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Work with us to ensure your software update processes meet the requirements of UN R156 and get certification for your software update management system.
What is the importance of UN Regulation 156 for automotive software updates?
UN Regulation 156 (R156) makes software updates mandatory for all vehicles and components with such capabilities. The regulation mandates enforcing security and safety across the entire automotive software update mechanism. Automotive manufacturers must operate and maintain a certified Software Update Management System (SUMS). This must be assessed and renewed at least every three years.
The UN R156 is harmonised with ISO 24089 “Road vehicles – Software update engineering”. The standard covers organisational and project-level software update engineering activities for manufacturers, suppliers, subsidiaries, and contractual partners. An ISO 24089 assessment or certification can be used to prove compliance.
For EU type approval, the General Safety Regulation (GSR) requires software update compliance with UN Regulation 156 before software update enabled vehicles can be sold in the European market.
TÜV SÜD’s automotive software updates procedure assessment identifies a manufacturer’s level of conformity to UN R156. Our assessment verifies your organisation’s ability to develop and maintain a software update management system. This gives you the evidence you need for EU type approval and market access.
How TÜV SÜD can help you with automotive software update assessments
Our international network of technical experts can help you understand UN and ISO requirements, and how they affect your products and systems. We support you to identify compliance gaps in your processes and understand how to close them to minimise risk and improve products. Furthermore, we help you ensure that your software update processes fulfil UN R156 requirements, so you can achieve software update management system certification. TÜV SÜD’s Technical Service can provide certification, enabling you to obtain type approval and sell your products on the market.
Our automotive software update procedure assessment supports you to improve software update and type approval efficiency to minimise time to market. Our systematic and holistic assessment reports enable you to design and verify safe and secure automotive components for vehicles with update capabilities.
By partnering with us you can benefit from our up-to-date knowledge of current and future requirements and international project experience. Our experts are actively involved in the latest automotive software update and cybersecurity engineering standards development activities (e.g. ISO 24089 and ISO/SAE 21434).
TÜV SÜD also participates in relevant UNECE committees, developing cybersecurity regulations and software updates (UNECE WP.29 GRVA).
What our automotive software update procedure assessment services include
Our assessment of automotive software updates and SUMS identifies if your processes have a suitable and sustainable framework for your software update mechanism. Our assessment determines whether you fulfil the software update management system requirements of UN R156 and ensures that:
- Manufacturers and suppliers implement appropriate organisational governance to produce components or vehicles capable of processing safe and secure software updates.
- The specific requirements for updates and over-the-air updates are implemented correctly.
- Software version identification is possible.
- All required processes and documentation are produced in accordance with UN R156.
Our detailed technical report includes a performance analysis and recommends how to close existing gaps. We also offer individual workshops and training courses. These can help you better understand automotive software updates requirements.
