÜD’s expertise is highly sought after all over the world in areas such as electromobility, autonomous driving and homologation – in other words, wherever safe, secure design is called for in new technologies such as highly automated driving. In addition, TÜV SÜD is driving the application of international standards in the development of highly automated vehicles, smoothing access to markets and accelerating the launch of new technology. The experts are also on the move – both personally and digitally – on behalf of their customers in the automotive trade; TÜV SÜD’s remarketing and vehicle management activities focus on smart digital solutions that deliver long-term support for businesses.

TÜV SÜD: Connected with your future. TÜV SÜD’s main area of focus at the 2019 IAA showcases the ways in which our international specialists are working to support the mobility of tomorrow. “One of our future-facing themes in Division Mobility concerns safety and security in highly automated driving functions. We have an international team of experts in place in all relevant markets in North America, Europe and Asia, covering aspects from homologation to physical testing, simulation and trialling traffic and driving situations”, explains Patrick Fruth, CEO Division Mobility at TÜV SÜD. The company’s development operations focus on vehicle safety, but also functional safety and particularly cybersecurity as a key facet of safety and security in networked vehicles. Moving between technology and diplomacy, at international level TÜV SÜD is also involved in establishing uniform standards for the homologation and approval of highly automated vehicles. “Clear-cut specifications and uniform standards can guarantee a rapid market launch for highly automated vehicles, particularly in today’s environment of internationally connected supply chain processes and global marketing”, stresses Patrick Fruth.

Setting standards
One example of this process of standard development is the TR 68 (technical reference). Singapore was the first country to draw up national guidelines for the development of fully automated vehicles, and TÜV SÜD specialists were responsible for three out of the total of four working groups involved – namely operational and functional safety, cybersecurity and vehicle data formats and structures. TR 68 provides OEMs with clear, unambiguous specifications and may well also serve as a blueprint for international standards in this area in the future. “TR 68 was the first project where we were engaged in simulation and validation of highly automated driving functions specifically for urban environments”, explains Patrick Fruth.

Unlocking new markets
Certification requirements, testing standards, directives – to date, no uniform or established testing methods or standards have been set in place for the approval of automated driving functions. This lack of standardisation is presenting an increasing problem for testing automated vehicles around the world and launching them on the market. TÜV SÜD is smoothing the path for new standards of this kind. The company has joined forces with the Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAE), China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC), Shanghai Intelligent Automotive Center (SIAC) and International Transportation Innovation Center (ITIC) to found the International Alliance for Mobility Testing and Standardization (IAMTS). The members of this alliance have the common goal of establishing an international portfolio of test environments for smart mobility which applies the highest quality standards and is designed to provide effective support for the rapid market launch of automated mobility products.

Building trust
TÜV SÜD has played a proactive role in the design and development of automated driving right from the earliest days of the technology, based on its close partnerships with research facilities, official authorities and vehicle manufacturers plus the company’s bank of in-depth expertise amassed from past collaborations and acquisitions. In this context, TÜV SÜD's role extends far beyond safety issues, as an overview of its activities presented at the IAA makes clear; they include the acquisition of UNISCON GmbH (Sealed Cloud technology), collaboration with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) over the development of openGENESIS, a validation platform for AI modules, participation in test fields and partnerships for global vehicle development standards, and intermodal mobility models.

Electromobility
Electric drive systems will play a leading role in the mobility of tomorrow. In Asia in particular, emission-free drive systems have been embraced as the future in the advancement and planning of mass mobility, and electrically powered vehicles are also the front line of newly emerging mobility concepts such as shared mobility and automated driving. TÜV SÜD can point to over ten years of experience in the field of testing batteries for electric vehicles, and has long demonstrated its commitment to globally uniform safety standards in electric mobility by adopting roles such as that of partner to OEMs in vehicle development. As well as offering performance and safety testing for vehicle batteries, the engineers in the company’s global network of electromobility testing laboratories – spanning Germany, the USA, Canada, China, Korea, Singapore and Japan – also supply certification services for high-performance charging systems and new test methods for hydrogen technology development.

In addition, TÜV SÜD is a European leader in certification of electric vehicle charging stations. Its specialist teams have recently expanded their testing services for high-performance charging systems to include systems up to 360 kilowatts.

Digital methods of remarketing and vehicle management
TÜV SÜD supplies innovative vehicle assessment products that help to boost efficiency and effectiveness in remarketing and vehicle management. The range of services spans vehicle, damage and document management and focuses on standardised processes, faster throughput and cost reductions. It includes BlueNOW!, an advance assessment system for leasing returns, PhotoFairy 360°, an imaging tool that creates professional photos of used vehicles during the return process, and Blue Button, an online damage management portal that provides customers with instant damage assessment reports. These services enable the condition of a vehicle to be captured and monitored completely digitally while also reducing turnaround times for used vehicles. By allowing customers to digitally view vehicles in advance, BlueNOW! significantly speeds up the viewing process and the workflows involved. PhotoFairy, the solution for digital visual marketing of used cars, showcases the vehicles in the best possible light.

TÜV SÜD also offers support in digital communication with customers. The “Blue Digital Index” measures the relevance of a car dealership on the Internet and gives recommendations for improvement. The dealership app from TÜV SÜD opens up new possibilities for car dealerships to enhance their customer contact and customer retention processes. TÜV SÜD’s digital expertise in the field of damage assessment reports can likewise benefit car dealerships. One click of the TÜV SÜD Blue Button enables them to access expert assistance in processing accident damage incidents and streamlines and standardises their workflows.
To be able to support customers in their remarketing efforts even more comprehensively than in the past, TÜV SÜD has recently acquired a majority holding in Digital Vehicle Scan GmbH & Co. KG. 20 seconds is all it takes for the Digital Vehicle Scan (D.V.S) to complete an optical assessment of a vehicle's condition. While the vehicle drives through the system, 360° cameras scan the entire vehicle, including its underside. The system even measures the tyre inflation pressure. “This solution supplies us with a highly efficient process, involving digital applications that enable us to generate significant economies of scale. The acquisition of D.V.S. is an important building block in our digitisation strategy”, says CEO Fruth.

At IAA 2019, TÜV SÜD will showcase its full range of know-how and services in the automotive and mobility sectors, spanning automated driving safety – including international standards that also support accelerated market launches – plus digital services for OEMs and car dealerships as well as e-mobility.
“By presenting these innovative topics at IAA we are demonstrating our proactive involvement in shaping the mobility of the future, and thus underlining our position as one of the leading partners of industry at one of the world's largest motor shows”, says Fruth.

TÜV SÜD will host the following event at the 2019 IAA:

12 September, 10 am, Hall 4.1, Stand E09:
Presentation of the Digital Dealer Performance Award (DDPA) with Ralph Meunzel, editor-in-chief of trade magazine for car dealerships “Autohaus”

Note for editorial staff: Further information on TÜV SÜD's IAA presence and the photo of Patrick Fruth are available at www.tuev-sued.de/iaa-press.

Press-contact: Vincenzo Lucà