Remote Swedish spot is a frozen paradise for automakers and suppliers

An e-mail circulated one of the car companies and providers working in Arjeplog, Sweden, warning them that a photo-journalist was seen on the frozen lakes. In mid-February, e-mails like which are normal as alleged "spy photographers" attempt to get pictures of the automobiles that can star in the yearly Geneva auto-show in March or introduction at other occasions throughout the entire year.
Throughout the peak-season between January and March this distant place only 100km south of the Arctic Circle is a hotspot for auto makers and providers seeking to analyze their latest versions and technology from the region's harsh winter conditions.
Business organizations with long-term bases here comprise Land Rover, BMW, Continental, borg-warner, Fiat-Chrysler Cars, Opel, GKN and Robert Bosch. The allure of Arjeplog is two-fold: faithfully chilly temperatures that could fall to -40 degrees Celsius and plenty of frozen lakes.
GKN engineering manager Rob Rickell, with a BMW I-8, states Arjeplog is a global-class place to test automobiles and parts against harsh winter conditions.

Crucial developments
A lot of the world's most essential active-safety techniques are refined here including ABS in the early seventies by car companies like Volvo and Saab, along with traction handle in the early 80's by Bosch and Mercedes. The improved fitment of all-wheel-drive in SUVs, crossovers and other automobiles has provided an additional increase to Arjeplog, where awd professionals including GKN and its borg-warner-owned Swedish competitor, Haldex, press their systems with their limits. "If you are likely to maintain the awd company you must comprehend the behaviour of automobiles in these states. It is simply a provided," GKNK engineering manager Rob Rickell told Automotive News Europe.
There are several other popular websites on the planet for cold temperatures screening, but Arjeplog (pronounced Are-ye-plog) along with nearby Arvidsjaur and Alvsbyn are typically considered among the best by auto makers and suppliers. "This is only one of the most effective. You are ensured great winter-evaluation states," Rickell stated.
In wintertime, the inhabitants of Arjeplog doubles as 3,000 engineers from 30 car businesses arrive to make the most around 2,000km of check tracks. This creates a mean of 150 million euros for the local market every year, based on an exhibition in the area airport in Arvidsjaur. There are direct flights to Arvidsjaur from Paris together with Munich, Stuttgart and Hannover, Germany.

BMW examined its first fwd sedan, which will be a 1 series variation, this wintertime. The generation edition of the vehicle is likely to debut in 2017.Photo credit: Automedia

'Extreme testing'
Usually technologists love coming here. "They enjoy it because it is extreme testing - it is possible to reach a whole lot more than in work, there is nothing touching you," stated Magnus Pettersson, head of chassis development at Volkswagen-owned truck manufacturing company, Scania. Pettersson stated technologists remain for a week into a month. Any any more when compared to a month gets to be monotonous, technologists said, because there's not much to do besides function. Heading out to eat may be difficult because there aren't many eateries, which means dialogs should direct from work issues. "Nobody needs to speak in case a competitor's listening, everybody seems to see what prototype you have pushed to the parking lot. It is a very weird feeling," mentioned an engineer who requested to stay nameless.

Despite that, Arjeplog's exceptional surroundings using its reindeer woods, forever configurable lake tracks and occasional night-time glances of the famous Northern Lights is a good draw.
"It is not more or less analyzing automobiles. We bring clients here, the press, the traders, this can be about promoting the technologies of the team," GKN's Rickell stated. "It is a pleasant casual friendly setting, you do not use a suit and tie. It is different to your meeting in Germany."
Increasingly, car businesses are employing simulators or in-door amenities that recreate some of Arjeplog's worst states. Scania, as an example, has a climate-controlled wind-tunnel that could reproduce snow and provide the temperature down to -40, in addition to model heat and high-humidity. But as Scania's Pettersson stated: "Not every thing could be repeated in the tunnel."

The possibility of the lakes was first identified in 1969 by two daring engineers from Opel who'd pushed to the place from Germany. A group of Opel engineers came back four years later and swept a rudimentary course on Lake Hornavan with sweepers. The Arjeplog Times, an area paper created just through the winter testing period, documented that those technologists had a exceptional approach to ensure the ice was secure to get an automobile. They set an Opel Admiral in to push, pointed it toward the lake and got out as it rolled away just in case it broke through. The ice carried. It was not a long time before before the others - including the spy photographers - joined Opel.

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE EMAGAZINE

This report is from the present issue of the Automotive News Europe monthly e magazine, which can also be available to read on our iPhone and iPad programs. You may download the newest problem along with previous issues by click on this link.

It's possible for you to reach Nick Gibbs at [email protected].

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07.06.2015
ID:2230

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