Stellantis invests €33-M in global testing hubs to up EV performance

MANILA: Stellantis engineering teams all over the world are working to develop state-of-the-art vehicles that provide clean, safe, and affordable transportation. Stellantis recently invested €33 million in two of its global testing facilities to help the company achieve best-in-class electric vehicle (EV) performance and acquire the highest form of autonomous driving technology while providing safe and dependable technology for its customers.

These investments, along with other R&D capex, will help Stellantis widen its global capability to develop the future of mobility, ramp up its transition into a sustainable mobility technology firm, and accelerate its progress toward the Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan's goals, which includes a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon net zero emissions by 2038.

The recent enhancements include the Orbassano Safety Center in Turin, Italy,  which has been renovated to have four test tracks with four impact points and the ability to fully test battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and automated driving technology for passenger cars, trucks, and light commercial vehicles.

Another enhancement is the inclusion of moving ground plane technology to the wind tunnel in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. This simulates on-road traffic and provides more precise vehicle aerodynamics measurements. Reducing wind drag helps improve the driving range of BEVs.

In a statement, Stellantis Chief Engineering Officer Harald Wester said, “Our world-class tech hubs across the globe are doing the work today that will make tomorrow's Stellantis vehicles industry leaders in capability, performance and safety. Our engineering community is fueled by talent, diversity and global reach, and we are intensely working with the other global functions, as our Monozokuri peers, to energize the core of our technological transformation. It gives us a comprehensive view of the challenges and enables us to consider and refine a full menu of mobility solutions that will put us in the front row of the race to innovate and improve.”

The Stellantis Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan aims to achieve a 100% passenger car BEV sales mix in Europe and 50% passenger car and light-duty truck BEV sales mix in the United States by 2030.

The Orbassano Safety Center has received a €5-million renovation, allowing it to test all types of EVs, including mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and BEVs. The facility conducts at least two crash tests per day and expects to test over 275 EVs this year. More than 175 international safety and technological standards can be met by vehicles tested at Orbassano.

The impact zone of the test tracks is equipped with a Messring movable block for front and side-impact tests, and Orbassano executes some of the industry's most rigorous tests, such as the passenger-side small overlap test performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Orbassano's test tracks contain a computer-driven camera positioning system with 13 movable outboard camera locations over the impact point. The tracks also have the capability to record underbody high-speed video, and the test vehicle can be equipped with up to five cameras.

Stellantis engineers can use all of these views, as well as the instrumented data, to evaluate present and future vehicle designs. To improve digital vehicle development models, the data is shared with Stellantis facilities throughout the world, including additional safety testing centers in Belchamp, France; Chelsea, Michigan, USA; and Betim, Brazil.

This cutting-edge facility is fully integrated with Stellantis' safety digital engineering process, enabling the most efficient vehicle development while practically addressing all field collision situations.

Future test modes relating to the deployment of automated driving functions on all types of vehicles will be accommodated on the new tracks.

Orbassano's arsenal comprises static and dynamic test fixtures for pedestrian impact, roof crush, and rollover, as well as test sleds for seating and vehicle interiors. As the introduction of future automated driving technologies opens the door to new cabin seating configurations, seat and interior testing becomes increasingly important.

Aerodynamic efficiency is also a key differentiator in the effort to maximize the range of electric vehicles on a single charge. This demands as accurate a simulation of the real-world driving environment as possible, that is why Stellantis is investing US$29.5 million to install moving ground plane technology at its wind tunnel complex in Michigan.

Wheel movement is enabled by belts at all four corners of the vehicle, with a fifth belt running underneath the vehicle as if it were rolling down a road. Moving ground plane technology also allows for the determination of ventilation drag, which is the resistance exclusively connected with moving wheels and tires. It can account for up to 10% of overall aerodynamic drag in the real world.

Wind speeds of up to 140mph are generated at the existing aerodynamic test facility in Auburn Hills. The moving ground plane installation, which is part of the Stellantis' US$85-million pledge to the United Auto Workers in 2019, is expected to be operational in 2024.

The new capability will complement Auburn Hills' world-class aero-acoustic wind tunnel as part of a global network of cutting-edge centers, including two in Europe, which are also equipped with moving ground plane technology.

Photos from Stellantis

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