On Tuesday, October 3, 2023, the Giga Test Center was officially opened in the heart of Battery Valley, a strategic region for the development of electric vehicles. This unique European battery test center for electric vehicles is the result of a public-private partnership between CRITT M2A, a research center specializing in mobility.
Located in Bruyere-la-Buissiere, Pas-de-Calais, this center represents a giant step in the race to improve electric car batteries.
All elements of the battery of the electric vehicle will be checked
CRITT M2A has invested at least €13.7 million to transform its facilities, originally dedicated to thermal engines, into a center of excellence fully dedicated to the testing and compliance of electric vehicle batteries. This high-tech laboratory will test batteries, in order to approve them as safe and effective products.
Giga Test Center facilities include “climate chambers” where battery cells will be tested at extreme temperatures, from -40 to +90 degrees Celsius. A bunker was also created to simulate overloads and short circuits, which allows you to observe the reaction of batteries and check whether they will catch fire or explode.
In addition, the “vibration boiler” will be used to assess the batteries’ resistance to vibration, a critical factor in the development of sustainable electric vehicles.
Approach to cooperation with surrounding plants
The first customer to use the Giga Test Center is ACC, a joint venture between Stellantis, TotalEnergies and Mercedes-Benz. ACC recently opened the first battery factory in France, located in Douvrin, about thirty kilometers from the test center.
Verkor, a company that plans to set up in Dunkirk in northern France, also plans to conduct tests at the Giga Test Center. Additional investments are planned to meet the needs of other battery mega-factories planned for the coming years.
This project is a response to the growing demand for conformity testing of electric batteries in Europe. Although in Germany manufacturers often integrate their own production tests, The French “battery valley” offers a more collaborative approach by investing for them and pooling resources.
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Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.