Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2024, held on June 4-6 at Messe Stuttgart in Germany, provided the perfect opportunity for industry visitors to gain immediate access to the latest innovations designed to help them boost their vehicle programs.
As the world’s largest gathering of automotive test and development experts, this year’s event welcomed more than 400 exhibitors and thousands of attendees across three days, with the rapidly expanding ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo Europe conveniently located next door in Hall 6.
The event featured two free-to-attend Technology Presentation Stages and the pay-to-attend ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Conference. Feedback from attendees, exhibitors and speakers was notably positive, with many previous visitors making a return to the exhibition this year.
Arnaud Doko, solution engineer at returning exhibitor Monolith, praised the expo: “Automotive Testing Technology Expo is a very important show for us, Monolith has been coming for many years. It is a promising location for us as it is where we meet really key decision makers to form future partnerships with, and we can trace some of our most important customer showcases to contacts we made here.”
Another familiar face was Wojciech Jurowitz, product manager at Vitesco Technologies, who said, “Last time I was here as a visitor, this time I am here as an exhibitor. The exhibition has been amazing so far and I am very impressed by how cool the booths look, especially our booth!”
Visitor Sam Tozer, lead R&D product engineer at McLaren, said the expo was the perfect place to check out what competitors have in store: ““We come here to check that we have the best-in-class facilities back at base and to compare to what else is out there, such as survey-mechanical, hydro-mechanical, as well as test rigs and testing components. We are looking to equip the factory and here we can find equipment we would like to capture.”
Exhibitor highlights
Visitors were able to explore the latest technologies in electric and hybrid powertrain testing, battery and range testing, ADAS/AV testing, materials testing, engine testing, stress and durability testing, validation, simulation, NVH, lifecycle testing, crash testing, emissions testing, data capture, software and AI, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), tire testing and more.
The event featured established industry leaders such as VI-grade, ZF Test Systems, Monolith, AB Dynamics, Dewesoft, Rototest and Messring. Alongside these heavyweights, an array of smaller, highly specialized companies also showcased their latest developments, such as Tracetronic and OptoFidelity, and Rolls-Royce, which is less prominent in the testing industry.
Visitors had the opportunity to engage with key industry players and discover new contacts and potential solutions from an exciting mix of startups, many of which were making their debut at the event.
First time exhibitor Itech Electronics showcased its bidirectional DC/DC power supply solutions, including its latest product, the iT6600C Bidorectional DC Power series, at Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2024. Test and measurement specialist Sharon Chen shared the details.
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The expo also saw the launch of numerous brand-new, cutting-edge test, evaluation and quality engineering technologies, alongside several exciting projects, partnerships and investments that were announced live on the show floor.
These included Certina Group’s announcement of its acquisition of FEV’s Software & Testing Solutions on June 4, with Certina managing partner Stefan Brungs and FEV general manager Etienne Monchaux speaking to ATTI at the FEV booth at the show about the companies’ goals for the future. Certina will take over the division completely and continue it under the brand name Software and Testing Solutions.
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“The automotive industry, and the market for engineering service providers in this sector, are undergoing rapid change. We have therefore come to the conclusion that a sale to an independent partner is best suited to secure the future of our test systems division and at the same time ensures the support of FEV’s strategic interests,” said Patrick Hupperich, CEO of the FEV Group.
“Since our foundation, we have invested according to the principles of sustainability and continuity,” said Certina Group managing partner Brungs,. “We want to continue the STS business and are building on its management, resources and networks to take it to the next level by leveraging synergies with other companies in our holding.”
On the show floor, attendees were able to see firsthand the latest testing technologies, including several exciting updates from OxTS to its RT-Range solution, designed to simplify configuration and testing processes for customers.
One significant improvement enables the integration of more OxTS GNSS/INS devices in both hunter and target vehicles, in order to provide greater flexibility for ADAS setups and accommodating various budget constraints.
Returning exhibitor Jonathan Deacon, product manager at OxTS, said, “We have been attending the Automotive Testing Expo in Stuttgart for many years, meeting our current customers and using this platform to show our technology to those who haven’t heard of OxTS before. We have also recently opened an office in Germany, with a new German team to service our extensive customer base here in Europe.”
The company also discussed how the OxTS GAD Interface now enhances GNSS/INS devices by integrating external sensor data to improve position accuracy in GNSS-poor environments.
Messring also showcased its latest innovation at this year’s Automotive Testing Expo – the six-year-old-child presence detection (CPD) dummy. Designed to meet the upcoming 2025 Euro NCAP protocol for direct sensing, this dummy replicates a six-year-old child seated on a booster seat with a three-point belt.
The CPD dummy features metal- and electricity-free actuators, mimics natural movements such as head yawing and limb waving, and has a respiration rate matching that of a sleeping child, ensuring precise CPD system evaluation.
The expo is an essential event for Messring that enables it to display innovations, meet industry experts and understand market needs, said Matthias Winkler, chief technology officer: “Automotive Testing Expo is a must-be and must-see event for Messring as a supplier of innovative safety testing equipment and as an expert for integrated testing systems. It’s important to show what we work on and to meet the people of testing to refine our understanding of their needs, identify the trends and to learn about reliable technology for sustainable product designs.”
The CPD dummy replicates human-like characteristics to challenge sensor systems realistically, avoiding predictable behaviors and metal structures. It allows for the creation and exchange of motion sequences, aiding sensor development.
“With the ability to freely create motion sequences, define, save and exchange configurations as well as its motion measurement, monitoring and control, the Messring CPD product range is equally suitable for test laboratories, sensor system manufacturers and complete vehicle testing,” Winkler said.
Mahle Powertrain promoted its new battery facility in Stuttgart at Automotive Testing Expo Europe this year. The event offered an ideal platform for the company to introduce the facility to a wide array of high-profile customers and technology partners in the region.
The Stuttgart battery development center, located at Mahle’s existing site in the Bad Cannstatt area, complements the company’s new battery facility in Northampton, UK.
Together, these two centers provide extensive support to customers, covering every stage from concept design, modeling and simulation, prototype and small batch assembly of modules to environmental testing and detailed validation of complete battery packs.
Simon Reader, director of engineering at Mahle Powertrain, said, “Automotive Testing Expo in Stuttgart provides the ideal opportunity to showcase our new, state-of-the-art battery facility to the many high-profile customers and technology partners in this region. These two new centers represent the central pillar of our comprehensive battery development process, supporting our customers through every step.”
ZF Test Systems displayed its advanced Tescon platform, which provides a robust configuration environment, customizable operation and visualization views, a real-time framework and a comprehensive data post-processing and analysis tool.
According to Bernhard Stockbauer, product manager of Tescon, ZF returned to the expo for another consecutive year because of its great offerings: “It’s the largest trade fair for test systems in Europe and we can present our entire range of test benches here in the best possible way. We have been doing this for many years now and have had good experiences with it.”
The configuration environment of Tescon allows for seamless integration of devices under test (DUTs) or other subsystems through its interface definitions for various protocols. It also includes parameter management, data recording, monitoring definitions and a graphical/tabular test program editor.
“For DUT integration, the configuration environment provides a powerful interface editor, which allows the customer to easily import description files like dbc files. These interface definitions, which are created with the interface editor, can be used for different test cases and test benches,” Stockbauer explained.
Tech stage and forum
Some 60+ speakers from leading suppliers and OEMs discussed topics and trends at the heart of today’s automotive testing industry on the two Technology Presentation Stages and at the ATTI Awards Forum.
Key presentations included Catesby Projects MD Dr Jon Paton’s ‘Catesby Tunnel: taking real-world testing repeatability to new levels’, which outlined the benefits of conducting full-scale vehicle tests at Catesby Tunnel and gave some insight into best practices for conducting coastdown tests.
Hock-Yew Yeap, a solution manager at Keysight Technologies, gave a great presentation on ‘Accurately testing 4D imaging radars with CATR technology’, which discussed the challenges of testing 4D imaging radars and gave insights on CATR technology with real measurement results, and its comparison with the traditional approach.
The Automotive Testing Technology International Awards Forum was a new addition to the expo program this year and celebrated industry achievements from the past year with panel discussions, fireside chats and the first-ever live ATTI Awards ceremony.
The free-to-attend Awards Forum and presentation stages featured speakers from OEMs, Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturers, suppliers and research institutions at the forefront of testing, evaluation and quality engineering technologies. Attendees heard from industry leaders such as VW, Mercedes-AMG, HBK, Vector Informatik and Vibration Research.
Awards
On the first day of the show, the Automotive Testing Technology International (ATTI) Awards were presented live for the first time at Automotive Testing Expo Europe.
The awards are a non-profit-making enterprise designed to recognize and reward the fantastic achievements of the world’s top vehicle engineering suppliers and specialists, and they are open to all companies involved in automotive development and testing.
Traditionally a magazine-based event, this year’s ceremony marked a significant departure, celebrating outstanding innovations and personal achievements in the automotive industry over the past 18 months.
The awards, coordinated by Automotive Testing Technology International magazine, were decided by a panel of industry experts and technical writers. This year introduced two new categories reflecting the ongoing advancements in vehicle development, especially in automated driving and electrification. Rachel Evans, ATTI editor and chair of the awards, emphasized the innovative approaches and collaborations within the industry: “Creating the shortlist for this year’s awards proved to be challenging due to the abundance of entries worthy of recognition.”
In the new ADAS & AV Test Innovation of the Year category, Ansys and BMW were recognized for their AVxcelerate Autonomy platform, a digital testing solution that potentially reduces the cost and time-to-compliance for for Level 2+, Level 3 and above ADAS and AV systems by a factor of 100,000. Awards juror Jahee Campbell-Brennan, director of Wavey Dynamics, lauded the innovation: “Enabling ADAS and AV testing to be performed digitally is a huge step forward for the industry.”
Secondmind won Alternative Powertrain Test Innovation of the Year for its Secondmind for Calibration technology for e-powertrains. This tool enhances calibration efficiency and accuracy through intelligent, automated experiments. Gary Brotman, CEO of Secondmind, expressed his gratitude, highlighting the company’s focus on creating significant development efficiencies with practical machine learning.
AB Dynamics won Software Innovation of the Year for its RC 9.4 driving robot software, which streamlines industry-standard ADAS tests. Andrew Pick, director of track test systems at AB Dynamics, noted, “It is fantastic to be recognized with this award and a great achievement by the team.”
In the Hardware Innovation of the Year category, VI-grade was honored for its DiM Full Spectrum Simulator (FSS), which integrates multiple vehicle attributes for a holistic evaluation of vehicle dynamics. Juror Mohammad Behroozi, senior vehicle dynamicist at General Motors, emphasized its impact, calling it a “game-changer” for the industry.
BMW’s Future Mobility Development Center in Sokolov, Czech Republic, won Proving Ground of the Year. The center is designed exclusively for testing automated driving and parking up to Level 4. Martin Sautter, BMW’s vice president of validation, customer experience and approval, praised the facility’s capability to flexibly test all driving situations.
Toyota was awarded Crash Test Innovation of the Year for its THUMS Version 7 technology, which features more realistic geometry and new positions for connected and autonomous vehicles. Byron Bloch, an independent automotive safety expert, commented on the technology’s ability to enable more complex and accurate modeling of human responses in crash situations.
Volkswagen’s Marie Puhle was named Person of the Year for her work rejuvenating the ID. user interface system. Puhle reflected on her journey, stating, “It was our goal to create an easy, clear and consistent new system,” and expressed her satisfaction with overcoming obstacles to significantly improve the user experience.
JLR’s Future Energy Lab won the Powertrain Test Facility of the Year award for its advanced resource supporting cutting-edge product developments. Alex Crawford, product engineering operations director at JLR, highlighted the facility’s role in JLR’s Reimagine strategy and in developing modern luxury vehicles.
Before the awards ceremony, the Automotive Testing Technology International Awards Forum featured discussions on AI in testing, connectivity, software engineering and AV testing. The forum offered high-level content, including a panel discussion and fireside chats.
For detailed coverage and more on the winners, readers are directed to the September 2024 issue of Automotive Testing Technology International. More information can also be found on the Automotive Testing Expo Europe website.
Automotive Testing Expo Europe returns to the Messe Stuttgart on May 20, 21 and 22, 2025.