Automotive translation presents a unique challenge. It combines the rigor of technical translation with the creativity of marketing translation. Scriptis specializes in automotive translations and includes many major car manufacturers in our client base. These clients rely on us for consistency, creativity, and confidentiality.
The importance of terminology
The auto industry constantly develops new performance and safety features. Some may be unique to a particular manufacturer. Others will become standardized across the industry. Some safety features may eventually become required by regulatory bodies. In any case, each new feature requires decisions about terminology: technical terminology for manufacturers and branded terminology for consumers. While many different manufacturers may offer a similar feature, each manufacturer typically develops a brand-specific term to promote it.
Stay in your lane
Consider the safety features that prevent a driver from accidentally drifting out of their lane. Generic terms include:
Lane departure warning system (LDW)
Lane keeping assist (LKA/LKS)
Lane centering assist (LCA)
However, each manufacturer has adopted unique terminology to describe the features. Honda incorporates the feature in its Honda Sensing® suite, calling it Lane Keeping Assist System. Ford includes it as part of the Lane-Keeping System, distinguishing between Lane-Keeping Aid and Lane-Keeping Alert (note the hyphen). Audi calls it Active Lane Assist. Mitsubishi calls the overall system Mi-Pilot with Lane Keep Assist. The casual observer might not see much difference in these terms, but it’s essential to each manufacturer that they get used consistently.
Naturally, these distinctions will persist in the translations of the terms. For example, in Germany, BMW offers Spurführungsassistent, Ford calls it Fahrspurhalte-Assitant, and Volkswagen, Spurhalteassistent „Lane Assist“. Each brand uses these terms consistently across their German-language content.
Who decides on the translations?
Automotive manufacturers invest an incredible amount of effort and resources into the brand communications for every season’s new features. Finalizing terms requires discussion, negotiation, and an awareness of corporate strategy. Product planning teams merge regulatory and technical considerations with popular tastes to arrive at their brand-specific vocabulary. In the highly competitive automotive industry, secrecy surrounds the decision making process. The release of information is timed for maximum advantage.
As an extension of this process, translation of branded terminology into multiple languages also takes place in strict confidentiality. For our automotive clients, we provide consulting services to help regional product planning teams develop and fine-tune terms for a new language market. Our team remains sensitive to global differences; brands may require different terminology for French speakers in Canada, France, and Belgium. Finally, in order to keep a potentially unwieldy number of stakeholders in line, our language leads and project managers have developed the additional skills of diplomacy and workflow (or project) management necessary to efficiently achieve consensus on key terms.
Translation memories and term bases
Although all manufacturers agree on certain generic automotive terms, translators must maintain the brand differences. The Scriptis team uses client-specific translation memories and term bases. Translation memories are essentially databases of paired segments in the source and target languages. When we update content with an existing translation, the translation memory helps identify and isolate the changes, saving money and time. We use the term base in conjunction with the translation memory to enforce consistent use of key terms. An automotive translator should never use the same translation memory for different clients.
The future of automotive translation
Among the industries served by Scriptis, the automotive industry is one of the most dynamic and rewarding. Keeping up with technical innovations in safety and performance features remains a constant challenge, and new developments in fuel-efficient and electric vehicles are on the horizon. No matter what happens next, our team is ready!