Allison Transmission has partnered with Nikola Corp. to conduct testing of its Class 8 battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at Allison’s state-of-the-art Vehicle Electrification + Environmental Test (VE+ET) Center.
“We’re proud to collaborate with Nikola as they develop innovative, next-generation vehicles designed to reduce emissions and optimize performance,” states David Proctor, general manager of the center. “Our facility has the capabilities to support external customer test and validation programs for vehicles powered by every major propulsion type, which reinforces Allison’s commitment to taking a leadership role in the development of alternative fuel options for the commercial vehicle industry.”
The two companies collaborated to test BEV and FCEV performance through controlled thermal environments and dynamometer road simulations, capable of simulating a wide range of duty cycles. The tests utilized Nikola’s hydrogen refueling equipment along with a constant flow of hydrogen supplied by the facility to allow for uninterrupted test runs. Evaluation of the vehicles included monitoring battery management and HVAC testing which leveraged solar simulation to replicate extreme temperatures.
The Vehicle Electrification + Environmental Test Center provides several benefits for OEMs including the ability to conduct testing in a safe, controlled, consistent environment which enables secure, dependable, repeatable results. At the facility, Allison simulates real-world applications and climate conditions, allowing OEMs to reduce product development and validation timelines to bring innovative technology and vehicle systems to market faster and more efficiently. In addition, conducting testing in a condensed timeframe that is not dependent on seasonal climate and road conditions results in reduced costs compared to on-road testing.
“Leveraging the capabilities of Allison’s VE+ET Center has been a key enabler for Nikola to accelerate our product development cycle and confidently bring to market our Tre BEV early last year,” says Adam Tarleton, Nikola’s head of vehicle validation. “We are looking forward to continued collaboration with Allison on our Tre FCEV product to deliver an industry leading, best-in-class hydrogen FCEV with the performance, quality and reliability the commercial truck segment demands.”