A key heat transfer fluid (HTF) in automotive applications is monoethylene glycol (MEG) mixed with water in varying ratios. At low temperatures this fluid becomes viscous. Peter Huber Kältemaschinenbau’s Unimotive range of temperature control units are specifically designed and built so that this increasing viscosity does not affect either the temperature control or the flow control. Testing encompasses safety evaluations including material flammability tests, stress and load analyses and temperature-dependent assessments. Huber’s temperature control systems, coupled with the accurate flow control of HTF, results in reliable and repeatable results. This not only enhances the overall quality and safety of automotive components but also ensures precise engineering outcomes for manufacturers.

Leading the green way

The automotive sector is a leader in technological innovation and progress. The sector is driving ever-improving efficiencies and implementing green energy solutions. Sustainability and energy conservation have been at the core of engineering design and execution at Huber since the company started in 1968. The company’s dedication to sustainability is reflected in its use of natural refrigerants in all models, with options including refrigeration systems that use CO₂ as a refrigerant with set-points as low as -45°C. Products are fabricated using high-quality, recyclable materials that promote longevity and reduce waste. It is attention to details like this that Huber believes sets it apart and demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing.

CO₂-based automotive temperature control technology 

Its latest achievement in sustainable innovation, the Unimotive GL (Green Line) series, sets a new benchmark in environmentally friendly refrigeration, according to the company. Operating with CO₂, this series provides a 100% eco-friendly alternative to systems using synthetic refrigerants. Designed specifically for automotive applications, the Unimotive GL series facilitates direct operation with water-glycol solutions, offering an extensive temperature range (in the XT variant) from -45°C to 150°C.

Attaining such an elevated temperature using water/MEG as an HTF is achieved by passively and safely pressurising the HTF circuit. In the event of a power failure, the pressure is safely lowered without the use of active components.

The series supports diverse applications, including temperature simulation tests, material durability evaluations and stress/load testing for functional automotive components. Since its adoption in the refrigeration field in the 19th century, CO₂ has proven to be highly effective. With no ozone depletion potential (ODP = 0) and a minimal global warming potential (GWP = 1), it significantly reduces environmental impact. Additionally, CO₂’s large-scale natural availability eliminates energy-intensive production processes. Its non-flammable, non-toxic and chemically inert properties make it an ideal choice for sustainable engineering solutions.

For the XT variant, with temperatures reaching up to 150°C, the carbon footprint remains minimal across the lifecycle – from production to operation and beyond.

Progress and sustainability

As automotive manufacturers integrate these eco-friendly systems, they contribute to both technological progress and environmental preservation. Huber’s principles of quality, performance, reliability and repeatability are coupled seamlessly with ecological responsibility — which Huber says is a testament to the brand’s enduring legacy and forward-thinking ethos. In summary, Huber’s eco-friendly temperature control technology goes beyond machinery and metrics. It is a catalyst for reshaping the automotive landscape sustainably.

In 2010, Damian Harty was enjoying an especially rewarding time in his career as technical specialist in dynamics at Prodrive, the renowned UK engineering consultancy and motorsport preparation outfit. Having previously been involved in the development of the all-conquering Subaru Imprezas in the World Rally Championship, he had turned his attention to the new (and disappointingly short-lived) Mini Countryman WRC initiative. At that time, Harty wrote an article for Vehicle Dynamics International, ATTI’s former sister title, about the Mini’s development, in which he memorably noted, “There will always be a bigger rock. However much suspension travel there is, it will all get used up. Whatever loads are designed for, they will be exceeded.”

That there will always be a “bigger rock” neatly summarizes much of the difficulty of automotive testing, no matter which part of the vehicle is under consideration. Sixteen years later, during a chat with Harty, ATTI began by asking whether it is now easier than it was before to know where the limit of testing should lie. “I don’t think so, because the challenge is not so much about the vehicle itself, it’s about what the vehicle will encounter,” he replies. “And for as long as you have human drivers and, let’s say, imperfectly calibrated software drivers, it’s still difficult to anticipate the corner cases with which the vehicle will be presented.

“That was what I meant by ‘There will always be a bigger rock.’ So, the requirement to understand where we draw a line in the sand, and then what happens when we inevitably accidentally overshoot that line in the sand, still exists, I think.”

Harty notes that Sir Alec Issigonis, the designer of the original Mini, initially believed that the car’s combination of small size, light weight, front-wheel drive and hydrolastic suspension provided drivers with greater safety margins – but later realized that drivers would fully use up whatever margins you gave them.

“Someone will always go the other side of that line in the sand, so we still need to understand what happens there,” he continues. “We then try to make a value judgment about where we draw the line, such that, if you’re just below it then things emerge undamaged, or if you’re above it, things are damaged in a way that we can predict.

“A further difficulty is that you’re trying to stay inside the herd. If your line is drawn in more or less the same place as everyone else’s, then you’re probably okay. But if it is drawn a lot higher than everyone else’s, your products cost more than they need to; a lot lower than anyone else’s line and you will be on the receiving end of some pretty unpopular sentiment. I think that finding where to draw the line is no easier or more difficult than it ever was.”

A blend of human experience and previous data remains the key to determining how demanding a test should be, according to Harty. “One of the challenges that I understood very clearly in the powersports industry is that as your products improve, people move the line,” he observes. “The speed that people are willing to carry over a certain surface goes up, for example. As you make products better, people’s expectations increase. It’s not a static thing at all.” In short: the test engineer’s work is never done.

Recipe for success

Looking ahead to this year’s ATTI Awards, which will take place at Automotive Testing Expo Europe, Harty notes that test engineers are continuing to marry new techniques with established tools. For the latter, Isaac Newton’s F=ma remains his go-to for a back-to-basics understanding of what is happening to a vehicle, component or subassembly. He also expresses surprise at how little FEA has evolved in the past 30 years, computing power aside. For new methodologies, he highlights automotive software testing as an area where tools are advancing especially rapidly – but cautions that the industry’s understanding of how the product is being used, and therefore where the focus of testing should lie, is still evolving.

“Testing is about trying to find stuff before your customers do,” he explains. “The two areas where that’s most difficult tend to be durability and anything to do with software. The durability challenge is pretty much the same as it has always been. I think that for metallic components, we’re quite well served [with tools and knowledge]. But as soon as you switch to polymers or composites, for example, we’re grasping in the dark as to what they’ll do under repeated loading. That holds us back from using different materials for critical structural applications.

“Meanwhile, the scope for software is evolving all the time,” he continues. “When you put things in the hands of the public, you have the million-monkeys, million-typewriters problem, where they are generating scenarios that you maybe didn’t test for, so all the energy and effort is on the software side. Personally, I’m not so interested in whether the cellphone connectivity works properly or not, because it’s unlikely to be life threatening if you get that wrong. But there is a lot of functional stuff where many systems are interacting and there’s a whole load of corners to poke into. I feel like there is a lot of unmapped territory there that we’re still finding our way into as an industry.”

Harty believes that help in finding such corner cases will be one area in which AI will benefit the testing industry. “One of the things I like about AI is that it’s like talking to someone who isn’t necessarily all that clever but is hugely widely read. For the corner cases, I think it will be easier to poke more deeply into the corners, find and flag an issue, and specifically test for it.”

No two the same

Knowing what to test for will remain an issue for test engineers more generally, he believes, and will continue to be a moving target as customers exploit the margins to which Issigonis referred. Harty has been reminded of this in his recent work with TVS, India’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, rekindling a working relationship that began in the 1990s.

“For me, the biggest misconception about testing is the illusion that we really know what people are going to do with our products,” he confirms. “I think people underestimate how much of an honest best guess is used in all sorts of testing. There’s an erroneous belief in precision that’s misplaced when it comes to putting products out in the wild and understanding what people are going to do with them.

“When I began working with TVS in the 1990s, the engineers talked about how one product, a 50cc moped, was used as a load carrier. I did not understand what they meant: after all, it has a 50cc, two-stroke engine that makes just over one horsepower and can barely do 30mph [50km/h]! But when I came to India, I saw endless examples of multiple sheets of 8 x 4ft [2.4 x 1.2m] plywood, bags of concrete and more, all piled up in incredibly imaginative ways on mopeds with someone walking beside them, using the engine to just walk the load to where they wanted to go. I had no conception that the product could be used like that, but these engineers understood their market. The load case for the pedals was not a human, it was as many sheets of 8×4 ply as you could balance on it – a very different number of kilograms.

“That is an example of the sort of thinking that is quite difficult, especially if you’re coming up with a novel product,” he concludes. “It’s hard to imagine how people might conceive of using your product. That, I think, will continue to keep us interested and amused going forward.

“There is a glorious quote from Douglas Adams in Mostly Harmless: ‘A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.’ He’s saying that whatever you think, there’s no guarantee that’s how everyone else will think. It’s a fascinating idea.”

This article was first published in the June 2026 edition of Automotive Testing Technology International

The results of this year’s Automotive Testing Technology International Awards will be announced at Automotive Testing Expo Europe next week – secure your ticket now!

The ATTI Forum has been curated exclusively for professionals across vehicle development, testing and quality assurance, dedicated solely to discussing next-generation analysis practices and technologies, including hardware and software, that will shape tomorrow’s development landscape.

What themes or trends are you seeing emerge most strongly right now?
Over the past few years, several themes have become major auto news for various reasons. One of those is Euro 7 because it introduces the testing of non-exhaust emissions for the first time (brake and tire emissions), as well as stricter limits on nitrogen oxides and an extended compliance window of 200,000km or 10 years, compared with Euro 6’s 100,000km or five years. As such, we have organized a panel discussion – Euro 7 compliance requirements: Challenges and industry preparedness – with specialists from across the sector to help our audience share strategies and insights.

At one point, it seemed that revelation after revelation was emerging about the vulnerability of vehicles to hacking, alongside data privacy issues linked to the application of AI in vehicles (see our feature on the topic, No free rides, in the June 2025 issue of ATTI). We’ll also be hosting a panel discussion on this and other safety topics – Safe by design, secure by default: Navigating SOTIF, functional safety and cybersecurity in modern automotive testing.

Another key thread is data. Big data has been at the forefront of discussions throughout my 14 years working on ATTI, but there now seems to be a realization that action is needed if the sector is to fully exploit the potential of all the data it has been capturing. Having it is one thing, using it is another – and people seem to be springing into action. It’s a theme throughout the ATTI Awards and Forum, as well as the show itself, and I’m looking forward to learning how developers are tackling the challenge. I am personally looking forward to the presentation from Bugatti Rimac’s vehicle dynamics controls manager, Alessandro Pino, and Marple CEO and co-founder, Matthias Baert – A modern lakehouse architecture for automotive testing. The audience will learn how the two companies have worked together to create a next-gen data architecture, having stored, queried and analyzed 300TB+ of powertrain data from the Tourbillon. 

What topic do you expect attendees to be discussing long after the ATTI Forum ends?
Data and digital twins. I was at another industry event recently and asked various people how they define a digital twin, and whether they would agree with the statement that many digital twins are “static 3D models with a few datapoints layered on top.” These words were written by Dr Ahmed Abada, a senior product manager at BMW Group, in a column he wrote for the March 2026 edition of ATTI. At first, the answer I received was simply, “It depends.” But once I got people talking, we ended up discussing and debating different viewpoints for quite some time.

I’m really looking forward to chatting with Dr Abada and getting his thoughts on digital twin applications, data security and other industry issues, including how regulations affecting exports to the USA are impacting European OEMs. For example, regulations around components, software and hardware, and where automated testing can help.

What are you hoping to learn from the conversations happening here?
Every day I am fed content from external sources about the latest testing innovations and groundbreaking vehicle projects. It’s easy to be fooled into thinking everyone has it sorted, that every vehicle tester is doing their job with their eyes closed. Don’t get me wrong, I have no doubt our audience members take everything in their stride. After all, it is the engineer’s job to experiment, learn and develop new solutions. However, I am interested in hearing about the day-to-day challenges engineers are facing in the lab behind closed doors.

For example, it’s all well and good to say that test automation is helpful, but where are facilities struggling to integrate automated testing and AI into digital twin processes so that these technologies are not standalone tools, but part of a broader workflow? And, crucially, how can our exhibitors help visitors meet those niggles head-on?

Hear from Rachel on June 23 at the ATTI Forum, where she will be joined by engineering experts from AVL, Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Daimler Truck, among others

Visit the website to register for your free pass to Automotive Testing Expo Europe. The event is part of Vehicle Tech Week and will take place at Messe Stuttgart, Germany, June 22-24, 2026

As vehicle engineering and digital systems converge, the vehicle itself is being reimagined and software-defined at its foundation – not with software layered on afterward. At the center of this shift is connectivity, enabling secure updates, diagnostics, telemetry and more personalized experiences while providing the visibility and control needed to validate, maintain and continuously improve quality- and safety-critical functions.

Supporting communication across cellular, wi-fi, Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), ultra-wideband (UWB) and high-precision Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) – alongside the compute and sensor-fusion demands of advanced driver assistance and autonomy – requires a robust, high-bandwidth architecture. For years, the industry met that need with a familiar compromise: more exterior antennas and long runs of heavy, costly coaxial cable routed to a centralized telematics control unit (TCU) buried deep within the cabin.

Today, the demands of massive data ingestion, split-second autonomous decision-making and over-the-air capabilities have pushed legacy architecture to its physical and economic limits.

GM’s modernized approach to vehicle connectivity

To support GM’s next-generation software-defined vehicle architecture – where connectivity must seamlessly deliver OTA updates, high-bandwidth infotainment and data-rich services – GM is converging on a radically different approach: the integrated Connectivity Hub Module (CHM). As a unified connectivity node, the CHM places all major radios at the optimal radio-frequency location and presents a clean, high-bandwidth digital interface into the electrical architecture’s core compute and broader vehicle network.

By integrating antennas directly with the connectivity electronics and placing the module at the optimal RF location – such as the roof – GM is rethinking the hardware foundation of the software-defined vehicle. This architectural choice dramatically improves cost, mass, volume and RF performance, but it also introduces complex multiphysics engineering challenges, most notably receiver desensitization, RF coexistence and thermal load.

How integrated CHM solves the traditional connectivity dilemma

In a classical connectivity stack, the system is explicitly divided: a roof-mounted ‘shark fin’ houses the passive or active antennas, while a TCU sits elsewhere in the vehicle, connected by up to 5m of dedicated coaxial cables.

While a modular approach places antennas in an ideal location, it brings severe physical and logistical bottlenecks. High-frequency signals, especially the gigahertz bands used in 5G cellular and wi-fi, experience significant insertion loss as they travel through long cables and impedance mismatches at connectors. This results in degraded performance and a significant part number count to manage at an enterprise level. Additionally, thick bundles of coaxial cables consume valuable packaging volume, add mass, complicate electromagnetic compatibility and require expensive connectors that complicate assembly-plant operations.

The integrated CHM collapses this distributed architecture into a single, highly optimized edge node. By combining the network processors, memory, RF transceivers, antenna arrays and a dedicated backup battery for OnStar functionality into a unified module, it acts as a complete, self-contained connectivity hub.

This consolidation provides immense engineering benefits, but realizing these advantages requires navigating the uncompromising laws of electromagnetics and thermodynamics.

Technical merits of antenna-TCU integration

GM has found that antenna integration provides an efficient approach to connectivity, with advantages that stretch across performance, design and overall system cost:

Eliminates cable loss and boosting performance
In RF engineering, every decibel of signal matters. A standard automotive coaxial run (transmission line) can degrade high-frequency signals by several decibels before even reaching the receiver. Integrating the antennas directly onto the CHM’s printed circuit board (PCB) and inside the same housing eliminates the cable run. This maximizes signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and drastically improves the link budget, resulting in faster data throughput, greater range for high-bandwidth applications, and highly reliable connection even in fringe coverage areas where our customers adventure.

Addresses the desense challenge
While integration minimizes transmission line loss, it introduces one of the most notoriously difficult challenges in mixed-signal engineering: desense (receiver desensitization).

An integrated CHM is essentially a high-performance computer packed with ultra-fast gigabit ethernet switches, double-data-rate (DDR) memory interfaces, Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) buses and high-current power supplies all radiating broadband electromagnetic noise. When highly sensitive receiver antennas are integrated right next to this roaring digital engine, the noise floor is artificially raised, effectively ‘blinding’ or desensitizing the antennas to faint incoming signals from cell towers or satellites.

Board-level desense control is a critical enabler for the CHM and demands aggressive EMC strategies. Engineers use intricate multicavity RF shields to isolate the digital system-on-chip from the RF front end, along with advanced PCB stack-ups featuring dedicated ground planes and buried stripline routing to contain return currents. They also tune drive strength and spread-spectrum clocks, and design localized filtering topologies that suppress harmonic noise at the source. Success depends on extreme physical packaging and lock-step coordination across electrical, software, mechanical and RF engineering.

Resolves the radio coexistence (coex) puzzle
If desense is the threat of internal digital noise, coexistence (coex) is the challenge of the radios shouting over one another. The CHM packs cellular, wi-fi, BT, BLE, UWB and GNSS into a highly constrained volume. These distinct radios frequently operate in adjacent or overlapping frequency bands. A high-power wi-fi transmission, for example, can easily spill into adjacent cellular bands or completely deafen the highly sensitive GNSS receiver.

Solving the coex puzzle requires a rigorous, multilayered approach. At the physical level, RF engineers must achieve every decibel of antenna isolation within a tiny footprint, leveraging spatial diversity and orthogonal polarization. Electrically, the board architecture relies on high-performance acoustic-wave filters to create incredibly sharp cutoffs between active bands. Finally, at the software layer, the CHM utilizes advanced time-domain multiplexing to intelligently coordinate transmission schedules, ensuring the radios interleave their signals without stepping on each other.

Powers the thermal management equation
Bringing the computing power of a TCU to the roof of the vehicle introduces a profound thermal challenge. The vehicle’s roof is subject to immense solar loading, often reaching extreme temperatures in the summer sun. Simultaneously, the 5G transceivers and network processors inside the CHM generate substantial internal heat.

Because the CHM must be heavily sealed against water and dust ingress, engineers cannot rely on active fan cooling. Instead, thermal management must be achieved through innovative mechanical design.

This approach uses the module’s cast-aluminum housing as a structural heat sink, and advanced thermal interface materials to move heat away from critical components. It also relies on intelligent software to dynamically throttle compute or transmission power during peak thermal events while preserving safety-critical communications.

Beyond RF and digital components, housing a battery in a roof-mounted module exacerbates the thermal and packaging challenges, requiring sophisticated charge-management algorithms to ensure reliability and safety across extreme temperature cycles.

Supports drastic reductions in mass and volume – and improved reliability
Automotive-grade RF cables are stiff, heavy and difficult to route during manufacturing. In addition to mass and volume, every interconnect is a potential failure point of the system and has historically led to quality challenges. By entirely stripping meters of multicore coaxial cabling out of the vehicle architecture, the CHM immediately yields mass reductions and reliability improvements. With electric vehicles, every gram saved contributes directly to range optimization and overall vehicle efficiency. This integration frees up critical volumetric space within the vehicle’s pillars, headliner and instrument panel, reducing the complexity of the overarching wiring harness designs and allowing greater freedom.

Optimizes system cost and manufacturing
Coaxial cables and their associated automotive-grade connectors are some of the most expensive passive components in a vehicle’s electrical architecture. They require rigorous validation to ensure they do not degrade over years of thermal cycling and vibration. Consolidating the antennas and electronics slashes the bill of materials. Additionally, installing a single CHM on the assembly line via a standard digital connection (such as automotive ethernet) is vastly more efficient than routing long RF cables and mating multiple fragile connectors, driving down labor costs and reducing potential manufacturing defects.

Conclusion

The integrated CHM is a necessary step for the future of intelligent vehicles. It trades the straightforward but inefficient legacy cable architectures for a highly optimized, physically demanding integrated design.

By balancing the aggressive performance demands of modern networks with the exacting physics of desense mitigation, thermal management and power resilience, the integrated CHM delivers a connectivity foundation that is lighter, more cost-effective and vastly more capable. This kind of foundational engineering within GM is shaping next-generation connected vehicles and redefining what it means to keep millions of people safe, informed and connected on the move.

In related news, Hyundai/GM alliance powers forward with five all-new vehicles

When Hyundai Mobis required a reliable test solution to verify its Hybrid eCall system, the company selected Anritsu for its proven expertise in automotive communication testing.

As the automotive industry transitions from the conventional eCall emergency call system operating on 2G and 3G networks, where vehicles automatically contact emergency services in the event of an accident, to the next-generation (NG) eCall system using 4G networks, Hybrid eCall is crucial in bridging the gap.

Hyundai Mobis has adopted Hybrid eCall and overcome significant challenges, including acquiring test equipment, mastering the advanced 4G and 5G mobile protocols required for call initiation, and addressing the limitations of network simulation environments in the early stages of development.

Anritsu’s eCall Tester MX703330E and Signalling Tester MD8475B provided an effective solution to these challenges. By establishing a comprehensive test environment and using automated conformance testing and log analysis functions, Hyundai Mobis promptly identified the root causes of operational issues. Furthermore, sharing the test environment between the development and verification teams improved consistency, reliability and operational efficiency.

Hyundai Mobis integrates Hybrid eCall functionality into its data connectivity unit (DCU). Conformance testing is conducted to EU regulations and ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) standards to verify the system’s functionality across various network conditions as well as ensuring interoperability with public safety answering points (PSAPs).

In addition, Hyundai Mobis was required to design test scenarios, perform error analysis, prepare detailed test reports and develop technical verification documents necessary for certification. These processes were supported by Anritsu’s simulation and functional testing capabilities.

There were two primary reasons why the company selected Anritsu’s test solution.

First, it enables comprehensive Hybrid eCall testing with an all-in-one tester. Previously, separate testers were required to verify Hybrid eCall, NG eCall and eCall. By integrating Anritsu’s MX703330E software-based tester with the MD8475B hardware tester, all three types of eCall functionality can be tested using a single solution. This integration reduced initial investment requirements and operational workload, improving overall verification efficiency.

The second reason was enhanced collaboration and efficiency using the same test environment as the development team. This alignment facilitated accurate issue reproduction and streamlined root cause analysis. Additionally, Anritsu’s clear setup documentation contributed to more efficient software updates and debugging activities.

With Anritsu’s technical support, Hyundai Mobis teams gained early access to the MX703330E, MD8475B and beta firmware versions. This enabled them to verify Hybrid eCall‑related software updates prior to official release, and perform conformance testing during the development stage.

Anritsu’s test solution also helped Hyundai Mobis build expertise in 4G and 5G mobile communications and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling. Analyzing the operation of the SIP using the sequence log feature provided a practical understanding. Furthermore, the setup procedures were based on the provided manuals, and network simulations were repeatedly conducted with on-site support and phone consultations with Anritsu’s staff. With this support, the teams steadily acquired the knowledge of mobile communications required for eCall verification.

The teams also needed to simulate various network conditions. Using the handover and cell configuration features of the MX703330E and MD8475B, including signal strength control, ECL settings and service controls, they were able to effectively reproduce real-world network conditions. This enabled prompt and effective software verification.

Since implementing Anritsu’s test solution, compatibility between the DCU and the test environment has remained consistently high. The teams experienced no notable issues when integrating the product with existing hardware. The test environment was configured efficiently, and stable operation was achieved from the initial stage of deployment.

Hyundai Mobis has been able to conduct reliable, repeated testing in the laboratory, building a normal testing environment. It has also automated conformance testing and network simulations. Test scenarios were created using Anritsu’s SmartStudio Manager (SSM) MX847503A, which supports the generation of rapid and reliable test results, thereby contributing to improved development efficiency and product quality.

When issues arise, reviewing the sequence and message logs of the tester allows immediate determination of whether the problem is due to device settings or the hardware itself. This enables the verification team to provide accurate and timely feedback to the development team, reducing the time required for root cause analysis and problem resolution.

During the implementation process, Anritsu supported the teams from the program installation stage, which allowed them to establish the test environment smoothly. One unexpected issue was that the USIM card initially provided for the device was not compatible with performing the test eCalls required for functionality verification. Anritsu promptly provided a compatible USIM card, allowing the verification activities to continue without interruption. No additional compatibility issues were observed with the existing DCU verification setup.

Another challenge was the provision of a reporting tool, including testers’ logs. The initial conformance test reports could not be presented as objective evidence to certification bodies and relevant departments, necessitating further improvements. In response, Anritsu updated the reporting tool to create highly reliable reports that included logs from the MX703330E. As a result, verification results could be presented more clearly and convincingly.

Anritsu’s tester is stable and reliable, enabling the Hyundai Mobis teams to focus on analyzing hardware issues during the verification processes. On-site support and telephone and email communication from Anritsu – along with the manuals provided by Anritsu’s representatives – enabled the Hyundai Mobis teams to acquire the skills to operate the tester.

With Anritsu’s technical support, Hyundai Mobis plans to expand automation within its verification processes.

Beyond the eCall functions, the Anritsu test solution supports verification capabilities, including SMS transmission and throughput measurement. Although the details of these functions are still being finalized, Hyundai Mobis hopes to use them to increase the value of the equipment by broadening the scope of verification, enabling a more multifaceted analysis of product performance and, ultimately, contributing to the development of even higher-quality products.

Need to know

• Anritsu’s test solution enables comprehensive Hybrid eCall testing with an all-in-one tester
• Real-world network conditions can be reproduced, enabling effective software verification
• Hyundai Mobis recently sought a reliable partner to test its Hybrid eCall technology
• It chose Anritsu for the supplier’s expertise in automotive communications testing

Following a three- to four-year development project, the company created a completely redesigned tread compound and structure, producing a tire that delivers reliable performance and safety across dry, wet and winter conditions.

TTI was invited to test Apollo Tyres’ latest UHP all-season Quatrac Pro 2, and spoke with Daniele Lorenzetti, chief technology officer at Apollo Vredestein.

The Quatrac Pro 2 was developed from the ground up. Were any previous tires, models, or compounds used as inspiration during its development?

When we talk about tires, especially winter tires and all-season tires, the rubber compound plays a crucial role. In general, we don’t design a completely new compound from scratch for each individual tire. Instead, we follow a broader technology roadmap where we continuously develop and refine different compound concepts and technologies. Then, when a specific new product is being developed, we tune and adapt these existing technologies to achieve the desired performance characteristics for that tire.

The development of the Quatrac Pro 2  has been a long-term journey based on experience from previous products – what worked well in the beginning, and what may no longer be at the top level today. In a more competitive market, especially where everyone is trying to deliver strong products every season, innovation is constantly being introduced by all players.

What were the main challenges in developing the all-season compound?

Another key aspect is the use of a blend of resins, which is extremely important, especially for an all-season tire. An all-season compound must be able to perform both in cold conditions and in warm conditions. The main challenge is how to tune these resins so that the compound becomes softer at low temperatures while still maintaining sufficient stiffness at higher temperatures. Achieving this balance is always a complex task.

In this compound, we are leveraging what we call a multifiller technology. This means we also use a carefully designed blend of fillers, which works together with the resin system. This combination allows the tire to perform well both in colder conditions and in warmer summer conditions.

We decided to tune this compound toward wet performance in cold conditions. As winters are changing, there is less snow, and conditions are increasingly cold and wet rather than snowy. Therefore, our goal was to develop an all-season tire with a clear focus on wet performance in cold conditions.

To what extent do sustainability targets and regulatory requirements guide material development and selection?

When we develop a new compound for tires, we now have to take into account the content of recycled and renewable materials much more explicitly than before. For example, we have a target for 2030 to reach a total of 40% recycled and renewable materials in our products.

As a result, every time we develop a new tire, we increasingly work on integrating materials that help us achieve this target, while ensuring they do not create any performance drawbacks.

This is a key challenge: the materials must support sustainability goals, but at the same time maintain the same level of safety, grip, durability and overall tire performance. The tires should be sustainable, without compromise on performance.

What role do simulation and real-world testing play in the development and validation of the tire?

It’s a combination of both simulation and physical testing. Over the years, we have developed very advanced simulation tools that help us better understand tire mechanics and dynamics. These tools allow us to simulate performance more accurately, and we use them more and more in every new development.

Each time we develop a new tire, we can rely on tools and applications that are continuously evolving. With every project, we learn something new, which allows us to refine the models, add new features and improve the reliability of our predictions. However, physical testing is still essential. For example, when it comes to snow testing or other critical conditions, it is extremely important to validate the tire performance in real-world environments.

Typically, simulation is used first to define the development direction. Then we go through iterative loops between virtual simulations and physical testing. We learn from each step, and depending on the specific areas we want to improve, we rely more on either simulation or testing.

From a strategic point of view, it is essential to have strong tools and to continuously improve them. How we use these tools in each case is more tactical. The more we use simulation effectively, the faster we become, the more data we generate and the more we can reduce costs. That is why we strongly push the development and use of these tools.

What role has AI played in the development of simulation testing?

We are now introducing AI-based tools, and we already have some in use, while also developing additional ones. For example, one of the tools we use to help design compounds is already based on artificial intelligence. However, AI is continuously evolving, so we are constantly looking for solutions that are easier to use, more intelligent, and more reliable in terms of their outputs.

What role did AI play in assisting the development of the Appolo Tyres’ new compound?

We are currently in a hybrid situation, where part of the process is supported by AI, while other parts still rely on traditional testing and validation methods. The AI applications we are using are already helping significantly. They allow us to speed up the development process and make it more efficient and effective. Overall, they help us work faster, reduce iteration time and improve the quality of decision-making during development.

How was the tread pattern chosen to complement the compound?  

The tread pattern moves away from the traditional directional design typically used for winter and all-season tires, which are usually more purely directional in their layout.

In this case, you can see the presence of longitudinal grooves. These longitudinal grooves introduce a more hybrid concept, bringing certain characteristics that are closer to a summer tire. In particular, the combination of longitudinal grooves and a strong central rib is more typical of summer-oriented performance, as it enhances stability and high-speed behavior.

At the same time, the rest of the tread is designed with a high number of sipes and winter-oriented features to ensure grip in cold and low-traction conditions. This is our way of interpreting all-season performance: combining elements from both summer and winter philosophies.

This approach is not always present in tires tuned primarily for winter or all-season use, and it reflects a specific design direction we wanted to achieve. It also connects with the compound strategy, which is designed to remain sufficiently stiff in normal, non-cold conditions, while still performing well at lower temperatures. This helps maintain stability and responsiveness.

In addition, the central rib in the tread pattern contributes to sharper steering response and more immediate reaction to driver inputs, improving overall handling precision.

Were there any common industry challenges that other manufacturers also face, which you encountered during development and would like to highlight to a wider audience?

In general, when developing a tire, the main challenge is finding the right balance between conflicting performance requirements.

All-season tires are a good example of this. The key question is what character or focus you want to give to the tire. Some products are clearly oriented toward wet performance, others toward dry handling or hot conditions. With all-season tires, there is still room to define a kind of signature or positioning for the product, mainly since it has to suit all environments.

Historically, the all-season segment started as a niche solution mainly for small cars many years ago. Today, however, it has evolved significantly. The all-season segment is currently the only tire segment in Europe that is still growing. This makes the development challenge even more relevant, because customer expectations are increasing at the same time.

The main technical trade-off in this segment is typically between snow performance and wet performance. That is why, when presenting the tire, we emphasised that although snow performance is aligned with that of competitors, the tire is particularly strong in wet conditions.

In any product development, there are several key constraints. The first is performance. The second, as discussed earlier, is sustainability. And the third, also very important, especially in today’s market, is cost.

If there were a single tire that people could use all year, it would make much more sense… but only as long as it is also affordable.

Durability testing in the defense industry

Durability testing is critical for ensuring defense vehicles remain operational in the harshest environments. Germany’s defense force, the Bundeswehr, conducts extensive durability tests on its vehicles at its Technical Centre for Land-Based Vehicle Systems (WTD 41) in Trier, Germany. Part of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), WTD 41’s job is to ensure Bundeswehr’s equipment is safe and fit for purpose.

The challenge

The nature of durability testing requires vehicles to be repeatedly driven over extreme surfaces, subjecting drivers to intense vibrations that can strain the entire body, particularly the spine, intervertebral discs and even internal organs. Due to the physical toll of these conditions, WTD 41 test drivers were limited to 30 minutes of testing before needing a break.

The solution

In 2011 the Bundeswehr began working with AB Dynamics and went on to adopt three of the company’s automated driverless systems. Each vehicle system includes pedal, steering and gearchange robots, a controller and a GNSS/IMU positioning device. Test vehicles are remotely managed from a base station using GTC software via an encrypted radio network. The solution enables vehicles to be driven without a driver while following a precise test course with centimeter precision.

Results

AB Dynamics’ Automated Driverless Testing solution has been successful enough that Bundeswehr has recently acquired a fourth system.

Removing the need to rotate drivers, tests could be run continuously, 24/7. According to the Bundeswehr, depending on the vehicle and the test requirement, the Automated Driverless Testing solution can significantly reduce test mileage, thanks to the precision and repeatability of the robot-controlled vehicles. This reduction in testing mileage translates to major time and cost savings. More importantly, test drivers are no longer required to be subjected to such arduous conditions, improving the health and safety of the test team. Since WTD 41 adopted its first solution, AB Dynamics has gone on to launch ABD Solutions, which extends its driverless robotic technology beyond applications solely focused on testing to automate the day-to-day operation of defense, mining and heavy industry vehicles.

This article was originally published by AB Dynamics as a highlighted case study 

Adding to its worldwide R&D network, Nexen Tire has established a new European base at UTAC Ivalo to refine winter and all-weather products. Having been a customer for over two decades, the tire maker is no stranger to the winter testing grounds – and engineers now have their very own area on which to experiment. Construction began in April 2025, with the Purple Snow Ivalo Center, as it has been named, opening in December.

The European market accounts for more than 40% of the company’s total revenue, and with major European countries including Germany, Italy, Czech Republic and Sweden now requiring the use of certified winter tires with the 3PMSF marking during winter, this new asset is vital for Nexen. As part of its multi-pronged approach to strengthening winter tire development, it has also opened a laboratory to study the surface characteristics of roads in cold weather.

“We had been talking to car manufacturers for several years, saying that we needed this kind of facility, and finally the company agreed to it,” says Brad Kim, CTO of Nexen’s R&D Center in Korea.

The Purple Snow Ivalo Center features snow handling tracks with varying gradients and curves, including a 1,400 x 600m ride and handling circuit with an 18 m difference between the lowest and highest points; a track for testing the durability of studded tires; and a large straight of 700 x 40m. Upon completion, surface variation across all tracks was just 3cm – a result of which both Nexen and UTAC are incredibly proud.

Having this permanent base is a game-changer for Nexen, boosting testing capacity and the accuracy of results. Previously, with limited time to complete all tests, there was no room for flexibility, and if analyses needed to be repeated for correlation, it simply wasn’t possible. “If we were suspicious of the test results, but only scheduled to have the facility for a certain period of time, then there could be a long queue to test again,” explains Kim. “Now we can repeat a test as many times as we want until we are confident of the reliability [of the results].”

Out with the old, in with the new

Last August, the Korean auto industry’s first highly dynamic motion simulator began operating at Nexen’s tech center in Seoul, which will work in tandem with the Lapland base. This close connection between virtual and physical testing has become essential. Performance predictions can now be immediately cross-validated through on-snow driving tests, reducing the disparity between the real and digital worlds.

It’s no surprise that Kim’s team places a strong emphasis on virtual evaluation, aiming ultimately to need only one physical tire per program for validation. The Ansible Motion driving simulator is the starting point for transforming the company’s entire development process, which, Kim candidly told ATTI, is still largely done the traditional way. “We do virtual tire development pretty much the conventional way. We are currently judging whether we can integrate virtual testing methods into our conventional foundation phases.”

Kim describes this approach: “We build a tire and then test it. If we are not satisfied, we go back, adjust the compound or the construction, and then do more vehicle tests. Everything is well-established for virtual tire development, because we have many projects, so we just continue with the conventional approach.”

With one engineer often working on multiple projects at the same time – one product line may have as many as 140 sizes, and last year Nexen developed 600 additional sizes in the replacement market – it’s easy to see why the company has invested so substantially in new testing infrastructure. “In terms of productivity, I think we are top-notch – one engineer could be working on 10-20 different projects,” Kim proudly states.

“Some things you can estimate or judge on a single tire, like rolling resistance or spring constant. But what we need is to equip these tires on a specific vehicle, and we’re not there yet,” he adds. “We’re pushing in that direction; that’s why we installed the driving simulator. It’s about subjective feeling; it’s very difficult to objectively judge whether this tire fits this vehicle.”

It’s early days in Nexen Tire’s simulator journey, but the team is cracking on with getting up to speed and commissioning the system. “We’re in the middle of the conditioning stage, but at the same time we have started to do some tests with the machine. Our drivers should feel as if they are really driving, so we are tweaking the mechanics together with our simulator supplier. If there’s a way of tweaking parameters in the software, then we can do it.”

Another facet of the company’s digital analysis is the continued development of AI. Engineers have created a unique artificial intelligence tool, which they say has revolutionized analysis. For example, developers can input multiple parameters and have it predict rolling resistance. “The speed improvement is incredible. For a typical simulation, it could take about one day to give you the result; AI can take five minutes to get the same result, so it’s like a competition between simulation and AI.”

Working together, AI and simulation can be used to predict a tire’s footprint, for example.

Softly does it

Kim emphasizes that Nexen Tire does not limit its pool of suppliers and encourages proposals from potential new partners. It works with many of the major suppliers – Synthos, KKPC, LG Chem, Arlanxeo – as well some Japanese synthetic polymer suppliers.

He reveals that tire maker is currently “testing new concepts of compounds that remain flexible in low temperatures, with good handling and braking performance,” adding that it is also assessing novel construction concepts, especially in the replacement tire arena.

Middle man

Step by step, Nexen is performing correlation activities to refine the driving simulator, learning along the way. The engineers are clearly enjoying playing with their shiny new toy, but they’re not afraid to admit that they’re still getting to grips with it. “We need to learn from it. We know how to use it, but still the whole industry is in a learning phase,” comments vehicle dynamics expert Yannic Grassmuck.

In the replacement market, the sim could save a fortune, since changing a mold mid-project is not cost-effective. This is especially true in the winter tire segment, where molds are expensive and take longer to produce due to the sipes.

One of Grassmuck’s primary responsibilities is to translate OEM feedback for the engineers. Feedback is recorded in writing and then shared with the relevant team. Occasionally, joint tests are conducted with both Nexen and the OEM’s drivers, “which is very important because every OEM has small differences in the maneuvers that they drive, and the drivers need to be aligned on the expectations,” Grassmuck says.

According to Grassmuck, it’s common for an auto maker to allow three attempts at a virtual prototype, followed by only one or two real test loops.

The sticking point on every digital program remains the same as always: obtaining a vehicle model from the OEM. Companies have become more willing to provide these over the past year or two, says Grassmuck, but “it’s difficult. Some are willing to, some can officially provide [the model] but the internal process takes too long and it’s not very productive, so they give other options; there’s a workaround, let’s say.”

Who knows, maybe in the future Nexen Tire’s experts could have a smaller simulator in Europe, adds Grassmuck, but for now, they’re not getting ahead of themselves. It is a major financial investment, and they first need to maximize the potential of the simulator in Korea.

More on UTAC’s facilities in the November 2025 edition of ATTI

Read more about Nexen’s AI tire performance prediction tool

Nexen first announced it was to install a driving simulator in 2024. Find the full story on the TTI website here

As electrification continues to transform the automotive sector, developers are under increasing pressure to validate systems that must operate reliably across a broad spectrum of conditions. The rapid expansion of electric mobility is driven by technological advances, global CO₂ reduction goals and supportive regulatory frameworks. Charging infrastructures are scaling, vehicle architectures are evolving, and OEMs are compressing development timelines. With this acceleration come engineering challenges that differ fundamentally from those of combustion engine platforms, ranging from high-voltage safety to the integration of complex power electronics.

At the center of these challenges lies thermal management. Batteries, power electronics and electric motors are highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Their efficiency, durability and safety depend on precisely regulated heat flows. Cabin climate control also becomes a strategic efficiency factor because electric vehicles do not generate waste heat from an internal combustion engine. Alternative heating concepts must therefore maintain comfort while preserving driving range. As a result, testing technology for thermal management components has become a pivotal enabler for innovation across the EV sector.

Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau, a Germany-based company, develops modular test benches designed to reproduce thermal and hydraulic conditions encountered in electric vehicle applications. The systems are built to support comprehensive testing methodologies that address efficiency, reliability and safety requirements. Integrated measurement and control technologies allow detailed analysis during development and validation processes.

The growing demand for robust thermal management testing

The shift toward electric vehicles has elevated thermal management to a defining performance factor. Batteries must remain within a narrow thermal window to ensure longevity and safety. Inverters and power electronics require cooling to maintain efficiency. High-performance traction motors generate significant heat during dynamic loads. At the same time, growing variability increases the overall validation workload. Each cooling circuit comes with its own media requirements and operating patterns that must be reproduced with high fidelity. Test systems therefore need not only faster reconfiguration but also precise calibration to the functional profile of each module. This reinforces the importance of modular test architectures capable of covering multiple cooling variants within a single infrastructure, thereby shortening development timelines and improving overall test efficiency.

Testing these systems under controlled conditions is crucial to validate long-term functionality. Components such as hose assemblies, valves, cooling plates, heat exchangers, electric pumps, pressure vessels and entire cooling loops must tolerate thousands of load cycles, temperature shifts and flow variations over the typical 10- to 15-year service life of an electric vehicle.

Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau’s portfolio addresses this need with dedicated solutions for dynamic pressure cycling, static pressure holding, flow measurement, burst pressure testing and functional testing of live components. These test benches replicate the thermal, mechanical and electrical stresses that occur during daily operation, enabling engineers to detect weak points early and optimize materials, joining processes and overall system architecture.

Dynamic pressure cycling: simulating lifetime stress in accelerated time

A central application is the simulation of pressure fluctuations in cooling and heating circuits. Components are placed inside the test chamber and exposed to load profiles that mirror real driving conditions. Depending on the system, the test medium is circulated at temperatures between -40°C and +140°C. Water-glycol mixtures such as Glysantin G40, G44 or G48 are commonly used.

Cooling circuits are tested between -40°C and +20°C, while heating circuits undergo thermal cycling from +20°C up to +140°C. Many components must withstand more than 100,000 load changes during their lifetime, and these conditions can be reproduced in the laboratory within only a few weeks. The system’s programmable pressure waveforms, either sinusoidal or trapezoidal, run at frequencies between 0.2Hz and 2Hz or higher. Flow rates range from 1 to 50 liters per minute at pressures between 0.2 and 12 bar or more. This level of control makes it possible to test plastics, metals, composites and sealing materials under consistent and reproducible conditions.

Test standards evolve continuously. Poppe + Potthoff test benches can be configured to meet specifications such as MBN 10306, VW 8000, GS 95024 3 1 and GMW 14193. Climate chamber integration enables combined environmental and functional stress testing, including tests with overpressure and underpressure, if required.

Identifying weak points and optimizing system design

Material transitions such as weld seams, press fits and adhesive bonds often represent sources of fatigue. By exposing components to realistic pressure and temperature cycles, engineers can identify early-stage cracking, swelling, deformation and leakage. These insights help refine design choices, improve production quality and stabilize system performance long before large-scale manufacturing begins. Throughout the test, inlet and outlet temperatures, flow rates, pressure drops, current and voltage for active components and ambient conditions are measured continuously. Thermal sensors placed on the test object highlight areas of energy loss or potential overheating, contributing valuable information for further optimization.

Accelerated durability testing for long-term reliability

Long-term tests generally run for 20 to 30 days, depending on the chosen load frequency. Ambient and media temperatures vary according to the test specification, and all key parameters are logged continuously. This accelerated method simulates several years of operation within a matter of weeks. It reveals aging behavior, degradation patterns and the effects of repeated thermal and mechanical stress on component performance. The data supports predictive maintenance approaches, extended warranty assessments and material qualification.

Functional testing under realistic electrical loads

Efficiency is a decisive performance factor in electric vehicles, since every watt drawn by thermal management components affects vehicle range. Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau therefore offers functional test benches that evaluate performance and energy consumption under low- and high-voltage conditions.

Cooling and heating units, control valves and pumps can be operated at voltages between 0 and 24V DC or up to 1,500V DC and 150A to simulate onboard battery or traction battery operation. Tests are carried out across a thermal spectrum from -40°C to +100°C, with optional climate chamber integration extending the ambient range to +140°C. Comparing measurements before and after a durability test shows how components degrade over time. These insights are essential for planning service intervals, improving efficiency and safeguarding long-term system stability.

Safety, usability and digital integration

Safety is an integral part of every system. Test chambers are built from welded stainless steel and equipped with high-strength laminated safety glass. A closed medium circuit prevents the formation of hazardous vapors. Operation is streamlined through recipe management, which enables predefined test sequences to be selected via PC or handheld scanner. National Instruments’ LabView platform provides comprehensive data visualization and acquisition. All test data is stored automatically and can be exported for further analysis. The open software architecture makes it possible to integrate additional sensors and custom data channels whenever needed.

Enabling the next generation of electric mobility

As electrification advances, precise and adaptable testing solutions are essential for validating new concepts and ensuring safe, efficient and durable electric vehicles. By reproducing the interaction of temperature, pressure, flow and electrical load, the test setups provide engineers with data that can support the design and assessment of components across the full service life of an electric vehicle. This contributes to a more detailed understanding of thermal management behavior within modern electric mobility.

More and more OEMs are introducing the digital key as standard equipment. Whoever controls ‘the key’ also controls user data and customer relationships. However, with increasing adoption, pressure is mounting: the potential consequences of any malfunctions are enormous.

At the same time, the market remains highly complex. New vehicle and mobile device models are constantly entering the ecosystem – making interoperability the greatest technical challenge of the digital key, while ensuring both security and a consistent customer experience across all platforms.

CCC Plugfest: Reality check for the digital key

Major vehicle OEMs, mobile device manufacturers, hardware producers and software providers have recognized this and formed a globally unique industry consortium: the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC). They have agreed on a unified standard for the digital vehicle key – the CCC Digital Key. This ensures a high degree of interoperability: interfaces are standardized to such an extent that complexity is significantly reduced.

The CCC specification defines standards for multiple hardware technologies, including NFC for convenience access, BLE for standard connectivity and UWB for precision positioning. The consortium offers certification pathways for these hardware implementations as well as for end-to-end use cases across the ecosystem.

The CCC standard is tested at so-called Plugfests, regularly hosted by consortium members. Here, the digital key implementations of OEMs are rigorously tested; new features and evolving standards are trialed and refined. These events also provide invaluable opportunities for industry exchange and mutual understanding of technical challenges. With the Plugfests now in their 15th edition, they have evolved into the industry’s most established real-world testing laboratories for digital vehicle access.

Inside the industry’s most comprehensive test laboratory

Last year’s European CCC Plugfest took place from November 10 to 14, in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance in Germany. It was a week-long intensive testing environment with a focus on interoperability, new features and future hardware standards. What made this particular event noteworthy was that it was hosted by mid-sized software company doubleSlash, the first back-end provider ever to host a CCC Plugfest, underscoring the growing importance of back-end infrastructure in the digital key ecosystem.

“We have participated in five Plugfests over the past two years,” explained Manuel Teufel, product manager digital key at doubleSlash. “Hosting a Plugfest as a vehicle OEM server provider is quite unusual, but we really see the value in all sitting together and understanding the complex end-to-end chain.”

A successful Plugfest requires careful orchestration: confidential test spaces to protect pre-release technologies, short travel and communication paths between testing stations, and a tightly defined schedule. After 15 editions, the format has matured into a well-oiled process where all participants share the same objective – a productive test week that strengthens solutions for future customers.

Last year’s Plugfest highlighted the challenges currently faced by the digital key community. With vehicle platforms, mobile operating systems and hardware technologies evolving at different speeds, ensuring stable end-to-end interoperability has become increasingly complex. Beyond validating new features, the focus lay on improving system robustness, handling edge cases and validating non-functional requirements such as availability, performance and security under real-world conditions.

The back end as the invisible backbone of the digital key

The core challenge of the digital key lies in connecting two complex and self-contained ecosystems: automotive and mobile communications. The back end links both worlds. It manages communication, security, access rights and key tracking. Without the back end, there is no interface – and without that, no interaction between vehicle and device.

Beyond pure functional correctness, the back end is also tested against non-functional requirements such as availability, system response times, disaster recovery scenarios and security stress tests – factors that ultimately determine whether a digital key solution is viable at scale. It was precisely these requirements that led doubleSlash to develop a white-label cloud solution years ago, long before the digital key became a mass-market feature.

The selection of a back-end provider as Plugfest host signals that the often-overlooked infrastructure layer can determine whether OEM implementations pass or fail interoperability requirements – while also enabling thorough end-to-end testing and rapid issue analysis across the entire digital keychain.

Validating a three-way ecosystem

One of the main challenges at the Plugfest is how to validate a three-way ecosystem – vehicle, back end and mobile device – when all three components are continuously evolving?

When the global automotive elite met tech giants at Lake Constance, OEMs tested vehicles both indoors and outdoors, while device manufacturers rotated between vehicle cabins to validate digital key functions in direct interaction with existing smartphones or new models to come.

“Testing under such conditions is like acting as a real end customer journey while facing real potential issues – but with immediate bug fixes and improvements,” Teufel reported. “The atmosphere is very positive and productive for each participant.”

To complement live testing, doubleSlash has developed its own simulation environment that emulates smartphone and vehicle requests and is integrated into the CI/CD pipeline. “Our so-called ‘simulator’ is executed in each deployment to ensure that the back end runs as expected in an end-to-end solution,” Teufel explained.

The back end must not only handle standard cases correctly but also cope with functional edge cases – for instance, when the vehicle connection is unstable or when messages get stuck in the vehicle hardware. Detailed logging of every interaction enables fast debugging and continuous sequence optimization during testing.

The software behind tomorrow’s vehicle key

doubleSlash has been developing back-end systems for automotive OEMs for more than 25 years and has already implemented the digital key for several brands. The doubleSlash digital key solution follows an API-first, hardware-agnostic architecture – a direct response to the interoperability challenges observed at CCC Plugfests.

The solution supports OEM-specific infrastructures while meeting the non-functional requirements tested at Plugfests, including availability, performance and security. doubleSlash has submitted its vehicle OEM server for official CCC certification – a pioneering step that would make it the first certified solution of its kind, following multiple successful production deployments.

Read about the latest Plugfest, which took place last week at CCC’s Palo Alto facility in the US, hosted by Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies (RV Tech)