Allison Transmission, a global provider of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions for commercial vehicles, is investing in a new vehicle testing facility that the company says will facilitate further innovation in the industry.
“Industries around the globe depend on Allison Automatics to power highly specialized vehicles that must perform under all kinds of extreme conditions,” said David Graziosi, president and CEO of Allison Transmission. “The Vehicle Environmental Test facility will provide Allison engineers with enhanced capabilities to conduct testing replicating vehicle environments and duty cycles.”
This facility is to be located on the campus of Allison’s global headquarters on the west side of Indianapolis. It will include two environmental chambers capable of simulating temperature extremes, altitude and on-road conditions that will allow testing for regulatory compliance, on-board diagnostic development and performance improvements for vehicle functional optimization. The Vehicle Environmental Test facility will further support testing for a wide-range of propulsion systems, including conventional powertrains, alternative fuel, electric hybrid and fully-electric vehicles.
The facility will be one of a few in the United States, and the only one of its kind in the Midwest, according to the company. When the facility is not in use by Allison, third parties will be able to utilize the chamber for their own testing, adding another benefit.
Project planning for the Vehicle Environmental Test facility has begun and is scheduled for completion in 2020.
