£8m centre opens at MIRA

A NEW £8m emissions testing centre has opened at HORIBA MIRA in Nuneaton reinforcing Coventry and Warwickshire’s position as the ‘go to’ place for automotive industry investment.

The Watling Street advanced engineering, research and product testing facility has developed its Advanced Emissions Test Centre (AETC) in response to increased scrutiny around tailpipe emissions, as well as new legislation requiring extensive and increasingly complex testing.

The new 12,000 sq ft test centre was opened on Wednesday by HORIBA chairman, CEO and president Atsushi Horiba.

It will provide testing capabilities for global compliance, including Euro 6d Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), as well as incorporating Real World Driving Emissions (RDE) testing capabilities.

Several high level engineering jobs have been created at the new centre and more roles will be filled as it undertakes more work. The facility is centred around a four-wheel drive (4WD) climatic chassis dynamometer and includes three indi- vidual climatic soak rooms and an ambient soak room.

The combination of the 4WD dynamometer, range of climatic conditions and state-of-the-art HORIBA emissions systems will allow exhaust pollutants to be measures across a range of climatic conditions, from temperatures of -20°C to 35°C.

Engineers at the facility will work closely with vehicle manufacturers, offering the full gamut of emissions testing which comply with current and foreseen future emis- sions regulations.

George Gillespie, CEO at HORIBA MIRA, said: “We are incredibly proud to officially open our new Advanced Emissions Test Centre together with the HORIBA Group.

“Vehicle manufacturers will now have access to world-class facilities and engineers to ensure their vehicles meet new emissions regulations, housed in one location in our central England headquarters.

“The launch of the AETC represents our commitment to working alongside our customers to develop world leading products through our extensive expertise and cutting edge facilities and reiterates our position as a global leader in advanced engineering.”

The £8m investment has been made by the HORIBA Group and brings its total investment to almost £25m since MIRA joined HORIBA in July 2015. The AETC is the first newlybuilt testing facility to open at HORIBA MIRA since 2014.

Its opening follows recent investment into MIRA Technology Park, which is now in the second phase of its development and due to be completed by 2025.