Today’s cars and trucks are full of electronic components, from in-vehicle entertainment systems to navigation, safety features and countless components under the hood.

Because modern vehicles contain so many electronic devices, electromagnetic compatibility is a key component of vehicular safety and regulatory compliance. 

If you manufacture devices, components or equipment used in the automotive industry, it’s vital that your equipment undergoes automotive EMC testing before it goes onto the market.

Testing for automotive devices isn’t just important for regulatory compliance — it’s also required by many automotive manufacturers to ensure your device, component or other part meets their internal quality standards. 

As an ANSI-accredited electromagnetic compatibility testing lab, we offer a range of EMC testing services to help you achieve regulatory compliance. Contact us online or call our team at 866-540-5287 to talk with us about the testing process, ask a question, or request a free quote for your device. 

You can also find out more about automotive EMC testing below, from the importance of testing for safety and regulatory compliance to the testing process for electronic vehicular devices and components. 

What is Automotive EMC Testing?

Modern cars are highly dependent on electronics. In fact, data suggests that the typical car has somewhere between 30 to 50 computers alone, in addition to 60 to 100 electronic sensors and more than 1,000 electrical components. 

These computers, sensors and other electronic items all contribute to a risk of electromagnetic interference (EMI). When one system interferes with another, it can cause malfunctions, glitchy behavior from computer devices, and even a risk of potentially serious safety issues. 

Automotive electromagnetic compatibility testing is a key process that ensures that the electrical components inside your vehicle function the way they are meant to, without causing interference with other devices, or being affected by emissions from other devices inside the vehicle. 

Goals of Automotive EMC Testing

Given the incredible complexity of modern vehicles, automotive EMC testing is essential for car safety, reliability, performance and regulatory compliance. 

Automotive EMC testing has three major purposes:

• Ensure vehicle components are safe. Electromagnetic interference has the potential to cause malfunctions. When these affect critical vehicular systems such as braking or steering, they can create a significant safety risk.
• Guarantee electronic device performance. No one likes dealing with an unreliable or glitchy infotainment system, or navigation aids that don’t work. EMC testing makes sure that all electronic systems operate as intended in a shared vehicle environment.
• Comply with regulations. All countries have regulations governing EMC, with specific standards for vehicular components in many countries. Completing EMC testing is vital for gaining market access in the United States, EU and other major markets. 

Automotive EMC Regulatory Standards

Different regions have their own EMC standards for electronic devices and components used in vehicles.

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for setting regulations for electromagnetic compatibility, including for devices and equipment used in cars, trucks and other vehicles. 

Several FCC regulations may apply to devices and components used in vehicles, including the common regulations FCC Part 15 and FCC Part 18, as well as specific regulations focused on short-range communications systems and telematics and cellular communications. 

Electric vehicle components and devices, such as chargers, are also subject to FCC standards and need to demonstrate compliance in order to go onto the market. 

In the European Union, the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC Directive) applies to all electronic equipment that’s marketed within the European Economic Area, including devices used in vehicles. 

In addition to regulatory standards, vehicle manufacturers may have specific standards for their suppliers, including suppliers of electronic components, devices and equipment. 

For example, manufacturers such as General Motors, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and others have established their own internal standards and processes to ensure any electronic devices used in their vehicles are electromagnetically compatible. 

If you need help determining which regulations apply to your automotive device, you can talk to our team online or call us at 866-540-5287 to ask any questions to our engineers and regulatory compliance experts. 

Our Automotive Device EMC Testing Services

We provide a full range of electromagnetic compatibility testing services for automotive devices. Our services can help you make sure your electronic device complies with regulatory standards and manufacturer requirements, allowing you to gain market access.

Our automotive EMC testing services include: 

• Radiated emissions testing
• Conducted emissions testing
• Electrostatic discharge testing
• Radiated immunity testing
• Conducted immunity testing
• FCC testing and compliance
• EU EMC testing and compliance

Contact Us to Discuss EMC Testing for Your Device

If you manufacture electronic devices, components or accessories for the automotive industry, EMC testing is a key step in achieving regulatory compliance and meeting the OEM standards set by car manufacturers.

As an ANSI-accredited electronics testing laboratory, we offer a complete range of EMC testing and compliance services. Our experienced engineers and compliance specialists can help you test your device and achieve compliance with regulations and industry standards. 

To ask our engineers and compliance specialists a question, or to request a quote for EMC lab testing for your automotive device or component, contact us online or call us at 866-540-5287.