What is Automotive Testing?

Of course – everything that is supposed to work had to be tested beforehand. In the automotive sector in particular, there are extensive legal requirements for every product that must be met: Here, it is not only pure functionality, sustainability, practical benefit or durability that count. The safety of drivers and road users has absolute priority. Every aspect must therefore be tested. This doesn’t just apply to how fast a vehicle goes, or how many kilometers the engine lasts. But how many times can you actually open and close the driver’s door before the lock or door handle fails, or the key? How often can the brake pedal be operated before it gives way? How often can a turn signal flash, and does the corresponding control unit warn in time when the tire pressure is low or the next service is due?

However, this is only the tip of the iceberg – vehicles are now more than ever “rolling devices”, driving computers, equipped with control units, software, high-performance computing platforms and many electronic components that need to be supplied with over-the-air updates. And when autonomous driving functions come into play, there won’t be enough test routes and drivers in the world to cover the billions of kilometers that need to be tested. How does an A.I. that is to perform emergency braking react in the case of different road users:inside? If a participant is one meter to the left? In the rain? Without light? In sub-zero temperatures? On a mountain? The factors that can make up a situation are hard to count. All the more important is extensive testing that can cover all possible scenarios, regular and irregular test cases, evaluated by experienced test engineers who can develop and implement test scenarios, including detailed documentation.

Why is Automotive Testing so important?

An example that is certainly too simplistic, but nevertheless obvious: no serious chef gives out a dish without first tasting it. Intensively testing one’s own product for every conceivable (and unthinkable!) weakness is an essential characteristic of high-quality companies. In the case of vehicles, there is also a high legal barrier before the product is approved in order to ensure the safety of users and road users.

Defects in production can also be detected at an early stage through conscientious automotive testing, further driving technological development. In this way, conscientious companies also ensure a good reputation for their products.

Modern testing methods are also immensely relevant for companies: Where test engineers used to have to set up, run and evaluate tests manually, this can now be automated, for example through Robotic Process Automation in Industry 4.0.

Automotive Testing and the Cognizant Mobility

Cognizant Mobility has been working with well-known OEMs for years – in some cases decades – and sees itself as an expert provider in the supply chain that can not only automate tests, but also virtualize them and take them to the next level.

Our testing experts specialize in CAD interface testing, Robotic Process Automation (also in the “extended” version for Industry 4.0 projects) and, in partnership with the parent company Cognizant, virtual testing, for example in test environments simulated via Unity or Unreal Engine.

Feel free to browse through our articles on automotive testing and discover not only exciting and entertaining articles, but also feel free to contact us if you need a reliable partner from requirements management to the final test setup.

You can find the contact form here, we are looking forward to meeting you!