Supporting EV battery validation under extreme temperature conditions
by Rasmus Nørgaard
For electric vehicle manufacturers, battery performance needs to be validated under the conditions vehicles may face in the real world. For Chery Automobile, this meant testing battery performance under both extreme heat and extreme cold at the same location.
The challenge was to create a controlled low-temperature environment in the field while testing it alongside the natural extreme heat of Turpan, without building permanent test infrastructure.
The challenge
Chery Automobile is a major Chinese vehicle manufacturer involved in the research, development, production and sales of fuel and new energy passenger vehicles. Its battery R&D and verification teams conduct temperature testing to generate performance data before new vehicles enter mass production.
For one project in Turpan, the team needed to conduct synchronous testing under two extreme temperature conditions:
- Natural ground temperatures reaching approximately +75°C under direct sunlight
- Controlled temperatures down to -40°C
Existing fixed environmental chambers at the factory could provide controlled temperatures, but they could not be transported to the outdoor test location. This meant they could not support direct comparison between the natural extreme heat in Turpan and controlled extreme cold at the same site.
Without a mobile solution, the customer would have had to conduct the high- and low-temperature tests separately, limiting the ability to make direct comparisons and potentially affecting the completeness of the battery performance data.
The solution
TITAN provided a 20ft ArcticStore for the Turpan test site.
The ArcticStore created a controlled low-temperature environment down to -40°C, operating alongside the natural extreme heat outside. This enabled Chery’s team to conduct comparative testing under real outdoor heat and controlled extreme cold at the same location.
The containerised solution could be transported directly to the outdoor test site without permanent construction. With a suitable site and power supply available, the unit could be deployed quickly and brought into operation on the day of delivery.
The ArcticStore also supported continuous operation during the intensive testing period, fitting within the customer’s tight five-day testing and commercial filming schedule.
The result
The solution enabled Chery to conduct synchronous comparative testing of natural extreme heat and controlled extreme cold at the Turpan test site.
The project enabled:
- Testing alongside natural outdoor temperatures reaching approximately +75°C
- Controlled low-temperature testing down to -40°C
- Completion of testing and commercial filming within a five-day project window
- 24/7 operation during the intensive testing period
- Elimination of the need for permanent test infrastructure at the remote location
- Greater flexibility in battery testing for new vehicle development
By bringing controlled low-temperature testing capability directly to the field, the solution allowed Chery to conduct its testing programme without being limited by the location of its permanent laboratory infrastructure.
Supporting the development of new energy vehicles
As automotive manufacturers continue to develop electric vehicles for increasingly diverse climates, battery validation needs to reflect real-world operating conditions.
This project demonstrates how mobile temperature-controlled infrastructure can extend testing capabilities beyond the factory environment, supporting vehicle development where specialised testing is required.
