Ricardo celebrates 2000th vehicle tested in its leading vehicle emissions research centre

Ricardo today celebrates the milestone of the 2,000th vehicle tested at its world-leading Vehicle Emissions Research Centre (VERC), marking more than 25,000 tests completed and 750,000km driven on its chassis dynamometer test facility.

Opened in 2015, VERC supports the development and certification of vehicle emissions and electric driving range, helping manufacturers demonstrate compliance with global regulatory standards. The advanced four-wheel-drive test facility enables climatic testing across temperatures ranging from -30°C to +55°C, with humidity control allowing vehicles to be assessed under some of the most extreme real-world conditions. Specialist emissions measurement equipment provides detailed pollutant speciation and highly accurate emissions analysis to support compliance with current and future regulations, including the forthcoming Euro 7 standards. High-voltage measurement systems also enable precise assessment of electrical energy consumption, helping determine the efficiency and driving range of electric and hybrid vehicles.

“In just over 11 years, we have averaged around 47 tests per week on a wide variety of vehicles, covering a staggering 750,000km. That’s the equivalent of 18 trips around the globe, or almost a journey to the Moon and back,” said Tim Bassett, Ricardo Head of Test.

“These figures represent a significant achievement for Ricardo’s testing facilities, but more importantly they demonstrate how we are supporting the development of the next generation of propulsion systems, helping to reduce emissions that are harmful to both the environment and human health.”

Ricardo’s VERC facility was specifically designed to meet the strict testing requirements introduced with Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) legislation and was the first UK independent test facility to gain WLTP accreditation from the Vehicle Certification Agency. We've kept pace with global emissions focus ever since, and with the facility's primary capability in R&D testing, we can add value to test programs far in excess of the standard regulatory requirements."

This milestone highlights Ricardo’s continued commitment to advancing cleaner, more efficient transportation technologies and supporting the automotive industry through increasingly demanding emissions and electrification requirements.