ATESTEO e-mobility road testing: We put prototypes on the road across the EU
Validation tests for ADAS, infotainment, telematics, and charging capacity from a single source
Road tests are essential for the approval of new vehicle types in the European Union (EU). OEMs — whether from Germany, Europe, or Asia — have to test the functions that drivers use in everyday life under real conditions on the road. In the case of new developments, this means not only testing driving comfort, driving dynamics, noise, and vibrations, but most notably conducting validation tests for ADAS, infotainment, telematics, and charging capacity under a wide range of conditions. ATESTEO offers these validation tests in a complete package, EU-wide, and on the best terms.
Our test engineers have covered hundreds of thousands of kilometers on road tests throughout Europe. OEMs from Germany, Europe, and Asia commission us to validate their new vehicle types on the road. Why? Because ATESTEO offers everything from a single source. Instead of having to find and book services individually from different providers, our customer receives a complete package, consisting of measurement technology, test engineer, and test driver. This saves effort, costs, and time, and ensures valid test results. ATESTEO is the only drivetrain specialist that offers the know-how, staffing, and technology in a single service package. And ATESTEO also offers experience in prototype approval and type approval in the EU. All this comes at an optimum price–performance ratio.
Vehicle manufacturers from China, Korea, and Japan in particular take advantage of our services to bring their new developments onto the road in the EU. Even if the vehicle is already registered in a given country or region, it must be tested for EU-typical driving styles and conditions. This is where the know-how and expertise ATESTEO bring to the table deliver absolute added value. Our many years of road test experience on European roads mean we know exactly where and how we can put the vehicle into stress situations that cause malfunctions. Detecting and documenting these malfunctions helps manufacturers to eliminate faults and optimize the vehicle for EU-wide approval.
Detect and eliminate faults
Road testing is certainly the only area in which customers are happy when faults are found in their products. This is because road tests are about detecting and recording faults so that the manufacturer can eliminate them. To do this, our test engineers and test drivers put the prototype on the road, sometimes in many EU countries and for months at a time. A road trial can cover up to 20 countries in six months or more. Everything is coordinated with the customer, starting with the customer specifying the testing conditions and the route.
ATESTEO then performs the route planning, taking into account various criteria.
EU-wide road tests from a single source
ATESTEO is also responsible for the entire project management. Driving and testing takes place throughout the EU. The road trial service package at ATESTEO includes the driving test with test engineer and test driver in the prototype on the road, the project management, and the measurement technology used in the prototype. Tests are conducted on ADAS, infotainment, telematics, and charging capacity. ATESTEO’s extensive route experience and testing expertise lead to errors being found rapidly and reliably. Everything is detected and documented in real time using our own software and vehicle measurement equipment. All services, technologies, and equipment are provided from a single source by the world’s leading specialist for drivetrain testing.
ATESTEO offers a full spectrum of road test services
Optimally networked just in case
Our test engineers, test drivers, and the automobiles themselves are often on the road for long periods of time during test drives. Dealing with with prototypes or vehicles that have not yet been optimized for driving conditions and regulations in the EU means that one never quite knows how the vehicle will react to extreme or stressful situations. In such cases, it is good not only to have maximum know-how yourself, but also to be optimally networked across countries with professionals, roadside assistance service providers, and mechanics’ workshops. We at ATESTEO are very well networked and have local partners throughout the EU who can handle all vehicle-related issues. Emergencies can thus be dealt with rapidly. For instance, if an unexpected situation arises, such as a drained battery, we can respond quickly to solve the problem with suitable local partners. Our local partners support us and repair vehicles in all EU countries.
Travel diary: From the road testing in Iceland
A traveler’s tale: about a road trial in Iceland
Our test engineer Jan Winkler, who has already conducted many road trials in many countries in the EU, had an experience that underscores the importance of an EU-wide local network.
“As an engineer for road trials at ATESTEO, I’m often on the road. I’ve experienced quite a lot in the process. I especially remember one particular experience: our transferring a prototype on a ferry from Denmark to Iceland. In 2024, I was on the go for nine months crisscrossing the EU for a European automobile manufacturer with our test driver and a test vehicle. During the last part of our trip, the functionality of the vehicle was to be tested in Iceland. We boarded a ferry in Denmark and were at sea for two and a half days. As we entered the harbor in Iceland, we went over to the vehicle and noticed a problem with the electronics. The door to the car wouldn’t open. Because we hadn’t received a spare key from the manufacturer, we had to pick the door lock — with the permission of and following the guidance of our customer, of course. But the problems didn’t end there, as the car wouldn’t start. In rough seas and a cool outdoor temperature of only 4°C, we started the car with a small charger. And lo and behold: Although the traction battery was 80% charged when the car had been turned off and the car hadn’t been moved during the entire crossing, the battery was empty.
Driving onward was out of the question, so we stayed on the ferry and returned back to Denmark. Our engineering partner on site and we thoroughly checked the prototype inside and out, and the cause of the malfunction was quickly identified. The baby alarm safety feature had overreacted. It had mistakenly identified the measurement technology on the back seat as a baby. As a result, the car had entered safety mode when all doors were locked and then had turned on the air conditioning. This, in turn, of course drained the battery’s energy over two and a half days, depleting it. The problem was detected and then fixed with a software update. The only remaining issue was the vehicle door damaged by the break-in.
A prototype vehicle is not permitted to be repaired in any old workshop, but has to be taken to the manufacturer. This isn’t a problem at ATESTEO, because we have the appropriate mechanics and electrical technicians for such jobs and can take care of it for our customer. So the roadside assistance of a local partner towed us back to Germany to the ATESTEO Testing Center in Alsdorf, where the door was repaired. We were then able to continue our road test and set off for Iceland once again. The vehicle type was subsequently approved for the EU and to this day, is driven frequently and flawlessly on European roads.”
ATESTEO gets your prototypes on the road
n ATESTEO’s road testing program, manufacturers have the opportunity to test their prototypes or vehicles that have already been approved outside the EU within the EU to ensure they meet specific European standards. ATESTEO handles:
- planning
- execution
- documentation, and
- if needed, type approval and repair
We also put prototypes on the road and assist OEMs from Germany, Europe, and Asia in launching their new developments in the EU market. If you would like to learn more about road trials for ADAS, infotainment, telematics, and charging capacity, or if you are planning a testing project for or in the EU, please contact Peng He, Head of Testing Related Engineering at ATESTEO.
About the Author: ATESTEO
With over 200 test benches in Germany, the USA and China, along with representations in Japan, ATESTEO is the leading specialist for drivetrain testing combined with component validation, vehicle measurement technology, and engineering services. The company is among the top partners of the automotive and automotive supply industries around the globe—also in e-mobility testing.