Investment in the Future: Audi Neckarsulm Extends Emission Centre and Centralises Technical Development

Neckarsulm, Germany – At Audi’s Neckarsulm plant operations have begun in a EUR 19 million four-storey building which houses an extended emission test centre and offices for 200 Technical Development employees. One new feature is the SFTP (Supplemental Federal Test Procedure) rig. “This test dynamometer makes it possible to check the exhaust emissions from vehicles destined for the US market,” explains Audi project manager Markus Köhne.

Around 10,000 emission tests are performed annually at the Technical Development unit. The primary objective of these is to ensure that new Neckarsulm engine and vehicle concepts comply with emission legislation worldwide. In addition, the emission levels of around 600 production vehicles are tested here each year. “It was necessary to extend our test facilities to seven test rigs so that emissions could be measured under various climatic conditions. The measurement of very low exhaust emissions poses us with an ever growing technical challenge. We can now take measurements at temperatures from
-20°C to +40°C and in extreme sunlight. We have also set up additional test rigs for our quattro vehicles,” explained Dr. Jörg Wiebrecht, who is responsible for the Emission and Endurance Test Centre.

The areas Engine Development, Aluminium Centre, Interior Equipment Development, Electronics Development and Patents are now together in office premises covering a total of approximately 2,100 square metres. “The new building has enabled us to bring together under one roof departments that were previously spread throughout the plant, and this has made it possible to shorten the distances covered in Technical Development considerably,” explains project manager Köhne.