Testing for the best - MAHLE MPULSE Mobility Magazine

A test center for the future

Shutdown days, build to inventory, limited availability of certain vehicle models—the introduction of the WLTP cycle (Worldwide harmonized Light duty Test Procedure) and future RDE (Real Driving Emissions) legislation in Europe pose major challenges for the automotive industry.

Groundbreaking services for MAHLE powertrain customers

Thanks to the newly opened WLTP- and RDE-capable test center (RDEC) in Northampton/UK, MAHLE Powertrain reduces the current bottlenecks in the application and certification of vehicles. The company thus provides its customers with targeted support in handling the immense challenges posed by the new approval standards.

The cutting-edge RDEC strategically expands MAHLE Powertrain’s expertise in the development and certification of vehicles with combustion engines and hybrid drives. “We are consolidating MAHLE Powertrain’s position as a leading development service provider for conventional and electric drive systems,” says Dr. Jörg Stratmann, CEO of the MAHLE Group.

Testing with state-of-the-art methods

“The lack of suitable test equipment is moving the sector,” says Simon Reader, Engineering Director at MAHLE Powertrain. “With our new RDE test center, we’re reducing the pressure on our customers while expanding our own capacity, thus keeping ahead of the competition,” continues Reader.

At the MAHLE RDEC and the two affiliated, certified RDE test tracks, the entire WLTP test cycle can be reproduced on an all-wheel-drive dynamometer. The changing elevations required for the WLTP cycle are created using a pressure chamber that encloses the entire dynamometer. It simulates environments of up to 5,000 meters in altitude. Air temperatures from –40°C to +60°C, ambient air, and humidity can also be controlled and maintained precisely at the desired level.