EGEA newsletter: These are the effects of ADAS and the like on workshops
The automotive industry is undergoing a transformation. Electromobility is gaining more and more momentum! The trend is being accelerated by the energy crisis, among other things: crude oil prices are rising continuously and with them the cost of petrol and diesel. So far in 2022, the average price of premium petrol is around 192 cents per litre – a high since 1972. But it is not only the high fuel prices that are causing changes right now. Digitalisation and automation are also leaving their mark on the automotive sector. How does this change affect workshops and what new challenges do mechanics face? The European Garage Equipment Association (EGEA) addressed these issues in its June newsletter.
ADAS are making their way into cars
Digitalisation and automation are the basis of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technologies. According to the EGEA, the automatic emergency call system E-Call, which has been mandatory for all new vehicles since 2018, provides connectivity. In addition, according to an EU regulation, the Emergency Brake Assist and the Emergency Lane Keeping Assist will in future also be mandatory standard equipment in new cars. Vehicles are also developing into high-performance computers on wheels: several decentralised control units are being replaced in favour of a server that bundles the electronic functions in the vehicle into one place. This results in new potential for apps and exchanging data. Advanced ADAS systems such as Lidar, a form of three-dimensional laser scanning, are another step towards autonomous driving.
Digitalisation requires protective measures
New vehicle technologies provide drivers with greater comfort and a lower risk of accidents. However, the EGEA also sees new responsibilities for the workshops. In the future, repairs will no longer be a purely mechanical task. "Diagnostics, calibration equipment and high-voltage expertise are becoming the standard in the industry," the newsletter says.
However, with advancing digitalisation, the risk of cyberattacks is also increasing: Unauthorised persons could gain access to private data, take control of the vehicle, manipulate or damage it. To protect car owners from these types of potential hacking attacks, the UNECE has issued cyber guidelines R155 and R156. This essentially requires vehicle manufacturers to have a cyber security management system and a software update management system for new type approvals. For workshops, in practice this means limited diagnostic access to the OBD port or coded safety-relevant components. Before workshop employees can, for example, read out a fault code or replace a component, they must be authorised and can only receive access authorisation with the relevant certificates.
As the EGEA writes in its newsletter, it is in intensive discussions with the EU Commission, vehicle manufacturers and other aftermarket organisations to find a workable solution for all aftermarket participants.