MAHLE Powertrain to develop £8mn test facility in the UK

The engineering subsidiary of German automotive parts manufacturer, MAHLE GmbH, is to develop a testing centre for Real Driving Emission (RDE).

MAHLE Powertrain has received an altitude and climatic control system from Weiss which form the RDE centre.

The company has invested a total of £8mn (US$10.8mn) in the facility, which is expected to be operational by mid-2018.

The site will function as MAHLE Powertrain’s global centre for RDE testing, located at the company’s Northampton site.

The facility aims to allow European vehicle manufacturers to develop innovative gasoline engines without the necessity to travel to high altitude locations with extreme temperatures.

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“Our new Weiss altitude and climatic simulation chamber is the result of significant investment from MAHLE, and an exciting feature of our new RDE centre,” said Derek Wise, Chief Engineer of Build & Test at MAHLE Powertrain.

“It will allow OEMs to develop and test new engines to a high standard right here in the UK, keeping us on the map as a major global automotive development partner.”

The technology will allow engineers to optimise engine calibrations whilst ensuring the machines are capable of functioning in a range of weather conditions.

MAHLE’s new test chamber will also feature comprehensive exhaust emissions testing equipment.