Ford's Massive New Nanjing Test Centre a First for China

2017年12月05日 11:29:11 | 来源:thenanjinger.com

字号变大| 字号变小

Ford's Massive New Nanjing Test Centre a First for China

  The Ford Motor Company is reinforcing its commitment to product development and innovation in China with the opening last week of the ¥680 million Nanjing Test Centre (NTC).

  As part of Ford’s RMB 1.3 billion investment to further innovation at its 2,000-employee Research and Engineering Centre in Nanjing, the NTC is Ford’s first China-based facility capable of fully proving out new vehicles.

  The NTC will enable Ford to develop the next generation of vehicles for China and the Asia Pacific at a quicker pace than ever before. The centre includes close to 80 different types of real-road surface conditions, a three-kilometre test track and sophisticated emissions testing facilities. There will also be a new laboratory for noise, vibration and harshness testing that will allow Ford to deliver vehicles that offer a smooth, quiet and relaxing driving experience.

  The NTC will work closely with other Ford laboratories to further enhance powertrain engineering capabilities in China and the Asia Pacific in order to meet the increasing needs of consumers for better fuel efficiency.

  “Innovation is the cornerstone of Ford’s growth strategy in Asia Pacific”, said Trevor Worthington, Vice President of Product Development for the Asia Pacific. “By having our research and testing centres so closely aligned, we can speed up the development of new products, services and technologies for customers in China and across the region.”

  Covering 660,000 square meters, and built to global design standards to ensure consistency with other Ford vehicle testing centres in the Americas, Europe and Australia, the NTC's many different road surfaces, such as potholes and cobblestone streets,each recreate the driving conditions that customers around the world experience day to day.

  Since China’s road conditions vary greatly, particularly in lesser-developed provinces that are often subject to extreme weather, 15 of the 80 surfaces are China-specific surfaces that represent real-world roads common throughout the country.

  “Nobody knows the needs of Chinese drivers better than our local engineers”, said Worthington. “The NTC will now allow us to test their designs quickly and easily, reducing time-to-market for future Ford products.

  “It will test a diverse portfolio of Ford vehicles for China and Asia Pacific, including performance vehicles, both compact and full-sized passenger cars, SUVs and light-weight commercial vehicles. It will also reduce our need to send prototypes abroad, saving time and money in the product development process.”

  The first programs to be carried out at the new centre include the development of next generation vehicles for China, as well as well the homologation of imported vehicles such as the Explorer and Mustang.

  Other highlights of the NTC include:

  • A vehicle dynamics area that allows engineers to conduct thorough ride and handling tests
  • An emissions lab that ensures all vehicles are compliant with Chinese and European emissions standards
  • A new laboratory for noise, vibration and harshness testing
  • A precision steering track where steering ratios can be tweaked to suit market-specific requirements
  • A squeak and rattle lab with full environmental facility which can test vehicle performance in conditions ranging from minus 30 to 40 degrees Celsius
  • A grade hills facility with various gradients for vehicle incline testing

  Established in 2007, Ford’s Nanjing Research and Engineering Centre has grown from a sourcing office into a world-class hub for product development and innovation serving the whole Asia Pacific region. It is now one of nine global product development centres for Ford.

  In the past decade, it has expanded to a staff of over 2,000, published more than 200 patents and led the development of the Escort and Taurus, designed especially for the Chinese market. With the opening of the NTC, Ford’s Research and Engineering Centre will play an important role in developing and engineering future Ford vehicles for China and the region.

layer
快乐分享