Intertek Automotive Solutions

Automotive testing is the structured evaluation of vehicles, components, and systems to ensure they are safe, reliable, compliant, and meet safety, performance, reliability, environmental, and regulatory requirements for all applicable OEM, regulatory and industry standards. It covers everything from mechanical parts and electronics to software, materials, emissions, and full vehicle systems. Automotive testing is important because it protects human life, ensures legal compliance, prevents costly recalls, supports sustainability goals, enables advanced vehicle technologies, and builds consumer trust in vehicle safety and quality.

We test and certify a wide range of vehicles, including passenger cars, commercial vehicles, hybrid (PHEV) and electric vehicles (EVs), and autonomous or connected vehicles. Components such as engines, batteries, electronics, lighting systems, interiors, exteriors, and advanced safety systems can all be evaluated to ensure compliance and performance.

Automotive testing enables regulatory compliance and market access by verifying that vehicles and components meet the mandatory safety, environmental, performance, and technical standards required by law in each target market. It provides the documented evidence and certifications regulators require before products can be legally sold, registered, or operated.

From a compliance perspective, testing demonstrates conformity with national and international regulations enforced by authorities such as NHTSA, EPA, and global regulatory frameworks under UNECE. It also ensures alignment with technical standards developed by organizations like ISO and SAE International. 

From a market access perspective, certified testing: 

• Enables type approval and homologation in different regions
• Allows vehicles and components to be legally imported, sold, and registered
• Reduces the risk of market entry delays, product bans, recalls, and penalties
• Builds regulatory trust and approval confidence
• Supports global scalability by aligning products with multi-market requirements

In simple terms: automotive testing turns regulatory requirements into verified proof of compliance—making it the gateway to legal market entry, global distribution, and commercial scalability in the automotive industry.

Our testing follows globally recognized standards, including ISO, FMVSS, UNECE regulations, and OEM-specific requirements. We help clients identify the relevant standards for their product and ensure that all testing meets requirements for the OEM or global region they are targeting.

OEM-specific standards are created to meet the exact specifications of individual automakers for individual parts or components. Intertek works closely with OEMs and suppliers to independently verify that components or systems comply with these requirements, providing formal certification for market readiness.

By identifying safety, performance, or quality issues early, testing helps prevent field failures and reduce the likelihood of recalls or warranty issues. Independent verification ensures compliance with regulations and OEM requirements, mitigating liability risks and protecting brand reputation.

Third-party validation provides objective, unbiased confirmation that products meet safety, quality, and regulatory standards. It builds trust with customers, regulators, and business partners while enhancing credibility, market acceptance, and brand reputation.

Testing in the lab, at a proving grounds, and over the road is important because each environment reveals different performance risks and validation insights, from controlled repeatability to dynamic vehicle behavior to real-world use conditions. Working with one partner that can do all three, like Intertek’s unique lab-to-track-and-back capability, improves continuity, speeds problem-solving, and builds confidence before launch.