“In our role as a testing, inspection and certification (TIC) company, new mobility requires us to take a completely new approach to vehicle safety. The field now also covers topics such as operational safety, cyber security and software updates – all fields in which we have been collaborating with international partners for years”, says Patrick Fruth, CEO Division Mobility, addressing one of the central topics of TÜV SÜD’s presence at the IAA. Underlining the significance of road and vehicle safety, he points out, “Highly complex new technologies and systems call for innovative approaches to inspection. Automated driving technologies will significantly improve road safety, marking an important step in our pursuit of Vision Zero – our target of zero deaths on our roads.”

Other central TÜV SÜD topics at the IAA will include alternative drive systems, the digital car dealership and TÜV SÜD’s sustainability strategy. Fruth notes, “As a partner in ‘Allianz Pro IAA’, we are happy to see the IAA 2021 come to life with new concepts and to be part of the relaunch here in Munich. new mobility. sustainability. trust. – our slogan at the IAA – stands for transformation in mobility, but also in the entire industry and, not least, in society itself. Given this, trust in new technologies is more important than ever.”

NEW MOBILITY

From cyber security and functional safety, testing and certification to approval and the design and development of regulatory framework conditions, TÜV SÜD has accompanied new mobility right from the start. TÜV SÜD’s experts work with various partners at national, European and international levels, ensuring safe testing and realisation and thus, ultimately, the success of automated driving. TÜV SÜD’s role in this context extends far beyond safety issues; it includes making mobility more predictable, reducing the number of journeys, cutting emissions and, most importantly, Vision Zero. However, for motorists to let go of the steering wheel willingly, autonomous driving must gain public trust and acceptance. Fruth says, “By providing our expertise, we contribute to making new technologies safe, enabling them to be used in the real world. Our mission remains unchanged throughout all types of technological transformation: Vision Zero, a world free from death or injuries in road traffic.”

SUSTAINABILITY

For years, TÜV SÜD has been supporting the UN sustainability goals with its engagement in preservation and conservation of resources in many different areas. Think decarbonisation, circular economy and, in the broadest terms, corporate social responsibility in both the real and digital worlds. The activities involved are set forth in detail in TÜV SÜD’s Sustainability Status Report, which provides a summary of all activities in these areas in 2019 and 2020. In the mobility sector, this not least concerns the use of alternative drive technologies, including electromobility. TÜV SÜD is the only provider of technical services to maintain a global network of testing laboratories for large electric-vehicle batteries. The service provider is also one of the leading certification bodies for electric car charging stations in Europe, and has advocated uniform high international safety standards in electromobility for years. Fruth notes, “With our focus on battery safety, uniform standards, charging infrastructure and many other areas besides, we are pioneers in electromobility testing, inspection and certification (TIC) and have successfully collaborated with our partners around the globe for more than a decade to drive sustainability in the mobility sector.” Sustainability is also one of the focus themes of the TÜV SÜD Mobility and Drive Centre in Heimsheim. The experts there perform emission testing to support OEMs by making sure that all international emission limits are observed right from the vehicle development phase. Fruth explains, “The centre focuses on full electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Beyond emission tests, we also perform conformity-of-production testing, making sure that new vehicles continue to comply with limit values even years later. This is an important contribution towards enhancing sustainability in mobility.”

TRUST

People are used to vehicles being safe, and TÜV SÜD guarantees this safety. This is true today and will continue to be true tomorrow for new technologies in mobility. TÜV SÜD’s octagon inspires trust throughout the world, making it a key factor of success. Trust in vehicle safety is created by periodic technical inspections of road vehicles, such as the roadworthiness inspection – or PTI. In future, the PTI will place more focus on checking the functioning of the overall system than about testing and inspecting individual components. Similarly, users will increasingly move into the foreground. Even though cars will take over activities previously performed by motorists, the man-machine interface must be well aligned – an issue already addressed by TÜV SÜD experts. Fruth explains, “PTI 4.0 will include inspection of safety-relevant control systems, such as car-to-car (c2c) and car-to-infrastructure (c2i) communication, software updates and, of course, mechanical components – all inspection services that we already perform for eCall and other systems today.“

DAMAGE AND VEHICLE ASSESSMENTS (REMARKETING)

Standardised processes and reduced throughput times and costs are key success factors for both manufacturers and dealerships. With an extensive network of qualified damage assessors and digital control tools, TÜV SÜD can create expert reports as needed. Tangible value added is provided by local damage assessors offering an extensive service portfolio and taking care of all steps in the process. Using the online damage management platform, Blue Button, customers can access damage reports with just one click. As a partner of industry, TÜV SÜD offers its customers a broad range of digital services. Further examples include BlueNOW!, a pre-assessment service for cases such as lease returns; Photo Fairy, an image tool for professional photos of used cars; and DVS, a fully automated drive-through solution which documents the conditions of vehicles of all kinds from passenger cars to heavy trucks. TÜV SÜD is working on increasing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to step up process automation and scalability. Taken together, all these applications support digital control of the vehicle inventory as well as shorter turnaround times for used cars.

new mobility in aspects including automated driving, sustainability in e-mobility or emission laboratories and, last but not least, trust – the PTI of the future, at IAA 2021, TÜV SÜD will present its multifaceted expertise in the most varied fields of future mobility. “As an international testing and inspection organisation and partner of the mobility industry, we cater to all central topics of the future”, emphasises Patrick Fruth. “The IAA continues to be one of the leading motor shows worldwide and this year features a new concept; our presence there underlines our position as one of the leaders in this sector.”

For further information, visit www.tuvsud.com.