Automotive wiring harness design (EDS)
Wiring harness and Electrical Distribution System (EDS) design for OEM, Tier-1 and prototype vehicle programmes — UK-based, build-partner neutral.
Automotive is the busiest sector we serve. The work splits roughly three ways: prototype vehicle programmes that need an EDS designed from scratch on a tight schedule, mid-programme harness revisions handed to us by a Tier-1 whose own engineering team is at capacity, and EV-specific HV harness work where the safety stakes change the design rules. We cover all three.
The vocabulary on this page is procurement-side on purpose. Tier-1 buyers search for EDS, not for wiring harness. OEMs ask for build-partner-neutral consultancies, not bundled design-and-build deals. If you came here from a procurement search, you are in the right place.
Automotive harness design — deliverables
Production-ready designs, costed, scoped and signed off — packaged for your build partner.
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Full EDS pack
Schematic, 3D routing, BOM, spec, test plan — formatted for your existing Tier-1 build partner or open to tender.
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Vehicle-CAD integrated
Routing inside your vehicle CAD (Catia, NX, Creo, SolidWorks). Length-accurate, clash-checked, packaging-aware.
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EMC and sealing aware
Sealing class, EMC routing rules, body-zone separation — accounted for at routing stage, not at audit stage.
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Programme-rate delivery
Iterative weekly releases for prototype work. Milestone-based releases for production programmes. No mystery six-week silences.
From brief to handover
- 01
Programme brief
Vehicle architecture, build partner, target dates, sealing and EMC targets, EV / ICE / hybrid scope.
- 02
EDS scoping
Harness count, zone split, connector and component shortlists. Costed plan back in two working days.
- 03
Design iteration
Schematic → 3D routing → BOM, weekly iteration. Reviewable at every milestone.
- 04
Handover to Tier-1
Full EDS pack handed over in your build partner's format. We stay on call for build-phase clarification.
Why design-only matters in automotive
Most of the wiring harness firms in the UK are manufacturers who design as a side-effect of winning the build contract. That is a perfectly legitimate model. It is just a different model from ours.
Signal Red is design-only. We hand the pack to whichever Tier-1 you choose — or help you go to tender if you do not have one. That neutrality changes the conversation. We optimise for your programme, not for our build-shop's throughput. We are happy to recommend the manufacturer that fits, and equally happy to redesign for one you already trust.
Common questions
Are you set up to work with a Tier-1 supplier?
Yes — that is most of our automotive work. We design, the Tier-1 builds, and we make sure the pack we hand over is in the format their factory already runs on.
Do you do IATF 16949 work?
We design to IATF principles and deliver evidence the Tier-1 needs for their own audit. We do not hold IATF certification ourselves yet — by design, because we are not the manufacturer. Talk to us about specific audit requirements on the call.
Can you handle a full vehicle programme?
Yes. We have run multi-harness vehicle programmes — body, chassis, HV, infotainment — as a single coordinated release. The constraint is engineering throughput, not programme size.
What about EV-specific HV work?
Covered by our EV / battery harness service — orange cable, HV isolation, ECE R100, ISO 6469. Often integrated with a wider EDS pack rather than sold separately.
Need automotive harness design?
Send us your scope. We'll come back with a costed plan and a delivery timeline within two working days.