The new VERC facility is capable of carrying out climate controlled tests with a temperature range of -30 to +55 degrees Celsius and with humidity regulation. Configured for 4WD powertrains of up to 300 kW (402 hp) and capable of simulated road speeds up to 250 km/h (155 mph), it is capable of testing anything from the smallest passenger cars to light trucks of up to 3 tonnes, including advanced technology hybrid electric vehicles and their associated energy regeneration systems and stop/start operation.

For such electrified powertrain applications the VERC is also able to measure battery state of charge in addition to vehicle emissions.

The VERC’s exhaust emissions measurement systems are capable of supporting engineering projects to the regulatory standards applied in all parts of the world, up to and including the very highest Euro 6/7 and US SULEV standards. A novel feature in this respect are the triple Constant Volume Sampler (CVS) tunnels; typically, facilities of this type have separate CVS tunnels for gasoline and diesel projects, but the VERC additionally has a third tunnel exclusively for the very lowest SULEV emissions projects.

The facility has been designed to meet all the demanding requirements for the measurement of regulated emissions and the development of advanced aftertreatment. State-of-the-art-gas analysers enable the real-time measurement of CO, HC, O₂ and NO_x plus both EGR and exhaust CO₂, while specialist approaches for NO_x speciation (FTIR) and detailed particle properties (mass, number, size) are included in the fully integrated emissions measurement capability. The vehicle soak space has been constructed as a series of independent climatic zones to ensure sub-zero soaked vehicles are maintained at their target temperature throughout their transition to the test cell and it also includes two integrated cold boxes with separate climate control.

The design of the VERC has been future-proofed both in terms of its ability to be configured for anticipated future regulatory needs, as well as being extendable to provide further additional capacity. All of the civil engineering works necessary to provide a second test chamber have already been completed as part of the initial development, so that fit-out could be completed rapidly if Ricardo requires this additional capacity. Similarly the design of all the plant installation is such that a generous amount of space is provided such that additional systems can be installed or equipment replaced, with minimal disruption to the ongoing work of the center.

Already in commercial operation since the early spring of 2015, the Ricardo VERC was formally dedicated today by Richard Noble OBE—world land speed record holder from 1983-1997, and project director of the BLOODHOUND project.