IVECO BUS, a prominent player in the bus and coach sector and a part of the Iveco Group, has officially inaugurated its advanced testing and validation facility named E-BENCH. Located within the R&D center situated in Vénissieux, which serves as the global headquarters for Iveco Group’s bus and coach activities, this facility marks a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to innovation and testing excellence.
E-BENCH is a versatile testing facility designed to evaluate individual components as well as complete vehicles under real driving conditions, effectively simulating various missions and diverse climates. This cutting-edge facility, which has been fully operational since July 2023, boasts an array of advanced testing capabilities, including a roller dynamometer, climate bench, bench for individual components, complete Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) bench for comprehensive component testing, and compatibility with electric and hydrogen propulsion vehicles.
One of the notable features of the E-BENCH is its interconnected cells that enable the testing of vehicles and functional models referred to as SKATE. The primary test cell has the capacity to replicate a vehicle’s dynamics using two loading machines while simulating extreme climatic conditions across all seasons, with temperature variations spanning from -15°C to +55°C. These simulations generate an impressive airflow of up to 210,000 cubic meters per hour.
The development and establishment of the E-BENCH facility represent a substantial investment, totaling €6.2 million for IVECO BUS. The project’s development phase received co-funding from the French Government through the France 2030 Future Investment Program, administered by ADEME, the French Agency for Ecological Transition.
