Sunshine on Demand – FEV Installs Solar Simulation System in US Vehicle Development Center
Auburn Hills, Michigan, January 2021 – FEV, a leading global service provider of vehicle and powertrain development for hardware and software, has upgraded its state-of-the-art Vehicle Development Center (VDC) in Auburn Hills with a solar loading system. This upgrade provides FEV an expanded offering of unique and comprehensive capabilities to support the development and certification of light-duty and medium-duty vehicles for customers worldwide. The new system simulates natural sunlight in a precisely controlled laboratory setting. This capability is critical for evaluating the impact of vehicle air conditioning systems on full-electric range for hybrid and electric vehicles, and also plays an important role in evaluating emissions for vehicles with an internal combustion engine. With the upgraded infrastructure, FEV now has the ability to perform important 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. Additionally, this upgrade now allows FEV to cover the full range from frigid arctic testing conditions to the sunny desert – all in a highly controlled setting in southeast Michigan. The VDC, opened in