Munich, November 14, 2024: FERNRIDE’s safety & security concept for autonomous terminal tractors has recently passed the evaluation conducted by the international testing and certification company TÜV SÜD. The evaluation’s scope and complexity, combined with the technical interpretation of current harmonized standards, represent a significant milestone in validating FERNRIDE's innovative safety concept for autonomous terminal tractors— the first of its kind in the European Union. FERNRIDE has thus successfully passed the first stage on the path to certification.
FERNRIDE, that offers automation solutions for yard and port logistics, is pioneering the way with a new safety concept towards compliance according to the Machinery Directive and fully CE-certified autonomous terminal tractors, aiming to set a benchmark for safety standards in autonomous trucking from the EU, and globally. The evaluation by TÜV SÜD marks an essential step in preparation for the autonomous driving tests without a safety driver present in the vehicle. The first driverless tests are scheduled to start as early as December 2024.
“The European Union is renowned for its stringent and comprehensive regulations and standards, making the process of achieving compliance and obtaining necessary certifications highly complex”, notes Hendrik Kramer, CEO and Co-Founder of FERNRIDE. “As a result, many autonomous driving companies are hesitant to enter the market. FERNRIDE is pioneering the development of a benchmark when it comes to safety in autonomous trucking in the European Union. Being a deep-tech startup, we put a strong focus on industrializing safe and secure products, so we are very pleased with the positive outcome of the evaluation by TÜV SÜD.”
TÜV SÜD has been conducting regular inspections and assessments for safety standards for autonomous driving in the European Union since February 2024.
"Working with FERNRIDE is very solution-oriented and the topic of safety is taken very seriously. We are regularly provided with new and adapted safety concepts for review. Not only are existing protection concepts skilfully implemented, but new technological approaches are also developed. This combination could make FERNRIDE one of the first manufacturers with a CE-compliant solution for autonomous port applications." Benedikt Pulver, Head of the machine safety department at TÜV SÜD, comments on the project.
Throughout the evaluation process, TÜV SÜD reviewed the hazard and risk analyses, safety concept, specifications of the safety functions, and validation plan. The evaluation concluded that FERNRIDE's safety concept is robust and well-founded, while also identifying clear next steps to further enhance the overall safety framework.
“At FERNRIDE we are committed to building safety-by-design”, says Tilmann Ochs, Director for Systems, Safety and Security at FERNRIDE. “This is a first-of-its-kind process in the European Union, and our priority is to set the highest benchmark in safety & security standards for our product. The comprehensive examination by TÜV SÜD combined with our seasoned engineering teams, who have experience launching safety-critical products, we are well-positioned to achieve this goal.”