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The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation

New FIGIEFA working group on telematics

Date: Monday 01 February 2021

Many of the challenges facing the aftermarket today are driven by evolutions in technology. As vehicles become more connected and autonomous, the requirements for (cyber) security become more severe, posing significant threats to our business. At the same time, digitalisation can also bring new opportunities for the independent aftermarket.

With the connected and automated vehicle being on the EU’s agenda, FIGIEFA has been busy explaining to EU decision-makers the need for independent aftermarket operators to have remote access to in-vehicle data and resources in order to be able to offer digital services. In parallel, the EU is itself preparing to transpose United Nations Cybersecurity legislation into EU legislation. This will have a major impact on the manufacturing, validation and installation of replacement parts as requirements for authorisation and authentication will come into play. Against that background, the SERMI scheme (certification regime for independent operators) is at the point of being enshrined into EU legislation. Initially the scope is to provide an authorisation scheme for access to anti-theft information. The scope should be extended in the future to include other aftermarket operations where authorisation is relevant (cybersecurity, repair of Electric Vehicles - EVs etc).

In order to properly defend the interests of its Members, the FIGIEFA Secretariat needs to have a clear understanding of current issues in the market and the challenges facing our members. FIGIEFA also needs to ensure that members are aware of upcoming regulation so as to be able to adequately prepare and is thus proposing to set up a telematics working group.

The telematics working group will assist FIGIEFA in defining positions on technology and technical topics by providing expertise and real world experience/evidence from Members and their member companies/ shareholders. It will also provide a forum for members to raise and discuss issues being experienced in the market, to share knowledge and experience and to discuss how these issues could be addressed.

Topics to be covered would include:

  • Access to data. Address restrictions whereby Service providers only get limited access through ExVe or expensive access to more extensive data through B2B agreements with VMs. Discuss/identify short term& longer term measures which would meet the business needs of our members. Support the FIGIEFA secretariat though the ongoing legislative process, ensuring short term and longer term ‘access to data’ is secured in ways acceptable for independent parts distributors/IOs.
  • Coding of parts. Discussion between FIGIEFA technical experts on the requirements for setting up a process for the issuance of codes and the authentication and activation of the aftermarket parts using multi-brand diagnostic tools (as opposed to the OEM proprietary tools). Establish pilot projects (as appropriate) for validation this process and identifying any barriers for implementation.
  • Cybersecurity. Address restrictions in the ability of OE parts suppliers’ and independent parts producers’ ability to provide competitive aftermarket parts, resulting in workshops only being able to install OEM-branded parts, due to proprietary cybersecurity implementations by the vehicle manufacturer. Identify categories of products where this is a risk and cases where there is already an issue in practise. Share knowledge & discuss potential countermeasures.
  • Hampered access to the vehicle. The closing of access to the vehicle under B2B conditions (setting proprietary access conditions and fees) for vehicle diagnostics & repair. Build up clear cases of abuse by OEMs, share knowledge and discuss countermeasures.
  • Discuss technology-related topics emerging from discussions of other FIGIEFA Working Groups, such as e.g. the Motor Vehicles Block Exemption Regulation and provide advice and support to these groups.
  • New technological trends affecting the aftermarket.

The Working Group will provide assistance for the FIGIEFA Secretariat, Board and General Assembly to make political decisions on these matters, and will contribute to the implementation of these decisions.

The objectives of the group will be:

  • Provide supporting information and practical evidence to the FIGIEFA Secretariat in order to support its political lobbying activity and mature positions and proposals with practical examples from the market.
  • Provide a Forum for FIGIEFA members to raise issues and concerns for discussion by the technical committee.
  • Participation in this Working Group is linked to the expectation that the technical Experts (delegated by national associations) can participate with their expertise in national lobbying activities, or can give training.
  • Possible pilot projects would be subject to Board approval.

Working Group activities for 2021-2022:

  • Based on existing work, defining technical solutions & approaches for providing access to in-vehicle data & resources in the short medium and long term.
  • Together with FIGIFA’s IT/Cybersecurity expert: Assess cybersecurity impact on the parts production/installation, including elaboration of validation/certification requirements and schemes and the coding of spare parts; Establish pilot projects with members and parts producers to test the above processes.
  • Assessment of the impact of technical evolutions in the market on FIGIEFA members and the need for regulation/ enforcement, as autonomous driving & electrification adoption increases;
  • Collecting expertise/evidence of abusive practises by OEMs, for example in restrictive practices to access the OBD port, parts coding or access to spare parts information;
  • Providing technical input to feed various public consultations of the European Commission.

If you would like to nominate someone from within your company to represent the IAAF, please contact the IAAF Office. The nominated person should have sufficient technical/product understanding, combined with an understanding of the current state of the wider aftermarket. Members can have either a business background or a technical background. In finalising the composition of the working group FIGIEFA will ensure that there is a good balance of technical and business related knowledge. The IAAF can nominate two people to the group. The nominated persons will be representing the IAAF and the interests of UK companies and will be expected to report back to and liaise with the IAAF.

The FIGIEFA Secretariat and Board reserves the right to approve the final nominations based on the group’s expertise and balanced representation. As far as possible, there should be a fair balance between countries and groups of countries, as well as smaller and bigger companies.

Members of the group will be expected to commit to:

  • Attend or be represented at scheduled physical/online meetings to ensure continuity;
  • Dedicate enough time to contribute efficiently to the Working Group;
  • Share all relevant communications and information they may have to the national association/ITG;
  • Keep all communication and work in the group as confidential, except for agreed positions and official communications outside.
  • Act in the interest of the independent parts distribution as a whole, and do not primarily pursue vetted company interests only.

The Working Group will meet at least twice a year, and as often as necessary, either physically or through online meetings. Online meetings will be the default option during the current situation with regard to the Coronavirus. All meetings will be conducted in English.