FEV Group, a global service provider of vehicle and powertrain development for hardware and software, has added a solar loading system to its Vehicle Development Center in Auburn Hills.
The new system gives FEV an expanded offering of capabilities to support the development and certification of light-duty and medium-duty vehicles. It provides simulated sunlight in a laboratory setting and can be used to evaluate the impact of vehicle air conditioning systems on full-electric range for hybrid and electric vehicles.
It also plays a role in evaluating emissions for vehicles with an internal combustion engine. FEV’s North American headquarters are in Auburn Hills, and its global headquarters are in Germany.
The company can now perform regulatory tests including testing under U.S. regulations 40 CFR Part 1066. The added capabilities further entail the regulatory SC03 test cycle, which is part of the full five-cycle chassis dynamometer certification process for all light-duty and medium-duty vehicles, including EPA range certification for electric vehicles. The upgrade also allows FEV to cover the full range from frigid arctic testing conditions to the desert.
The Vehicle Development Center was opened in 2019 and provides full vehicle testing capabilities on a four-wheel-drive chassis dynamometer. These capabilities include front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, and all-wheel-drive capabilities paired with the ability to test in -4 degrees Fahrenheit-104 degrees Fahrenheit, sized for vehicles up to 11,000 pounds. This allows FEV to perform all global test cycles required by the respective regulatory agencies.
“We established the Vehicle Development Center to provide our customers with unique services, including climatic capabilities paired with full emissions measurement and EPA 40 CFR Part 1066 for chassis dyno emissions certification,” says Patrick Hupperich, president and CEO of FEV North America. “Just as the vehicle industry continues to evolve, so do our capabilities.”
FEV also offers body and chassis design and develops lighting systems and solutions for autonomous driving and connectivity, as well as gasoline and diesel engines and transmissions. It employs 6,700 people at more than 40 locations on five continents.
