Automotive ADR Testing and Compliance

WHAT ARE THE AUSTRALIAN DESIGN RULES (ADR rEgulations)?

The Australian Design Rules (ADRs) contain Australia’s national standards for vehicle safety, theft resistance and emissions. These ADR regulations cover a wide range of aspects with regard to vehicle safety and compliance, including occupant protection, structure, lighting, noise, braking and exhaust emissions.

The ADRs are largely based on and aligned with the ECE regulations, enacted by the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations to ensure Australian vehicle compliance. However, instead of the ECE type approval system being used, manufacturers self-certify that their vehicles and vehicle components comply with all applicable ADRs, following the self-certification system in the United States.

What is ADR testing and ADR certification?

Vehicles imported into Australia must undergo ADR inspection by an authorised compliance engineer who certifies that they comply with ADR regulations. As an automotive manufacturer and supplier, you must therefore ensure the safety compliance of your products with ADR requirements if you intend to sell your products in the Australian market.

WHY IS ADR TESTING AND COMPLIANCE IMPORTANT?

The Australian Government requires all road vehicles - regardless of whether they are manufactured in Australia, or are new or second-hand vehicles being imported - to comply with the relevant ADRs. This is primarily for safety reasons.

If manufacturers cannot demonstrate the compliance of their motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment with the ADRs they will be denied market access, cutting off any potential for automotive sales within Australia. It is therefore highly important that ADR inspection and testing is carried out for relevant vehicles.

By working with us to ensure your vehicle's compliance with ADR certification, you gain the following business benefits:

• Compliance with Australia’s national standards to ensure smooth access to the Australian automotive market
• The minimisation of risk by working with an independent third-party testing and verification specialist to ensure that your products comply with the correct ADR market access requirements
• Save time and money by taking advantage of our in-depth understanding of Australian compliance requirements. Based on that we create a homologation plan that is tailored to your needs so that costs are reduced, and time-to-market is minimised
• An edge over your competitors. By working with our global team of highly skilled experts, who are always up to date with any changes to Australia’s regulations you are able to enter the Australian market without delays, unlocking automotive sales potential

As your third-party testing and verification specialist TÜV SÜD supports you to ensure ADR Compliance

Recognised as a leading global service provider of various mobility services, we have more than a century of automotive testing and certification experience, giving you access to experts with an in-depth knowledge of the ADR testing and certification process. Our global homologation teams and ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories allow us to support leading automotive brands and OEMs worldwide.

We support you in identifying the correct vehicle category according to ADR, highlighting the regulations which must be fulfilled. To ensure you comply with the applicable ADR, our homologation experts partner with you throughout the testing, self-certification and compliance process.
As part of the testing process, we provide you with a framework that ensures your compliance with ADR certification, therefore putting you in the best possible position for a seamless entry into the Australian market.

Below, you can see the process for ADR vehicle type approval and the various stages at which we support you:

TÜV SÜD’S ADR TESTING AND COMPLIANCE SERVICES

As a business, we are fully authorised by Australia as a testing oversight body, while our homologation experts support OEMs and suppliers along the entire ADR homologation process - from registration and testing to the final application for vehicle approval.

We support with:

Manufacturer registration

We support you in the preparation of documents that are required to register your company in Australia.

Vehicle and component testing

We offer a complete range of testing services according to ADR standards as well as witnessing services of ADR tests to ensure smooth market access.

Homologation services

We work with you to ensure that you meet the necessary ADR regulation requirements, and that all necessary documents are provided to gain access to Australia’s automotive market. In addition, we support you in communicating with local authorities.

Multi regulation management

We support you to understand and identify any overlaps with other regulations, such as ECE for Europe - which is partly similar to ADR - to maximise the efficiency of your homologation plans. We also ensure that you stay up to date with evolving regulatory requirements so that you can achieve multiple certifications within one project.

Speak to a homologation expert today