The Spanish carmaker Seat has opened a new Test Center Energy (TCE) in its technical center in Martorell. According to a statement, more than seven million euros were invested there. In the TCE, energy systems for electric and plug-in hybrids from Cupra, Seat and other brands of the VW Group are to be developed and tested.
According to Seat, the new center is part of VW’s global research and development network and the first of its kind in Europe outside of Germany. Other such centers are already in place in China and the United States. It is part of the announced €5 billion investment plan to electrify Seat vehicles and facilities. “Today is a significant day for Seat’s future,” said Seat CEO Wayne Griffiths at the opening. And Head of Development Werner Tietz added: “This will also make us a pioneer in sustainable electromobility. As part of its strategy, Seat plans to start producing electric cars in Martorell from 2025.
As stated in the press release, the 1500 square meter Test Center Energy was built in just 18 months. It includes various rooms for testing battery modules using the latest cell chemistry technology. The TCE is currently concentrating on batteries for the Modular Electric Toolkit (MEB) for electric drives and the Modular Transverse Toolkit (MQB) for hybrid drives, as well as different charging stations that are used for all electric vehicles.
Overall, the TCE has a test capacity of 1.3 megawatts. This is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 350 households with all electrical appliances switched on at the same time, or 100.000 mobile phones charged at the same time. More than 25 experts work in the TCE, in which up to 6000 complete analyzes can be carried out annually. Batteries get 17 on average.Tested for 500 hours to ensure optimal performance in a wide range of conditions throughout its lifetime.
The facility also includes a workshop dedicated to testing electric vehicles. It is said that around 1,750 tests per year can be carried out on the high-voltage safety test stand alone. Furthermore, the TCE has several climate chambers in which batteries and modules are tested at extreme temperatures between -25 °C and +55 degrees. A special area is dedicated to building prototypes.
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