From April 2026, LRW will operate the state-of-the-art vehicle testing climatic and emissions facility, based in Milton Keynes. The site provides advanced testing capabilities to simulate real-world climates and drive cycles for emissions, driveability and performance analysis. It also becomes the new headquarters for the LRW team, relocating from Fenny Stratford, with secure vehicle storage and expanded office space to support continued growth.
Craig Fraser, Director at LRW, commented:
‘We’re thrilled to add climatic and emissions testing capabilities to complement our existing engineering services. The facility is incredibly well set up for development testing, and we’re already planning to expand into official testing, so we’ll be working towards EPA and CARB 1066 compliance, as well as VCA approval. The new site gives us space to grow our team and capabilities and marks an exciting new chapter for LRW.’
LRW has appointed two specialist team members to lead the new in-house testing: David Tang, Vehicle Test Facility Manager and dedicated Test Technician Trevor Jones, bringing more than three decades of combined testing experience.
The development testing capabilities include:
Climatic testing
2 vehicle test cells enabling advanced testing for passenger cars and light-duty vehicles.
2WD MRW Merilab Dynamometer, ideal for R&D testing
- Temperature range 18°C to +28°C
- Max tractive force 1,300N
- 35kW motor
- Twin 20" rollers
4WD Climatic Chassis Dynamometer
Climate-controlled dyno cell for full 4WD testing, commissioned to EPA 1066 spec
- Temperature range -10°C to +38°C
- Humidity control 10%-80%
- Extendable wheelbase - from 1.8m-3.4m
- Max tractive force max 6,400N (12,500N)
- 48” roller diameter - Horiba VULCAN II XtraCold
- 231 kW (450kW*) motor per axle
*overload 30s in 300s. Max speed 250km/h
Cold box chamber
- Temperature range - ambient to +35°C
- Exhaust extraction to atmosphere
- Dimensions 10.75m x 8.2m x 3.5m
Vehicle soak capability, 400 sqm facility
Emissions testing
- World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) emissions testing
- Federal Test Procedure (FTP)
- Real Driving Emissions (RDE) testing
- Legislative & client defined emission cycles
Emissions equipment includes:
- Horiba MEXA ONE Pre-Cat
- Horiba MEXA ONE Heated Tunnel
- Horiba MEXA ONE Tailpipe, 12 bags - heated cabinet
- Horiba DLS & Heated filters
- Hioki SOC measurement
- Horiba SPCS Particle Number 23 nm
The facility is fully operational this month (April), with the entire LRW team expected to be based on site shortly after.
Looking for vehicle development testing facilities? Please get in touch with the team at [email protected].
