New electric and hybrid testing facility
Transport Minister Robert Goodwill has opened a new electric and hybrid vehicle testing facility in Milton Keynes that will support the government’s pledge for every new car and van to be emission-free by 2040.
The new laboratory, belonging to testing and certification company Intertek, is the UK’s highest capacity electric vehicle testing centre, and will employ 100 people. The facility includes battery simulators designed to test range of battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and emissions equipment to measure how plug-in hybrid vehicles produce emissions with their interaction of combustion and electric propulsion.
Tonny Braddon, Intertek Managing Director, said, “Intertek is privileged to work in partnership with the best of Britain’s automotive manufacturing industry to test and develop their vehicles’ powertrains to ensure they are the best they can be. The future of the automotive industry is changing and the use of internal combustion engines is being augmented and superseded by hybrid technology, batteries and electric motors.”
Robert Goodwill, Minister of State for Transport, said, “This impressive facility shows how the industry, with our support, is creating highly-skilled jobs and opportunities across the whole automotive sector.
“It makes perfect sense that global companies like Intertek would choose to expand their UK base when we are the largest market for ultra-low emission vehicles in Europe. We are backing industry with a £600 million investment until 2020 to ensure every new UK car and van is a zero emission vehicle by 2040.”