Test and engineering specialist FEV has announced the opening of what it says is the world’s largest development and test center for high-voltage batteries, destined for passenger and commercial vehicles.
The durability testing center (known by its German abbreviation eDLP), located in Sandersdorf-Brehna, Germany, measures 15,500m2 (166,800ft2) and houses facilities to conduct performance and electrical tests, as well as tests simulating environmental and mechanical impact, abuse tests for battery cells, modules and packs, plus other components such as inverters and onboard chargers.
According to FEV, these can be undertaken in a wide range of climate zones, and ambient temperatures can be reproduced – from -40°C to +90°C (-40°F to +194°F). Furthermore, thanks to a 12,000m2 (129,200ft2) photovoltaic system, the energy required to test components is provided almost entirely by power generated from renewable resources.
“As a globally leading developer of technologies for electric vehicles, FEV is advancing innovation and forward-looking solutions,” said Prof. Stefan Pischinger, president and CEO of FEV Group. “With the eDLP, we are providing our customers with proof of this claim once again. After all, in addition to optimal technological support, we can also save development time and costs for our partners. We can offer every internationally established test method for batteries on 69 systems, all under one roof.”