After three years, the Automotive Testing Expo will return to India in April 2023. The show will avail the platform to host the most up-to-date technologies in ADAS and autonomous vehicle testing, NVH measurement tools, test rigs, simulation packages, durability testing technologies, crash testing, dynamometers, emission measurement systems and dynamic assessment tools, as well as countless service providers such as proving grounds and test facilities. The German edition, which will take place between 13 and 15 June 2023 in Stuttgart, will be hosted on a bigger scale with expected exhibitors of more than 450.

In light of the evolving dynamics of the automotive testing industry, organisers of the upcoming Automotive Testing Expos in Germany and India are placing big bets on the events.

The Indian edition of the Automotive Testing Expo will take place between 18 and 20 April 2023 in Chennai, while the German edition will happen between 13 and 15 June 2023 in Stuttgart. Apart from these two editions, the show will be hosted in Korea, China and US.

Tony Robinson, Founder and CEO of UKIP Media & Events, said, “After three years, we are once again hosting the Automotive Testing Expo in India. It is a long gap. We received a terrific response when we announced a few weeks ago that we would return to Chennai in April 2023. Many very excited companies want to exhibit their new and existing technologies. We will find people in India who haven’t had a chance to see the new things available in the automotive testing industry. They will be very keen to come out and look at everything that’s on show in April next year. So we are excited.”

Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Automotive Test Systems, DEWESoft India Pvt Ltd, Keysight Technologies India Pvt Limited, MTS Systems Corp and National Instruments are others who have confirmed their participation. In 2020, the Indian edition of the Automotive Testing Expo hosted 125 exhibitors and the same number is expected for the upcoming edition.

The Germany show did not take place in 2020 and 2021 thanks to the Covid pandemic. However, the show came back in 2022, which Robinson terms as a ‘fantastic show’. “Visitors came to the show for three days to see the latest technology in action and to learn about their uses and advantages. I would expect it’ll be even more fantastic in 2023. We expect to see more people come in because this year there has been a transition between the pandemic and people coming out and feeling comfortable,” added Robinson.

The Stuttgart Automotive Testing Expo, which takes place concurrently with a show on ADAS and autonomous vehicle technology, is expected to include between 450 and 500 exhibitors. “As a result, all major players are back in operation and prepared to display. There will also be numerous new businesses and start-ups along with the established major automakers,” said Robinson. The last edition in Stuttgart witnessed over 300 exhibitors.

Leading companies such as Anthony Best Dynamics; Applus+ Laboratories; DEKRA; DEWESoft GmbH; Diversified Technical Systems, Inc.; dSPACE GmbH; Keysight Technologies; Link Engineering Company; MTS Systems Corporation; National Instruments Germany GmbH; Robert Bosch; Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co KG; Siemens AG; ZF Friedrichshafen AG; SGS; TUV SUD Product Service GmbH; Michigan Scientific; Photron and others will exhibit at the Stuttgart show.

Despite the challenges brought on by the Covid pandemic, the organisers are closely monitoring the shifting trends in the automobile and automotive testing industries, which aids in their show planning. “Our job is to make sure we keep an eye on the developments and track down the new businesses that are entering the market. And we always act in that way. We take care to stay in touch with the important figures in the field of automotive testing engineering. We are dealing with a highly specialised community, so it’s essential that we are tracking and communicating and discussing with the automotive testing teams that cover many different facets of engineering. Our responsibility is to establish connections with all of the new businesses that are entering the sector. When marketing an event, we are in touch with the right people. It’s not frightening; it’s just what we do,” explained Robinson.

The shifting focus of the global auto industry from ICE vehicles to electric, autonomous and shared vehicles presents a wide range of opportunities and challenges, and this transition reflects on automotive testing as well. “The automotive testing market is exciting and in transition. We have been in the automotive testing world for nearly three decades, and any industry will have a transition. There’s no evidence that the big players are dropping by the wayside. Companies that are very ICE testing-oriented are not likely to come out exhibiting. This is not a great period for them. But then again, the rise of the battery car and battery testing (and range testing) and a lot of other things that we’ve been talking about, like AI and simulation, are things that are bringing new companies in,” added Robinson.

Robinson asserts that the complexity of automobile testing technologies and systems is drastically increasing, pushing the industry for automotive testing very hard. The newest products, services and technology are displayed at the automotive testing expos to help test, development and validation projects move more quickly. Robinson further explained, “The word I tend to use is fidelity. Automotive testing is a relatively young industry; if you go back even to the 1960s and 1970s, a lot of automotive testing was done in real life – physical testing of cars, natural crash testing of cars with human drivers. As the computer and IT industry developed and blossomed, a fascinating automotive test and development engineering industry grew. Higher and higher levels of fidelity are required in automotive testing for infinite and finite environments. We’re in an environment where everything is pushing automotive. Obviously, the electric and hybrid vehicles and batteries themselves need a lot of testing. The range needs a lot of testing. Autonomous vehicles push the boundaries to a completely new level. The growing penetration of software, sensors and AI is giving rise to a whole new range of companies that can enter the industry.”

“In a number of our shows, we have low-cost, smaller booths to enable starts-up and innovation companies, new companies to come to the event without having to spend a lot of money,” added Robinson.

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Wayve, NVIDIA and Stellantis have announced a joint collaboration alongside the French government at the Assises du Véhicule Autonome to support the deployment of autonomous vehicles in France and across the European Union.

The initiative combines Stellantis’ L4-Ready Platforms with the Wayve AI Driver system, integrating NVIDIA Halos OS on the NVIDIA Hyperion compute and sensor architecture. The collaboration aims to establish an autonomous vehicle value chain in France, spanning silicon development, software integration and vehicle manufacturing.

Local transport partners will engage with trade unions, municipal authorities, and mobility stakeholders to address regulatory alignment, safety requirements, and operational deployment.

Philippe Tabarot, French Minister of Transports, said, "I am pleased to see this collaboration between Wayve, NVIDIA and Stellantis launched at the Autonomous Vehicle Forum in France. France is committed to adapting its regulatory framework to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicles while maintaining strict safety and data sovereignty requirements. By bringing together trade unions, city authorities, and mobility stakeholders, this collaboration embodies the collaborative spirit of the Assises du Véhicule Autonome, as well as the approach required to transition from trials to real-world deployment."

Kaity Fischer, VP Autonomous Mobility & Operations, Wayve, said, "France is leading the way in preparing for autonomous vehicles, and we’re proud to enter this collaboration at such an important moment. By working directly with the French Government and our partners, we can help shape how this technology is deployed safely and responsibly and accelerate its development across the country and entire EU."

Anne Laliron, SVP of Technology Research, Stellantis, said, "This collaboration will help accelerate the delivery of autonomous driving technologies that make mobility safer and more convenient for customers. While its impact is global, France is one of Stellantis’ key centres for engineering and technology development, making it a natural home for advancing the future of AI-powered mobility."

Ali Kani, VP of Automotive, NVIDIA, said, "Bringing safe autonomous mobility to Europe requires deep collaboration across AI, computing and vehicle engineering. NVIDIA Hyperion platform, combined with Wayve’s embodied AI and Stellantis’ automotive expertise, provides a foundation for that ambition. Together with the French Government and local partners, we can help build an ecosystem that brings the benefits of autonomous driving to communities across France and Europe."

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German luxury carmaker Audi has introduced third-generation digital OLED rear lighting technology on the Q91, marking the production debut of three-dimensionally curved digital OLED panels in the automotive industry.

The lighting system incorporates carrier glass measuring 0.1 millimetres in thickness, allowing a bend radius of up to 200 millimetres to match the vehicle's body contours. The Q91 uses six digital OLED panels housing 512 individual segments, including an outer curved panel with 99 segments.

The curved positioning extends light visibility to wider lateral angles and incorporates warning symbols within the communication light system to alert surrounding traffic to breakdowns, emergency braking or accidents. Up to eight digital light signatures are available across static, active and semi-active display settings.

The vehicle also features digital Matrix LED headlights utilising a 13-millimetre micro-LED module containing 25,600 individual micro-LEDs. The headlight system projects high-resolution lane lighting, orientation paths and dynamic turn signal graphics directly onto the road surface to assist lane centring and indicate directional changes to pedestrians and other vehicles.

Audi first introduced OLED technology on the TT RS in 2016, followed by segmented digital OLEDs on the Q5 in 2020 and second-generation panels on the Q6 e-tron in 2024.

Stefan Berlitz, Head of Lighting Development at AUDI AG, said, "At Audi, light means safety first and foremost – seeing and being seen. Digitalisation opens up entirely new possibilities for further enhancing road safety. The curved digital OLED technology in the Audi Q91 impressively demonstrates this technology’s potential. It combines design freedom, personalization, and communication with the vehicle’s surroundings at a new level. Our vision is to gradually transform light into an intelligent means of communication that makes interaction between the vehicle and its surroundings even safer and more intuitive."

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European ride-hailing platform Bolt has selected the NVIDIA Alpamayo Stack autonomous driving software to operate its vehicle fleet in Europe, starting with Lucid automobiles.

The deployment commences in Madrid in 2027, with subsequent deployment planned in Germany and France. The initiative supports the integration of at least 25,000 Level 4-ready Lucid vehicles equipped with NVIDIA Hyperion compute and sensor architecture. The program contributes to Bolt's objective of deploying 100,000 autonomous vehicles across Europe and the UNECE region by 2035. The system integrates reasoning artificial intelligence with perception and planning modules alongside NVIDIA Halos safety controls.

Jevgeni Kabanov, President and Head of Autonomous Driving, Bolt, said, “Autonomous driving will change how people move around cities, and Europe should play a major role in how that future is built. Our ambition isn't to bring autonomous driving to just a handful of cities. We want to make autonomous ride-hailing available at scale across Europe, with 100,000 vehicles on our platform by 2035. We're bringing together some of the best technologies in the world to make that possible. Following our first autonomous mobility launch in Luxembourg, our next step with NVIDIA and Lucid is to begin a programme in Madrid in 2027. The Region of Madrid is pioneering a structured framework for commercial autonomous mobility in coordination with national authorities. Germany will also be a priority for what comes next, with cities already setting out clear ambitions for autonomous mobility.”

Rishi Dhall, Vice-President of Automotive, NVIDIA, said, “Robotaxis will scale when every vehicle is built on a common, safety-engineered foundation. NVIDIA Hyperion standardises the compute and sensor architecture across vehicle platforms, while NVIDIA Alpamayo Stack and Halos provide the driving intelligence and safety foundation. Bolt’s European platform, operational experience and work with cities and regulators make it a strong partner to bring autonomous ride-hailing to market at scale in Europe.”

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French tier 1 supplier Valeo has announced plans to develop and industrialise high-performance compute platforms utilising the NVIDIA Hyperion reference architecture and NVIDIA Halos safety system.

The initiative combines Valeo's vehicle integration capabilities with centralised computing architectures to support software-defined mobility systems. The platform utilises the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor architecture to deliver processing performance and redundancy for Level 4 autonomous driving, commercial trucking and robotaxi applications. The development framework enables automakers to integrate features and deploy autonomous technologies across vehicle models.

Marc Vrecko, Chief Executive Officer, Valeo Brain Division, said, "Our work with NVIDIA marks a significant milestone in our mission to make autonomous driving a safe, scalable reality. By seamlessly integrating NVIDIA’s advanced compute power into our next-generation platforms, we are delivering the flexible, centralised intelligence vehicle manufacturers require to redefine the driving experience and meet the evolving demands of tomorrow’s intelligent vehicles."

Rishi Dhall, Vice-President of Automotive, NVIDIA, said, "Valeo’s expertise in high-performance computing, vehicle integration and automotive-scale industrialisation will help automakers adopt NVIDIA Hyperion and NVIDIA Halos at production scale. Together, NVIDIA and Valeo are providing the AI performance, functional safety and scalability needed to accelerate the development of Level 4 autonomous vehicles and robotaxis."

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