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.
7,000 ft²
Research Facility
The amount of space available for research at MotiveLab™.
$10M
Capital Acquisition
The amount of additional facilities and equipment available to industry.
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
