Quality assurance for automotive software: From testing to ASPICE 4.0

You are reading part 1 of our series of articles on quality assurance for automotive software

• Part 1 – Quality assurance for automotive software: From testing to ASPICE 4.0
• Part 2 – Securing automotive software: Automation, safety, and security

The automotive industry is undergoing fundamental change. Vehicles are becoming more connected, more autonomous, and more electrified. This transformation is significantly increasing the complexity of the software used. Modern vehicles can contain over 100 million lines of code, and this figure is rising. With the trend toward software-defined vehicles, quality assurance is becoming central to vehicle development. But how do manufacturers and suppliers ensure that automotive software works reliably?

From requirement to software test

A well-designed quality assurance process does not begin with writing test scripts. Requirements engineering lays the foundation by precisely specifying and documenting customer requirements. Test teams systematically derive test cases from these requirements. The bidirectional link between requirements and test cases creates the required traceability.

The test levels build on each other:

• Module tests check individual components in isolation.
• Integration tests verify the interaction between modules.
• System tests validate the entire product under realistic conditions.
• Acceptance tests finally confirm that all customer requirements have been met.

Quality assurance involves more than just testing

Quality assurance for automotive software goes beyond simply performing tests. It accompanies the entire development process with reviews, inspections, and process monitoring. The seamless traceability of all requirements, design decisions, and test results is central to this. Every requirement must be covered by tests, and the results must be documented in a comprehensible manner.

ASPICE 4.0: The current standard for process maturity

Automotive SPICE® 4.0, published in December 2023, defines the current framework for process maturity in quality assurance. The new version brings significant enhancements:

• Machine learning engineering: Four new processes for AI-based systems in ADAS and autonomous driving.
• Hardware engineering: Integrated processes for the development of electronic components.
• Validation: Independent process group at the system level.

The transition period ended in the first quarter of 2025. OEMs are increasingly demanding evidence of compliance with the new standard. A high level of maturity means well-structured, documented, and optimized development processes for your automotive software.

What’s next: Automation and safety in the second part of the article series

Quality assurance is the foundation, but the requirements for automotive software go further. Since July 2024, stricter cybersecurity requirements have applied to all new vehicles with UN R155 and R156. In the second part of this article series, you will soon learn how test automation, functional safety according to ISO 26262, and cybersecurity intertwine—and how you can efficiently meet these requirements.

Sources

• VDA QMC: Automotive SPICE 4.0 Process Reference and Assessment Model (December 2023)
• VDA QMC: Automotive SPICE Guidelines
• ISO: ISO 26262 Road vehicles – Functional safety