COMMENTS & COMMENT CONTENTS


Front cover The publishers would like to thank 3C Test, Cranfield Impact Centre, HORIBA MIRA, Millbrook, Racelogic and Sharetree Limited, for the use of their images on the front cover of Automotive Test & Validation.


3 A decade of virtual


testing Ansible motion celebrates a decade of DiL Simulation and reflects on how the technology has changed its emphasis over that period.


5 AVAS - A sound


investment The European Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) regulation is now in force to signal the approach of silent vehicles.


6 Balance of Power Simulation software is being used to test EV power requirements in different climatic conditions.


9 Future powertrain


testing Millbrook completes the expansion of its powertrain test facility to meet the needs of the full range of vehicles and powertrain types.


10 Electric Simulation Simulation is being used for the development of a new power delivery system that will meet the efficiency needs of the future


12 Manufacturing goes


fourth at VW Dresden VW test and innovation centre trials Industry 4.0 technology for automotive manufacturing.


15 Company guide A five-page guide to Automotive Test & Validation related suppliers.


20 Range Anxiety


Algorithm EV specialist teams with oil producer on the use of AI for accurately predicting remaining range on electric vehicles.


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Concorde Publishing Ltd 100 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LB, UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7863 3079 Email: automotiveTV@concordepublishing.com Web: www.environmentalengineering.org.uk


Automotive Test & Validation Vol 2 No. 2 /// 1 The source guide for engineers, scientists and technicians Electric Alternatives


As attitudes and policies harden in the face of climate change warnings, alternative power sources come under greater scrutiny.


T


his summer, the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LCV) is using its annual conference to discuss alternatives to electricity as the fuel of the future. Whilst there’s no denying that electric vehicles are proving to be the path worth following, the LCV wants to keep other options open in the


road to zero emissions. The question being asked at the LCV conference is “What are the other tools in the box for decarbonising road transport and will we need to use them to tackle the climate and environment emergency we face?”


CONTINUED DEPENDENCY Reducing dependency on road transport is one approach that’s often the subject of debate and there are a number of projects covering personal urban transport such as the TRL Gateway project in Greenwich using autonomous shuttles. Such projects help to drive advances in technology and take us another


step towards the emission reductions that everyone wants but they’re all tiny steps and don’t address the continued dependency that people in provincial towns and rural communities have on road transport. Similarly, moving goods off the roads and onto rail doesn’t address the “last mile” delivery.


ALTERNATIVE FUEL Toyota is sinking eye-watering amounts of cash into the development of hydrogen fuel and its associated infrastructure in Tokyo and it’s unlikely that the Japanese car giant will be writing off such investments without getting some considerable returns. The emphasis on the Tokyo project is on local delivery vehicles and the driving cycle that Toyota believes isn’t best suited to electric propulsion. In the UK, a large road sweeping fleet operator has recently opted for an alternative low emission fuel for the latest additions to its fleet. After considering electric, the company concluded that the current state of the art just isn’t up to the task. Phil Quelch, National Fleet Engineering Director at Go Plant Fleet


Services explained recently, “We’ve looked in depth at the potential of electric and hydrogen vehicles, but the truth is neither the technology nor the infrastructure is really there yet for heavy duty road sweepers.”


PLANNING FOR THE EXCEPTIONS Electric and hybrid propulsion will certainly remain the favoured option for the majority of road transport users in the future. The debate taking place at the LCV conference will address the many exceptions that exist. Private vehicle owners in rural communities, last mile delivery and specialist vehicle operators will need alternatives that still keep us on the road to zero using alternative sources of power.


Jonathan Newell, Editor


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