DEKRA experts contribute to ITC session in Geneva
Experiencing sustainable mobility up close
At the 87th annual session of the Inland Transport Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, transport regulators from all over the world have had the opportunity to experience electromobility up close. DEKRA experts have supported the ITC events with technical demonstrations for several years. At the current event, they took a holistic approach, showing different types of battery-electric vehicles, state-of-the-art charging infrastructure, as well as demonstrating testing methods for safety. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)’s ITC is the highest decision-making body of the UN on inland transport.
- Technical demonstration with holistic approach
- Vehicles, charging infrastructure, and testing methods presented
- DEKRA shows its comprehensive expertise around electromobility
Entitled “Successes and Challenges for Inland Transport on the Road to 2030”, the session addresses different topics around future mobility. “As decarbonization is one of the key requirements for transport, we have opted to focus on e-mobility with its various aspects for our technical demonstration this year”, says Christoph Nolte, Head of Service Division Vehicles at DEKRA. “The range of vehicles that we have brought to Geneva shows how diverse e mobility is: Between heavy trucks, vans, and cargo-bikes, for example, there are different necessities and specific challenges. On the other hand, what unites them all is the need for a suitable charging infrastructure and the fundamental requirement that the system must be safe.”
The test methods shown in the technical demonstration include high-voltage isolation tests for electrical safety. These tests can be performed in different ways; the charging solution the experts showed as an example can partly be used for this purpose. Also, battery state-of-health tests are important to create an effectively functioning market for used vehicles. DEKRA’s patented Battery Test for Electric Cars was part of the presentation in Geneva, as well as a prototype of a modified solution to do the same with e-bikes. “We have been working on providing a way to get a quick and accurate assessment of the state of health of the battery – not only for cars, but also for other types of vehicles”, says Christoph Nolte. “In order to widely decarbonize the mobility sector, this kind reliable information on battery health is a key factor when it comes to trust and adoption. The state-of-health test is part of our comprehensive strategy to help advance e-mobility in a sustainable and safe way.” The DEKRA e-mobility portfolio includes services regarding charging infrastructure safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), cybersecurity, and training as well as battery safety. The company’s own Battery Test Center at the DEKRA Technology Center in the German state of Brandenburg is scheduled to be opened in the second half of 2025.
In addition to electrification, future mobility will be characterized by automatization. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are already playing an important role in vehicles, and their functionalities are the basis for automated driving. Not only do these systems need to be thoroughly tested before they come to market – there must also be methods available and regulations in place to ensure that ADAS are functioning correctly in periodical technical inspection (PTI). At last year’s ITC session, DEKRA presented a testing method for radar-based assistance systems that could be used in future PTI. This year, an enhanced version was shown, circling back to the 2024 technical demonstration.
“Since its foundation in 1925, DEKRA has been working to make mobility safe. 100 years on, we remain as committed to this as ever, with sustainability as our added objective”, adds Nolte. “We are honored to again have the opportunity to contribute to the important discussions at the ITC annual session in order to make the right decisions for tomorrow’s transport.”