In the US state of Michigan, the Stuttgart-based vehicle inspection company Dekra (Deutscher Kraftfahrzeug Überwachungs Verein) has put a new competence center for modern vehicles into operation. The test facility, located near "Motor City" Detroit on the border with Canada, is described as state-of-the-art and "geared towards the future requirements of the mobility sector." Services include testing, validation, and certification of vehicle components in North America.
Focus on Electromobility, Digitization, Artificial Intelligence
According to the press release, the services specifically involve testing components of electric vehicles as well as electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Reliability tests, automotive connectivity technologies, and services related to digital data security, such as digital trust, functional safety, and cybersecurity, are also a focus, as well as tests and certifications related to applications of artificial intelligence (AI).
The opening in the 100th anniversary year of the vehicle inspection facility, which began in Berlin in 1925, is described by the company as a milestone. According to the information, several international Dekra executives as well as renowned mobility experts and leading government representatives from all over the world were invited, including Michigan's Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Growth with Modern Technologies
The new laboratory facility in Michigan expands global services for customers in North America, Europe, Asia "and beyond," as reported. Exact
numbers on financial expenditures are not disclosed. It is only mentioned that it is a "multi-million investment," and the test facility was developed together with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).
Governor Whitmer linked the rich automotive history of the Michigan region in her words at the opening of the test center with a promising future based on modern mobility, according to Dekra's "Strategy 2025," which is to be continued with the new "Strategy 2030+" for further internationalization of the company:
"Michigan mobilized the world, and thanks to companies like Dekra, we are also shaping the future of the automotive industry. The new test center will create well-paid, highly-skilled jobs and help companies meet modern safety and sustainability standards."
To promote economic growth, they want to continue the cooperation to "maintain a leading role in the automotive industry in the next century as well."
The new test facility continues the company's growth path, which attributes its success for the 2024 fiscal year to its "Strategy 2025," which focuses entirely on the "mega trends" of future mobility, sustainability, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. Global revenue increased by 4.7 percent last year to 4.29 billion euros compared to the previous year. Currently, the testing company is completing a battery test center for e-mobility
in Brandenburg. The worldwide reputation of vehicle inspection specialists also rose at the beginning of the year when the Dekra Technology Center in Klettwitz was included as one of the few worldwide in the list of Euro NCAP accredited crash test specialists.
Global Testing Network Expands
The new test center located in Plymouth near Detroit is reportedly the only facility of its kind in North America that offers such a wide range of services for the automotive industry. "It complements Dekra's global network of testing and certification laboratories and facilities in Germany, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and other major innovation centers," it states.
During the opening, several functions from the service portfolio were demonstrated to the guests, such as high-voltage EMC testing, environmental simulations, functional safety testing, and automotive cybersecurity applications, as well as applications of Apple MFi CarPlay and CarKey or Android digital car key. The presentation of global certifications for automotive connectivity solutions was also part of the opening program.
Course for the Future
John Tesoro, President of Dekra North America, stated that the center would provide what "the future of mobility requires": namely "rigorous testing, seamless certification, and digital trust."
And Peter Laursen, board member and COO of Dekra, sees the "milestone"
erected in the Motor City of Detroit as a kind of symbol for the company's mission:
"We invest in people, partnerships, and progress so that Dekra remains a pioneer for the safe mobility of tomorrow."
The testing company founded 100 years ago not only subjects vehicles, products, and facilities to extensive testing but is also active in training and education around the globe. According to its own information, the organization employs about 48,000 people in around 60 countries on five continents. For example, in 2024, around 33 million vehicle inspections were carried out. The vast majority of the revenue of 4.29 billion euros achieved in 2024 was generated by the Baden-Württemberg-based testing company in the European region.
The largest of the six Dekra markets, the DACH region (GSA: Germany, Switzerland, Austria), accounted for 2.6 billion euros. It is followed by the region South-West Europe with France: 595 million euros. North West Europe generated 438.4 million euros in revenue and Central East Europe & Middle East 200.3 million euros. The rest is distributed among the Apac (Asia-Pacific) region with 275.2 million and Americas with 163.4 million euros in revenue. The company describes itself as "the world's largest non-listed expert organization in the TIC industry (Testing, Inspection, Certification) in terms of revenue."
