Polski
A Workshop with a Defibrillator, a Street with a Self-Driving Car – the Automotive Week in a Nutshell
This week in the industry reveals two faces of safety: one very down-to-earth, saving the lives of mechanics working at the lift, the other futuristic, with cars deciding on their own when to slow down before an intersection. We take a look at what's changing in workshops and on European streets, and why both stories deserve the same level of attention.
01 · Workplace Safety
When Seconds Count: Defibrillators Are Coming to Workshops
A car workshop conjures up images of lifts, torque wrenches, and the smell of oil – not necessarily medical equipment. And yet, there's growing talk that automated external defibrillators, AEDs, should be standard kit in service shops [1]. The argument is simple and compelling: starting defibrillation within 3–5 minutes of cardiac arrest can boost survival chances to as much as 70%. In practice, this means the equipment needs to be on site, because even the fastest ambulance rarely arrives within that window.
Workshops are inherently higher-risk workplaces – heavy physical labor, strain injuries, accidents, exposure to chemicals and electricity. These very factors make an AED in a service shop just as sensible as one in an office or a gym. The initiative promoting this kind of equipment fits into a broader trend: employee and customer safety is becoming part of the service standard, on par with a fire extinguisher or first-aid kit, rather than just a "just in case" extra.
For workshop owners, this is a signal that the next equipment upgrade should include not just a new lift or diagnostic tester, but also a budget for life-saving gear. It's also worth remembering that such a gesture doesn't go unnoticed by customers – a workshop that genuinely invests in its staff's safety builds an image of a professional, responsible place, not just one that's mechanically competent. It's a small line item in the budget that could determine whether someone survives an accident on the shop floor.
02 · Autonomous Mobility
Self-Driving Cars Are Multiplying Across Europe – From Madrid to Zagreb
Speaking of people's safety in the workshop, it's worth looking at what's happening on the road too – because behind the wheel, increasingly, there's no one at all. Uber, WeRide, and AVOMO have just received approval to test autonomous rides in Madrid [2]. Waymo is gearing up to launch in Munich in 2027, while Verne, a Croatian spin-off of Rimac, is already testing driverless rides in Zagreb. These aren't isolated experiments in a single city, but a growing network of projects spread across the continent, from the Spanish capital through Bavaria to the Balkans.
Autonomy is also making inroads into logistics. In Germany, Einride's driverless trucks handle routes between warehouses and Lidl stores, helping to fill gaps in the professional driver workforce. Notably, the article points out that European regulators are increasingly "embracing innovation with open arms" rather than blocking the technology's development – something that wasn't a given just a few years ago, given the EU's traditionally cautious approach to autonomous mobility.
For workshops and parts manufacturers, this is a signal to start thinking now about servicing and diagnosing vehicles that drive without a driver – from sensors and cameras, through redundant systems, to entirely new safety procedures and staff training. The more such vehicles appear on the streets of Madrid, Munich, or Zagreb, the sooner these requirements will trickle down to workshops servicing traditional car fleets too, as the line between an "ordinary" car and an autonomous one keeps blurring. Companies in the spare parts and diagnostic equipment sector should already be watching which components and procedures this new generation of vehicles will require for servicing.
Summary
Summary
This week shows that safety in the automotive world is playing out on two fronts at once – the very human one, at the lift in the workshop, and the technological one, on the streets of European cities. Both topics – workshop equipment and autonomous vehicles – will be covered in greater depth at Targi Techniki Motoryzacyjnej – Automotive Parts Expo 2026. Stay tuned for our next roundups, and be sure to visit the fair, where you'll find both next-generation workshop equipment and solutions for the vehicles of the future, as well as a chance to talk with experts about how to prepare your workshop for both of these challenges.
Invitation
From defibrillators in the workshop to autonomous vehicles on European streets – this year's edition will show how these trends are changing the daily work of service shops. See modern workshop equipment and diagnostic solutions for the vehicles of the future live. Visit us and talk with experts about how to prepare your business for both of these challenges.
Automotive Parts Expo 2026