MotiveLab™

MotiveLab™ is a research facility at Red River College Polytechnic focused on supporting Manitoba’s heavy vehicle sector. A unique facility for Western Canada, MotiveLab™ is capable of supporting on- and off-highway heavy vehicle testing and development requirements for the region.

It is home to a combination All Weather Climatic Chamber and Chassis Dynamometer test facility that caters to vehicles of all sizes across various markets.

Facility and Technology

Capabilities

• MotiveLab™ has the ability to test vehicles at temperature extremes throughout the year, while under full-load conditions.
• MotiveLab™ is capable of accommodating transit buses and highway coaches, as well as off-highway vehicles such as tractors and self-propelled harvesting equipment.
• MotiveLab™ is able to simulate various ground topologies, such as slopes.
• MotiveLab™ addresses the sector’s lack of access to appropriate and/or comprehensive domestic test facilities, considerable pressure from regulatory bodies for emissions control and fuel efficiencies, and the availability of highly qualified and skilled personnel for the workforce.

Test Facility

• The climatic chamber has an operating temperature capability of between -40°C and +50°C (independent of outside ambient temperature).
• An upcoming 150kW Heavy Vehicle Charging station will be accessible while inside the chamber.
• Vehicles can be tested on an integrated, adjustable, high-performance, three-axis 1,000 HP chassis dynamometer.
• The Chassis Dynamometer has the ability to regenerate the power it produces back into the overall chamber power load.

Additional Capabilities

• Additional research equipment and instrumentation includes portable emissions test equipment, data loggers, a biodiesel refinery, a 7.7KW Level 2 AC charging station, a 30KW DC quick charger, specialized battery testers, tools and protective equipment required for testing electric vehicle batteries.
• A secondary use is for the aerospace-related applications requiring access to a temperature-controlled test environment.

“Canada has long been a hub for cold weather transport testing. Now it’s becoming an incubator for technologies that test alternative fuels and high-efficiency vehicles in extreme environments. At Red River College Polytechnic in Winnipeg, researchers are helping global companies warm up to a brighter cleantech future by investing in Canada.”
– The Hill, Global Lenses: Canada series