Requirements Management in Electric Vehicle Development Projects: Challenges and Recommendations

Introduction: This thesis identifies key challenges in requirements management within electric vehicle development projects in a specific industry context, and suggests adjustments that could improve these processes. Research Question: The research is guided by two questions: “What are the main challenges in requirements management within electric vehicle development projects?” and “What adjustments can be implemented to improve the requirements management in electric vehicle development projects?” Method: The research is based on a case study using a qualitative methodology, implementing semi-structured interviews with twelve participants across different roles. Thematic analysis was used as the data analysis method. Results: Three central challenges emerged. First, team misalignment resulted in testers joining the process too late and developers beginning implementation before requirements were finalized, causing rework and slow error detection. Second, maintaining requirements proved difficult as the change towards higher-abstraction specifications reduced manual effort but increased ambiguity for testers, who rely on precise information. Third, tool constraints such as fragmented systems, limited traceability, and weak versioning, restrict efficiency across the lifecycle. Discussion: The findings suggest that improvements require changes across processes, team structures, and tools. A more parallel and collaborative development approach, with early cross-functional involvement and closer tester–developer alignment, can reduce misunderstandings and reveal requirement gaps sooner. Recommendations include conducting a traceability gap analysis, strengthening tool integration, and improving the requirements management system (RMS). A list of user-function requirements and a tag proposal for variants handling are included as part of the recommendations. It is important to note that the findings are specific to this case study and not intended to be generalized.