The lab can simulate a year’s worth of use in a single week.
Torture tests are nothing new, with automakers giving us a behind-the-scenes look at these processes before a new model is launched. These extreme tests are often used for off-roaders and trucks where rugged construction is essential, but EV torture tests are now commonplace as manufacturers try to convince the public that electric components can be trusted. Ford says its tests for the Mustang Mach-E were as harsh as those for its F-Series pickups, BMW recently subjected its i7 to unbearably hot weather, and Volkswagen’s ID.Buzz has also been manhandled in the name of safety and reliability. VW has now shed more light on its $22-million laboratory and the extreme testing of battery packs that takes place there.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
The new VW lab in Chattanooga was designed to speed up the testing of battery packs for a number of locally produced EVs. Around 30 engineers are employed at the Battery Engineering Lab where batteries are exposed to both exceptionally hot and freezing cold temperatures. The batteries are also evaluated for their ability to withstand shocks. The lab has a “shaker table” that is said to be able to simulate the equivalent of a year of on-road jostling in only one week.
To start, the lab will test and analyze lithium-ion battery packs that will be used in the ID.4 as well as other electric VWs using the MEB architecture. In addition to testing in hot and cold temperatures of between -94 to 266 degrees Fahrenheit, the batteries are also immersed in water and tested for how well they can withstand abrasions.
“We are applying cutting-edge technologies to make sure that our EV batteries and ultimately our electric vehicles for American consumers are safe and strong,” said Wolfgang Demmelbauer-Ebner, VW of America’s chief engineering officer. The 32,000-square-foot facility is said to be one of four testing centers like it for the company, along with two in China and one located in Germany.
Although EVs have been purported as more reliable than their ICE counterparts due to fewer mechanical parts, some surveys have shown the opposite to be true. With VW and other automakers spending millions on stringent testing programs, hopefully newer EVs are as tough as they’re promised to be.
