DEKRA's test site in Arnhem has been extended with a new Open Area Test Site (OATS)
DEKRA extends test centre in Arnhem with Open Area Test Site
Watch the aftermovie here
According to D66 alderman Nermina Kundić, whose portfolio includes economy, mobility and sustainability, the expansion of the test centre is not only an important step for DEKRA, but also for Arnhem. "The history of DEKRA in Arnhem goes back almost one hundred years. Arnhem is the electricity capital of the Netherlands. There are many large companies and knowledge institutes in the region that are involved in the energy transition. All the innovations that are developed must also be safe. And DEKRA plays a very important role in this. I am therefore enormously pleased and proud that I can open this new test location today."
"In 2030, all new cars in the Netherlands must be fully electric. If we want to achieve this, big steps have to be taken. There is a need for many charging stations and many electric vehicles. And all this technology has to be tested beforehand," emphasises Bram Holtus, Managing Director of DEKRA Certification B.V. "The expansion of the test centre to include an outdoor location, where - for example - large electric vehicles can be tested, is an important step for DEKRA. It means we can now help our customers even better during the development, testing and certification of their innovations."
An Open Area Test Site is a flat outdoor location covered by a metal ground surface with no reflective or absorbent surfaces on the site, explains Sedat Eser, Business Area Director EMC&Wireless at DEKRA Certification. The OATS is used to perform research on and reference measurements of radiated electric and magnetic fields according to international or national EMC standards at specified distances.
One stop shop for all tests
"The design of the OATS makes it suitable for testing any kind of product, but especially for large equipment and vehicles that due to their size or weight normally cannot be tested in our semi-anechoic chambers," says Eser. "This expansion enables us to meet our customers' requirements to also test large and heavy devices. Thanks to this location, close to our laboratory with indoor testing facilities, we can offer manufacturers a one-stop shop for all their testing requirements."
With nearly one hundred years of experience in the automotive industry and a strong track record in the area of electrical testing, DEKRA is an ideal partner for all aspects of testing electric vehicles and related technology such as charging stations, batteries and components. DEKRA's services and support in the area of electric vehicle testing include electrical safety tests, conformity tests, functional safety tests, EMC tests, communication protocol tests (for charging stations) and cybersecurity tests. The expansion of DEKRA's test centre is part of its ongoing response to the rapid growth of e-mobility and the importance of sustainability.
Keynote André Kuipers
After the official opening, there was a keynote speech by André Kuipers. The ESA astronaut, who has two space missions to his name, spoke enthusiastically about the importance of developing new technology and the major role space plays in innovating new solutions and products. The key focus of his speech was the importance of careful and extensive testing of innovations and new products. Without it, the consequences can be major — if not disastrous. And that is certainly not only true in space.
After Kuipers' presentation, visitors to the customer day were given a look behind the scenes at DEKRA. Various demo test set-ups were on display, including in the field of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, cyber security, energy storage systems, drone testing and EMC and RF testing. Experts from DEKRA gave explanations about the various test items.