This project will provide an R&D facility to engineer the next generation transport technology, central to the government’s Road to Zero strategy, with the development of a new test chamber at MAHLE Powertrain in Northampton.

Funding Stream: Local Growth Fund (LGF)
LGF Awarded: £1.5m
Total Project Cost: £5.1m
Delivery Partner: MAHLE Powertrain 
Project Status: Due to complete and be fully commissioned January 2022
Projected Outputs: 12 new jobs, £10.1m GVA, 390,000 tonnes reduction in CO2
Website: https://www.mahle-powertrain.com/

Project Evaluation 

November 2021 

Emissions tunnel, hydrogen chimney, chamber cooling internal and chamber drive units.

October 2021

At MAHLE Powertrain’s Northampton headquarters, the second 4WD chassis dyno in the existing RDE Centre vehicle development facility is currently being installed. The complete equipment from the HORIBA, main contractor and equipment supplier for the chassis dyno, is now in situ and the project remains on schedule to start commissioning later this year.

This state-of-the-art facility will be optimised to develop and validate electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles when it comes on stream in the first quarter of 2022.

MAHLE Powertrain breaks ground on new EV and hydrogen focused test chamber

MAHLE Powertrain has broken ground on the development of the new test chamber located at its Real Driving Emissions (RDE) Centre in Northampton on May 18th. Read more...

April 2021

Building works have officially begun in the onsite chamber, with the official ground breaking ceremony to follow in May.

The site power upgrade has been secured, with procurement with suppliers ongoing. Technical equipment for long lead items is in manufacturing and time lapse cameras are in place, ready to capture this exciting project as it progresses!

March 2021

MAHLE Powertrain has unveiled plans to invest in a second test chamber at its Real Driving Emissions (RDE) Centre in Northampton UK. The chamber will be ideally suited to develop and validate electric vehicle performance under wide-ranging climatic conditions and will be equipped with a four-wheel-drive dyno and a battery emulator, as well as safety measures to enable testing of vehicles powered by hydrogen. Read more.