European Battery Research Center for EVs and Plug-in Hybrids

Up to 6,000 analyses per year. The Test Center Energy can perform up to 6,000 complete high-voltage system tests (battery, load, safety) per year.  Its 1,500 square meters of floor space are used to develop and test the performance of the power systems of electric and hybrid vehicles for CUPRA, SEAT, and SEAT MÓ, as well as other Volkswagen Group brands. As a result, the center's activities operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Similar to 350 households at full power. The center’s testing capacity of 1.3 megawatts is what 350 households would consume with all their devices connected at the same time or the equivalent of more than 100,000 mobile phones charging at the same time.

5 test benches and 5 climatic chambers reproduce all kinds of situations a battery could face, including fast and slow driving simulations, different slopes or road surfaces, and also different weather conditions.

Climatic chambers can range from -25ºC  to +55ºC to expose batteries to extreme temperatures ranges. Testing verifies that the batteries will work perfectly in hot areas such as Mexico, as well as in cold countries like Sweden, where temperatures easily drop to well below zero degrees in winter.

Each battery is tested an average of 17,500 hours and includes multiple charge and discharge cycles at different temperature profiles. Batteries are not only analyzed individually but also after they’ve been integrated into the vehicles and a total of 900 static tests and 2,500 dynamic tests can be carried out for a single project.

120 solar panels. The Test Center Energy represents a commitment to sustainability and thanks to the systems used to build it, it has obtained LEED® certification as a leading facility in energy efficiency and sustainable design. The 120 solar panels on its roof save 39 tonnes of CO₂ per month. In addition, its indoor temperature is self-regulating thanks to 95 dynamic blinds on its facade that move to make efficient use of outside light.