Canadian, U.S. Vehicle Test Centers to Partner on Research

The Canadian Ministry of Transport’s Motor Vehicle Test and Research Center near Montreal says it is forming a partnership with the Transportation Research Center (TRC) in East Liberty, Ohio, to cooperate on advanced research, vehicle testing and industry standards.

The collaboration will allow the two facilities to share resources and provide international carmakers and suppliers complete testing and consulting services to meet North American standards, according to the partners. They also will work with regional partners in China, France, India, Mexico and southeast Asia on homologation standards.

The partnership will allow each facility to specialize in certain areas and avoid redundant investments. The Canadian complex, which is operated by PMG Technologies Inc., is said to have stronger crash testing and electric vehicle/hybrid capabilities as well as more overseas contacts; TRC is better at on-track and emissions testing.

Transport Canada also will take the lead on next-generation automated driving technologies. The agency is investing $17 million at the Montreal site to build a new research and test center for connected and autonomous vehicle technologies.

PMG was formed as a spinoff of Transport Canada in 1996 to manage the Montreal facility, which was opened in 1977 on the site of a former World War II munitions complex. The 1,350-acre facility employs about 75 engineers and technicians, including 25 who have been added in the last three years. The location conducts some 200 crash tests per year and claims to have the most accurate crash testing in the world—with a car-to-car impact point accuracy of 25 mm compared with 300-400 mm for other facilities, according to PMG.

TRC conducts compliance tests for carmakers, suppliers and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at its 4,500-acre proving ground. It was opened in the 1960s as an offshoot of Ohio State University’s engineering school.