The FINANCIAL -- This year's Fully Networked Car workshop organized by the World Standards Cooperation (WSC), a partnership between ISO, IEC and ITU, was held on 3-4 March at the Geneva International Motor Show 2010 and focused on the latest developments in technology and network requirements for electric cars.

For the fifth year running WSC brought together the key players involved in the development of standards to present their perspectives and strategies on the current and future role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in motor vehicles.

Among the discussions featured at this year's workshop were the car industry's new challenges and major changes, such as responding quickly and innovatively to the pressures brought about as a result of the 2008-2009 economic crisis and the call for sustainability, at the economic, environmental and societal levels.

Today's communication capabilities give cars the potential to foresee and avoid collisions, navigate the quickest route to their destination, make use of up-to-the-minute traffic reports, identify the nearest available parking slot, minimize their carbon emissions and provide multimedia communications. Furthermore, environmental concerns have led to the development of new propulsion, such as hybrid, plug-in, electric and fuel cell. Large amount of resources have been invested in research and development, but harmonization on the many standards that exist at a proprietary or regional level is missing. As one participant said “we are in a unique position where we can create or harmonize on International Standards that will assist in the uptake of new technologies and allow increasing economies of scale. We need to get on with harmonization."

In his opening remarks, Rob Steele, ISO Secretary-General, on behalf of WSC, said:

"There is the need for standardization of essential technologies to provide the solid base for further innovation and the economies of scale for commercialization of technologies, such as batteries. Most interestingly of all, is the urgent need to consider the interoperability of all of this technology not only in the car, but in the wider infrastructure that is needed to support this revolution."

"For example, not only is there a need for convergence of standards in batteries, there is also a need for interconnectivity to recharge, service, replace or recycle these batteries. Standardization and coordination between vehicle manufacturing, standards organizations and ICT industries is crucial to the development of new technologies such as this."

ISO has developed more than 800 standards for the automotive sector, including nearly 100 on intelligent transport systems through its two technical committees active in the issues addressed by the workshop: ISO/TC 22, Road vehicles and ISO/TC 204, Intelligent transport systems.

The development of electric vehicles is an important issue today (and becomes a reality).

For example, ISO recently published a three-part standard ISO 6469, which provides safety specifications for electrically propelled road vehicles (ISO 6469-1:2009, Electric road vehicles – Safety specifications – Part 1: On-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS); ISO 6469-2:2009, Electric road vehicles – Safety specifications – Part 2: Vehicle operational safety means and protection against failures and ISO 6469-3:2001, Electric road vehicles – Safety specifications – Part 3: Protection of persons against electric hazards).

The long-awaited and much anticipated International Standard for road traffic safety management systems is currently being developed by ISO. The future ISO 39001, Road-traffic Safety management systems - Requirements with guidance for use, will help improve the migration process of traffic safety technology into vehicles.

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