Below left: a new vehicle testing and development centre has been created in the heart of the UK automotive industry
Below centre: climatic facilities provide the temperature, pressure and humidity variations needed for exhaustive testing of vehicles with new generation powertrains, including hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
Below right: Simon Reader, MAHLE Powertrain MD (right), at the April opening of the Northampton testing facility with his local MP
wards the overall £15m investment pro- gramme and this has enabled MAHLE Power- train to increase its engineering capabilities in support of the automotive industry in the de- velopment of future mobility, according to Reader.
Vehicle development centre \\\ The new Vehicle Development Centre (VDC) al-
lows manufacturers to test both two- and four- wheel-drive vehicles in a variety of conditions and circumstances, all without the need for a gruelling programme of international travel. The facility can replicate the conditions found in the coldest arctic climates and the hottest arid deserts, the humidity of a tropical rain- forest or the pressure experienced at the high- est peaks. In addition, the facility’s
forward-thinking design supports the testing of hydrogen-fuelled technologies by monitor- ing and safely venting any escaping gases. The creation of a new battery testing facil-
ity which, thanks to a collaboration with the National Grid, allows battery packs to be de- veloped internally and rigorously tested with- out wasting energy, returning it to the grid wherever possible, really complements the service offering to customers in the field of battery development. The new Vehicle Development Centre sup- ports the testing and verification of next-gen- eration electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. The facility’s test chambers can ac- commodate both 2WD and 4WD vehicles tested at speeds up to 155mph. The climatic chambers can simulate condi-
tions ranging in temperature from -40°C to +60°C with humidity ranging from 10% to 80%, while pressure control allows altitudes up to 5,000m (16,400ft) to be simulated. Hydrogen-fuelled technologies can be rig-
orously tested in chambers that monitor and safely vent any escaping gases. The new bat- tery testing facility, meanwhile, with its own substation and dedicated National Grid con- nection, can test battery packs of up to 1MW with full fire protection in the event of a ther- mal runaway. MAHLE Powertrain is already experiencing
high levels of interest from automotive man- ufacturers across the globe, keen to capitalise on the new facility’s capabilities and the com- pany’s expertise in developing innovative sys- tems. C&VT
2022 /// Climatic & Vibration Testing \\\ 33
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