Car Homologation Testing & Certification Services UK

What is vehicle type approval and homologation?

While vehicle type approval or certificate of conformity is granted to vehicles, systems, and components that meet a minimum set of regulatory, technical, and safety requirements, “vehicle homologation” is the term for the entire vehicle approval process. An approval is a government-issued certificate that allows a product to enter a market. The process starts with initial assessments, followed by Conformity of Production tests (CoP tests) according to standards and directives. The final phase involves the preparation of substantiated technical reports that are forwarded to the authorities to obtain final approval.

TÜV SÜD helps you to successfully gain legal access to your target markets by meeting all relevant legal requirements. We support you during the complete vehicle homologation process.

Have a look at our video which shows how automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers can export their vehicles and components to new markets by demonstrating regulatory compliance. Learn how we can support you in accessing global automotive markets:

WHY IS A VEHICLE TYPE APPROVAL CERTIFICATE IMPORTANT?

Car homologation provides multiple benefits to vehicle and components manufacturers:

Gain legal access to target markets to generate higher revenues
Ensure rapid delivery of your product to consumers
Avoid costly penalties and fines for non-compliance or costly recalls
Boost brand reputation among consumers and regulators by ensuring vehicle safety

TÜV SÜD provides one-stop, international vehicle homologation service

TÜV SÜD is the trusted provider of type approval certificates to many of the world’s leading car brands and OEMs. We offer a comprehensive range of automotive homologation services that help you to obtain approval for vehicles, systems and components in an efficient manner. As an expert homologation partner of the automotive industry and a technical service provider of the categories A, B, C and D according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025, we are accredited for over 400 national and international testing procedures and have access to test laboratories all over the world.

Our services include various knowledge, documentation and testing services including Conformity of Production (CoP) testing, technical support, homologation services for compliance to European and non-European type approvals. With our technical advice for the entire vehicle life cycle we can support you in various global approval processes, providing multi regulation management as a holistic service package that enables automotive OEMs and suppliers to access multiple markets in an efficient manner. Additionally, we can interpret local standards for which we are not accredited by performing a gap analysis to identify potential nonconformities.

We stay abreast of all the latest automotive regulation changes worldwide and can advise you on best practices. This gives you a truly one-stop solution for vehicle type approval. And because we are international, we can work with you wherever you are based.

TÜV SÜD’s global vehicle type approval and homologation services

We assist you in the handling of complete homologation projects. Learn about our specific services and market regulation expertise below:

knowledge services

Our experts help you to understand and identify the overlaps and evolving requirements of different regulations. We develop test plans that allow you to achieve multiple certifications within a single project.

Technical advice

Our local experts are well versed with international regulations and speak the local language of the market you would like to enter. In markets where TÜV SÜD is not accredited, we can interpret the local standards and perform a gap analysis to identify potential non-conformities of your product. We facilitate the closing of gaps, the type approval process and all communication between your business and the local authority.

homologation services

We assist you in the handling of complete homologation projects or support you during capacity bottlenecks. We provide the necessary services to help you obtain European and non-European type approval for your products. This includes overall check of the complete documentation provided by the manufacturer, preparation of technical reports to provide to European and non-European approval authorities and project management of the entire homologation process.

interface management

Our local language experts provide an interface between your organisation and the relevant national authorities and certification bodies, ensuring smooth communication throughout the homologation process.

vehicle, component and cop testing

We provide the full scope of testing for whole vehicles, systems and components against various global regulations and standards. Once you have obtained approval from the authorities, our experts also assist you in performing Conformity of Production (COP) tests. By conducting tests covering several market requirements, we help you save on development costs and time.

av permit: operating autonomous vehicles on public roads

We also offer specific homologation services for autonomous vehicles. As one of the leading experts in the field of automated driving, TÜV SÜD enables you to obtain permits by supporting you in the development of a safety and cybersecurity concept, or by validating your current one. We have successfully applied our approach to a variety of automated mobility solutions, most of which have already been approved by authorities for use on public roads. Our AV permit applies to single prototype vehicles, like automated bus shuttles, prototype fleets or mobility services and are always adapted to your individual needs.

Our support builds on state-of-the-art safety standards such as ISO 26262, and goes beyond standards by considering SOTIF, cybersecurity and fail operational systems through a holistic safety and security evaluation. We introduce functional safety as the new ingredient in the approval process as well as the cybersecurity, for which we developed an assessment method specifically tailored for automated vehicles.

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Remote witnessing: off-site type approval tests

In the current pandemic situation, we are offering a representative homologation process without physical presence on site – the off-site type approval test that works with a digital survey. This special process is accepted by the German KBA, the Dutch RDW, the Irish NSAI and Luxembourg’s SNCH. The service is valid for a limited time during the crisis, depending on the authorities.

By offering this remote service we support you to stick to your tight timelines for type approvals of new car models, so that you can launch your product in your markets in time.

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WE PROVIDE HOMOLOGATION TO VARIOUS REGULATIONS

As a global provider for vehicle homologation TÜV SÜD offers its homologation services for European type approvals as well as several country-specific regulations worldwide.

EUROPEAN TYPE APPROVAL ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING FRAMEWORK REGULATIONS:

We offer a comprehensive range of e-Mark certification services in accordance with the following EU framework regulations:

Regulation (EU) 2018/858 (passenger cars, buses, trucks and trailers – replaces Directive 2007/46/EC)
Regulation (EU) 167/2013 (agricultural and forestry tractors)
Regulation (EU) 168/2013 (motorcycles and light 3- and 4-wheel vehicles)
Separate technical units, components and systems

For self-propelled working machinery that is not covered by these vehicle categories, we are appointed by the German government for national type approval testing. Additionally, we are appointed by the German type approval authority “Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA)” to carry out conformity of production (CoP) clearance testing and inspection. Particularly for manufacturers outside of the EU, this helps reduce the costs of homologation.

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NON-EUROPEAN TYPE APPROVAL ACCORDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING STANDARDS: