The March 2026 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

COVER STORY – SITE VISIT: Geely Group’s recently opened safety and wind tunnel hub has broken five world records

TECH INSIDER: TAPG REJUVENATES CIRCUIT PORTFOLIO: An insight into the upgrades at Toyota’s Arizona site, which will sharpen testing for the OEM and its third-party clients

DIGITAL PROVING GROUNDS: In the virtual facility realm, technology is advancing rapidly as developers find inventive ways to replicate winter conditions

COMBINING SUBJECTIVE & OBJECTIVE DATA: As objective data comes more into focus, how does subjective feel come into play, and how are the two combined to create desirable vehicles?

R&D PARADIGMS IN 2026: Specialists discuss the developments they’re working on, from more representative suspension testing to the adoption of AI in aero analysis

TRANSMISSION SIMULATION: One of the latest techniques being harnessed in new ways is meshless CFD, as ATTI discovers

Download apps

Download the Automotive Testing Technology International App NOW to read the latest issue! The App is free and gives you access to a library of back issues.

Launching in Stuttgart, Germany, June 23-25, 2026, Vehicle Tech Week Europe brings together three of UKi Media & Events’ leading shows – Automotive Testing Expo, Autonomous Vehicle Tech Expo and Automotive Interiors Expo – into one integrated platform designed to meet the needs of an increasingly convergent industry.

Partnerships that broaden expertise and industry alignment

PAVE Europe, ASAM and FISITA bring deep experience across engineering, automation, safety, simulation, testing, validation, standardization and user experience. Their involvement supports Vehicle Tech Week Europe’s mission to encourage cross‑disciplinary collaboration, promote global best practices and accelerate progress toward safe, intelligent and sustainable mobility.

Marius Dupuis, CEO of ASAM, said, “We are pleased to deepen our collaboration with UKi Media & Events. This partnership allows us to present our standards, initiatives and activities to a broader professional audience and to expand expert dialog and collaboration across disciplines and industries.

“ASAM connects experts who shape the technology of tomorrow through pre-competitive standardization. Our collaboration with UKi Media & Events creates exciting synergies by broadening the scope and impact of expert discussions, delivering value both for ASAM and the mobility industry as a whole. We look forward to building on this partnership.”

Adding to this collaborative sentiment, Guido Di Pasquale, managing director of PAVE Europe, said, “At PAVE Europe, we believe that open dialog and collaboration across the mobility ecosystem are essential to building public understanding and trust in automated vehicle technology. This partnership with Vehicle Tech Week Europe provides an important opportunity to engage with industry leaders, policymakers and innovators to discuss the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of mobility. We look forward to contributing to the conversation and helping ensure that the development of autonomous and connected vehicles in Europe is informed, inclusive and transparent.”

Chris Mason, CEO of FISITA, added, “We are pleased to deepen our collaboration with UKi Media & Events. This partnership allows us to connect with a wider audience of industry leaders, engineers and thought leaders to expand expert dialog and collaboration across the automotive and mobility disciplines.

“FISITA connects an alliance of international industry leaders, engineers and stakeholders to facilitate the advancement of the strategy and technology of mobility, for the benefit of industry, people and the planet. Our collaboration with UKi Media & Events through complementary events and publications supports the advancement of collaborative thought leadership within the industry.”

A unified environment for the full vehicle technology ecosystem

Vehicle Tech Week Europe creates one comprehensive meeting point for engineers, designers, validation specialists, manufacturers and suppliers working across interconnected development cycles. Alongside leaders in autonomy, electrification and digital mobility, participants will engage in a seamlessly integrated program of exhibitions, conferences and innovation showcases across three dynamic days.

Darren Whitehead, group portfolio director for Vehicle Tech Week, said, “The support of these leading organizations underlines Vehicle Tech Week’s position as the definitive platform for the full vehicle technology ecosystem. By uniting specialists across autonomy, testing, interiors, safety and standardization, Vehicle Tech Week provides the ideal environment for meaningful industry collaboration.”

Related, UKi Media & Events announces Vehicle Tech Week Europe

The November 2025 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

COVER STORY – SITE VISIT: An inside look at the bespoke test equipment crafted by Mercedes-Benz at its Immendingen site

PROVING GROUND STRATEGIES: Why facilities must broaden their horizons to remain relevant in today’s development landscape

TECH INSIDER – LAMBORGHINI: The magic behind the Raging Bull’s ground-up V8 hybrid

BMW AND DIGITAL TWINS: What is the best approach to developing the various elements of a virtual replica and integrating them?

STELLANTIS AND HIL: How are engineers handling the task of designing ECUs in-house for the first time?

OEM INTERVIEW – NISSAN: Emma Deutsch, who heads NTCE, discusses data and budgets

INTERVIEW: Former OEM exec Meg Novacek recalls defining moments from her career

SENSORS: Moving to digitized, miniature and wireless solutions is proving tricky. How are suppliers tackling this?

AUTOMOTIVE TESTING EXPO KOREA 2026: An early look at the technologies set to be unveiled at next year’s show

Download apps

Download the Automotive Testing Technology International App NOW to read the latest issue! The App is free and gives you access to a library of back issues.

“This project was the first in which we moved directly from digital whole-vehicle testing to pre-series production,” explains Dr Michael Steiner, deputy chairman and member of the executive board research and development. Much of the traditional prototype testing, which previously involved 120 custom-built vehicles, was replaced with digital methods.

Initial component tests carried out virtually

Porsche’s simulation and AI testing is built on three pillars: digitized test routes, insights from field testing, and powerful real-time computing systems. These enabled engineers to begin development and initial component testing entirely in a virtual environment using VR. The digital findings were later validated on physical test benches.

Composite test bench simulates real-world loads

A new composite test bench was developed to simulate real-world loads. It enabled the drive, battery, energy management and charging systems to be tested together under realistic conditions. The test bench features four synchronous motors that can be programmed to simulate different road conditions, acceleration resistance and forces experienced during recuperation and braking. “The machines are so sophisticated that we can even display different asphalt surfaces or tire slip,” says engineer Marcus Junige. Environmental conditions can also be fully simulated.

Permanent comparison with the digital twin

“Our test programs are unique in terms of their requirements,” Junige adds. For example, a full lap of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife was simulated using a virtual prototype, with real-time impulses fed into the test bench.

“Under all conditions, the vehicle must always deliver full power as soon as the driver demands it,” Junige continues. That level of performance demands exceptional thermal management, prompting Porsche to design the most powerful battery conditioning system ever used in an electric Porsche.

During the Nürburgring simulation, real-time test bench data was continuously compared to digital twin predictions — with minimal deviations, which confirmed the accuracy of the simulation model.

Testing at the limit and in all situations

“In reality, only humans can perform the finishing touches,” says Sascha Niesen, team leader for overall vehicle testing at the Porsche Development Center in Weissach. The importance of test drivers’ experience in perfectly balancing driving dynamics and control strategies is particularly evident on racetracks. A particular focus is on the management of charging. “No matter how the Cayenne is driven before stopping, it must always be conditioned for fast charging,” explains Junige.

In hot climates, the systems were tested under extreme conditions up to 50°C. In cold regions, down to –35°C, engineers evaluated cold starts, traction, climate control, handling and braking. In all cases, the Cayenne Electric had to maintain full charging capability.

Endurance testing simulates a vehicle’s life under conditions so harsh that customers would only experience them in extreme situations. Under everyday conditions, the vehicles cover more than 150,000km in shifts within a few months.

The combination of digital preparation and real-world testing makes the development process more precise and efficient. Compared to a conventional development strategy, the timescale for developing the Cayenne Electric was reduced by 20%. At the same time, state-of-the-art virtual testing is more resource-efficient too, thanks to reduced material consumption.

This is an edited version of an article originally published in the Porsche Newsroom.

Related: Early fault detection in ADAS through simulation

A 350km test route through the picturesque Alsatian countryside serves as an amphitheater for evaluating the W16 Mistral’s capabilities. On the carefully curated route, every component undergoes individual testing, taking the fit, feel and functionality of features within the cockpit, as well as the precision of the steering system’s response and return characteristics, into consideration.

A route designed to challenge: open road testing

The route includes traditional Alsatian villages, winding country roads that test the W16 Mistral’s agility, long highway stretches intended to evaluate stability and comfort during sustained cruising, and mountain passes that challenge the powertrain under a range of elevation and atmospheric conditions.

Bugatti has carefully selected the route to reflect the full spectrum of real-world scenarios a customer may encounter to test the driving experience. This includes the technical challenge of cobblestone surfaces that can reveal the slightest chassis irregularity, to open stretches where the W16 engine can reach its crescendo in the open-air cockpit.

Testing beyond functionality

The validation process extends beyond mechanical systems and encompasses the complete sensory experience. Noise testing occurs across multiple scenarios including evaluation with and without the soft-top roof, analysis of wind and road noise characteristics, assessment of the exhaust system’s acoustic signature and verification of chassis and tire rolling dynamics.

Transmission behavior also receives dedicated attention, with technicians analyzing gear changes during acceleration, deceleration and varying load conditions. Every part of the surrounding environment is used in the pursuit of perfection, including the narrow streets lined with ancient stone buildings, which create natural acoustic chambers for Bugatti’s test drivers, using the echo against walls to analyze every nuance of the vehicle’s sound profile.

Three qualified specialists

Only a select few specialists take on the mantle of such a rigorous assessment journey. Currently, only three experts possess the full qualification and dedication required to conduct W16 Mistral quality appraisal. These evaluators together represent decades of accumulated knowledge, with each new test driver undergoing an intensive training regime, including several supervised test drives alongside senior experts and fully autonomous assessments encompassing comprehensive sensory analysis.

This human-centric approach reflects Bugatti’s fundamental methodology: 90% of quality validation is derived from the driver’s personal analysis and sensory interpretation through sight, sound and touch. The three automotive specialists possess the ability to detect the slightest irregular sound, identifying unknown vibrations often imperceptible to untrained senses. These are sounds that could indicate developing issues. Their mechanical understanding enables accurate detection and diagnosis of an anomaly early on.

Each observation is meticulously recorded via a dictaphone during the drive for a follow up in-depth analysis, and when necessary, followed by partial or complete vehicle disassembly. The remaining 10% of the evaluation uses electronic diagnostics – a combination of Bugatti’s internal telemetry systems and data loggers are used to continuously monitor and record all performance metrics throughout the test drive.

The circuit arena: closed-road testing

Moving from the open road to a closed-circuit arena, the testing program culminates with high-speed track sessions at the Colmar airfield, where Bugatti maintains an exclusive 1,600m partnership facility. At this site, emergency braking systems, electronic stability program (ESP) and anti-lock braking system (ABS) undergo evaluation at speeds reaching 300km/h.

For this, the Mistral’s removable roof mechanism demands additional layers of testing. Every aspect of the roof’s fit, removal process and high-speed resistance undergoes scrutiny. Only with the roof removed can the roadster achieve its top speed, enabling the quad-turbocharged W16’s 1,600ps to express itself without constraint.

The iterative nature of Bugatti’s assessment method is designed to ensure absolute perfection. Following the identification and resolution of any irregularities, regardless of how minor, a secondary verification test of typically 50km or more is conducted to confirm whether the corrections made have been effective. This process repeats as many times as necessary until the vehicle demonstrates what Bugatti deems a flawless performance, under every conceivable condition.

This article was first published on Bugatti.com

In related news, Peter Gillet, founder of Marketpoint Recall, discusses why OEMs need QA that anticipates failures 

Presentations should offer an insight into new product design and service innovations or technological developments, or be based on an application story working within one or more of the session categories proposed below:

• Innovations in automotive testing.
• Safety and compliance.
• Autonomous and connected vehicle testing.
• Software verification and validation.
• Sustainable vehicle testing.
• Data-driven testing and analytics.
• Cybersecurity testing.
• Environmental testing and durability.
• Industry collaboration and best practices.

Please submit your proposal immediately or no later than February 14, 2025. Click here to submit your proposal.

For further information, please contact Janet Diserens by calling +44 1306 743744 or emailing janet.diserens@ukimediaevents.com

The partnership with HMC is expected to further extend Hydrogen Technology Expo’s rapid growth rate in 2024 and beyond, cementing its place as the world’s largest international platform to see the latest innovations for the entire hydrogen value chain.

“Hydrogen Technology Expo is thrilled to partner with Hamburg Messe + Congress for our 2024 event,” said CEO Mike Robinson. “Hamburg is internationally recognized as a leader in the renewable energy sector and hosts many important hydrogen projects. Hamburg Messe + Congress’s expertise and world-class facilities will help us to deliver an even more impactful event for our exhibitors and allow us to attract even more international visitors.”

Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe has become the premier event for the global hydrogen industry, providing a platform for businesses and organizations to showcase their latest products, services and research in this exciting and rapidly evolving field.

“The new partnership with HMC is a great opportunity for Hydrogen Technology Expo,” said event director Charlie Brandon. “It will allow us to further extend our expertise in the hydrogen sector and bring the international industry together to explore even more technologies and new solutions that will advance the industry.”

Hamburg is already internationally recognized as a world-leading hub for renewable energy and low-carbon hydrogen, as well as a pioneer within sustainable mobility – especially among the shipping and aerospace industries. HMC, organizer of WindEnergy Hamburg (the world’s leading wind industry event) and SMM (the leading international maritime trade fair), is excited about the new partnership with Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe – Hamburg’s third global flagship fair.

“We are proud to establish the world’s largest networking platform for the hydrogen sector at the exhibition hub of Hamburg together with our partner, Trans-Global Events, from 2024,” emphasized Bernd Aufderheide, president and CEO of HMC. “For us and the hydrogen metropolis of Hamburg, this cooperation partnership is a milestone achievement that will drive new H2 technologies and processes as we face the energy challenges of the future. The city’s projects and infrastructure, combined with our centrally located, state-of-the-art exhibition campus, provide an ideal environment for this leading global trade fair to take place regularly and grow further.”

The topics addressed by H2 Expo & Conference, HMC’s own networking event for the international hydrogen community, will be integrated into Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe, enhancing its portfolio. With the two events about to merge, HMC will forgo holding the H2 Expo & Conference originally planned for June 2023.

Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe 2024 will attract industry leaders, policymakers and researchers from around the world, and will provide a unique opportunity to explore the latest trends and innovations in the hydrogen industry and network with like-minded professionals.

“We look forward to welcoming exhibitors and visitors to our 2024 event in Hamburg,” added Brandon. “Together with Hamburg Messe + Congress, we are committed to delivering an exceptional event that will drive progress and innovation in the hydrogen industry.”

Hydrogen Technology Expo will continue to be held in conjunction with Carbon Capture Technology Expo, which is the leading event for CCUS and carbon reduction technology. The partnership aims to address the pressing need for carbon removal solutions and to promote blue hydrogen production.

With this collaboration, the two expos will provide a unique opportunity for industry professionals, researchers, policymakers and stakeholders to explore a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and strategies. Attendees will gain insights into advances in CCUS, carbon reduction and blue hydrogen, all of which will play crucial roles in achieving future net-zero and carbon reduction targets.

The dates for the 2024 Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe have been set for October 22-24 and the show is due to return to Hamburg’s exhibition campus annually thereafter.

For more information on the 2024 Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe and the partnership with Hamburg Messe, visit the event website: www.hydrogen-worldexpo.com

The event will bring together the entire hydrogen value chain to focus on developing solutions and innovations for low-carbon hydrogen production, efficient storage and distribution, as well as applications in a variety of stationary and mobile applications. The event offers attendees the opportunity to meet the companies that are pioneering the latest technologies and engineering solutions in the exhibition, find new suppliers and engineering partners, hear the latest research in the conference and network with leading industry experts.

As well as the main exhibition, Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe will host Europe’s must-attend techno-economic conference with three individual tracks focusing on the development of low-carbon hydrogen production, storage and infrastructure development; fuel cell design, development and manufacturing; and carbon capture, utilization and storage.

The event takes place alongside Carbon Capture Technology Conference & Expo, featuring a total of three conference tracks that will take place simultaneously with conference attendees and speakers having the option to move freely between the different sessions. Delegates, speakers and sponsors will have access to presentations, the exhibit area and the post-event proceedings. The exhibition will showcase the latest technologies, R&D tools, materials, infrastructure solutions, storage solutions and monitoring and safety equipment.

Several companies involved in the event are Shell Energies, Total Energies, Siemens Energy but the exhibition will play host to more than 100 exhibitors, including leading names such as Baker Hughes, Technip Energies, Evonik, Nel, Thyssenkrupp, Johnson Matthey, GE Power, and many more, each showcasing their very latest innovations, technologies and solutions for a low-carbon hydrogen future.

Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe is proud to announce that Jörn Ernst, project developer at Siemens, will be speaking at the event, as well as Achim Moritz, vice president, product management, fuel cell mobility solutions and innovations, Robert Bosch GmbH.

Guido Schwartz, strategy and innovation lead at Airbus, will also be speaking, and Bart Biebuyck, executive director, Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) will be a key speaker too.

Panel discussions include: “What’s Holding Hydrogen Back? Investment Or Technology?”, “Fueling And Supplying Heavy-Duty Transport”, “Are Fuel Cells Now A Viable Challenger?” and “Unlocking The Potential For Fuel Cell Automation”.

For more information about Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe 2021, visit:
https://www.hydrogen-worldexpo.com/

To register for your free exhibition pass, click here.

To attend the conference, click here.

*Please note Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe was originally scheduled to take place in the summer (June 9, 10) but due to concerns over the coronavirus and in response to official German government policy, the decision was taken to reschedule the event for the autumn (October 20, 21).

Zinc casting specialist Zinkteknik manufactures die-cast parts, which are used in safety components for seatbelt systems in cars. By integrating test automation systems from Kistler into its fully automated production lines, the Swedish firm has been able to attain true ‘zero-defect’ production – even for very high volumes.

Per-Erik Edman, quality assurance engineer at Zinkteknik, explains the challenges of achieving zero-defect production in this specialty field of zinc die-casting: “With quantities of 30-40 million for just one single part in a year, our volumes are so high that there’s no way of inspecting each individual part. This prompted us to implement in-process monitoring to ensure the quality of the parts we produce.”

Edman’s team had already reduced the complaint rate to less than 10 per year in series – a very low figure in relation to the enormous volumes involved. The difficulty was how to improve on that success and attain zero-defect production. “As it is often the case, the last step is the most difficult. But we had a stroke of luck, one of our customers, a Tier 1 supplier, recommended that we take a look at test automation solutions from Kistler,” Edman continues.

Shortly after making its first contact with Kistler in 2016, Zinkteknik ordered a KVC-821 – the latest-generation automated test and sorting system for end-of-line quality assurance. Zinkteknik’s engineers joined forces with Kistler’s image processing experts to determine the best camera configuration for identifying faulty automotive safety parts.

“When we visited Germany to work on fault analysis with the Kistler team, we had a very open discussion on what is possible and how best to achieve the desired results. The Kistler experts were also very clear about what was not possible – and at the same time, they explored various alternative ways of meeting the challenge.”

With the help of the KVC-821 from Kistler, Zinkteknik was able to efficiently check millions of manufactured zinc parts for geometry and surface defects – and before long, it reached the all-important ‘zero-defect’ goal.

“The result was very convincing,” Edman recalls. “We supply one of our biggest customers with critical automotive parts that are intended to save lives – and we no longer received any complaints whatsoever from that customer.”

Encouraged by this success, Zinkteknik then explored the possibility of integrating more test automation cells from Kistler into its production lines so as to achieve perfect results on other manufacturing projects.

Zinkteknik now operates seven KVC-821 test systems to monitor production of five different parts – with two more systems to be installed in the near future, another at the company’s Swedish site, and the first one in Bosnia.

Karl Persson, production engineer at Zinkteknik, explains the integration process, “We started out by using the first machine from Kistler as a standalone solution, so some steps had to be performed manually. But naturally, we wanted to integrate the test cells into our fully automated production lines. Then we realized that we could only achieve that goal by thinking big.”

Quality checking for safety-critical parts: how does it work?

To ensure that high volumes of sensitive automotive parts are 100% free of defects, one essential test is to check the surface and outline for blisters. This is achieved through a combination of two different imaging methods – 2.5D shape from shading and 3D laser triangulation.

The image captured is mathematically processed and analyzed by the KiVision Software, which decides within milliseconds if a respective part is ‘OK’ or ‘NOK’. An important requirement is the optimal definition of what should be seen as a defect – to prevent both faulty parts and pseudo-scrap (parts that are sorted out despite being appropriate for the application).

Zinkteknik responded to this new challenge by expanding its Swedish production site in 2018 to accommodate full integration of the end-of-line testing solutions from Kistler, which are now installed in a new hall.

“We currently have seven machines connected to our automated production lines, so we can easily balance varying volumes of different parts throughout the year,” Persson adds.

“We’ve been operating test automation systems in real production for about three years now, and we’ve received tremendous support from Kistler throughout that time. Their team is always standing by to answer our questions, they have supported us with overcoming many challenges, and they have even helped to generate new business opportunities for Zinkteknik.”

Download the Automotive Testing Technology International App NOW to read the latest issue! The App is free and gives you access to a library of back issues.

Please contact us if you would like to receive a PDF copy of this publication or a specific feature listed below.

OEM Interview:: Maserati – Change is good according to Joe Grace, head of product development at Maserati, as the premium auto manufacturer looks to new markets for the next decade.

Tech Insider: Polestar – Polestar’s first mass-market product is the result of an extensive global development program leveraging synergies with the Volvo Cars Group.

Simulation: Strength in numbers – As cloud computing and digital twin technology continue to provide a leap in virtual analysis capabilities, simulation suppliers work to develop their tools and techniques for modern vehicle test tasks.

Autonomous Vehicles: Human nature – A consortium led by Nissan Europe has tackled one of the UK’s most complex and challenging self-driving vehicle trials to date.

Note to iPad and iPhone readers: to view this digital edition with the latest interactive features, please ensure you have upgraded your tablet or iPhone to at least the iOS 5 Operating System.

Note to Android tablet and Android phone readers: to view this digital edition with the latest interactive features, please ensure you have upgraded your tablet or Android phone to at least the Version 4.0 Operating System.