FEV opens tech centre in Pune

Leading independent powertrain R&D and consulting firm FEV opened a technical centre in Pune last fortnight, its fifth in the world. Engineering responsibility for Indian projects that has traditionally been held by headquarters will now increasingly be shifted to this centre. FEV has invested five million euros so far in developing its Talegaon site, and expects an annual turnover of 10–15 million euros from operations here in the next few years. The company provides concept-to-production support to automotive OEMs and commercial engine manufacturers, and is able to deliver turnkey engine projects, starting with clean-sheet design and culminating in startup of the production facility, in just three years, president and CEO Stefan Pischinger told a press conference in Pune. It is also a frontrunner in hybrid powertrains, and developed the diesel-electric drive for Mahindra’s Hybrid Scorpio that debuted at Auto Expo 2006, he said. At the inauguration of the technical centre on July 2, Stefan’s father and FEV founder Prof. Franz Pischinger was on hand to cut the ceremonial ribbon, signifying the startup of the first of six test benches that constitute Phase 1 of construction. The junior Pischinger said this capacity had already been “sold out”, requiring the company to expand sooner than it had originally envisaged. In the near term this will entail the addition of six more engine and powertrain test benches. An attached office building presently houses 48 engineers, all trained at FEV’s world headquarters in Aachen. This number will go up to 70 by the end of the year. Future expansions on the five-acre plot will add two more similar facilities, making for a total capacity of 36 test benches, plus a building for chassis development and vehicle integration. The test equipment largely consists of FEV’s own test systems, including combustion and emissions analysers, conditioning systems, and data acquisition rigs. These form an additional line of business for FEV’s Indian subsidiary in Delhi, which integrates these systems with bought-in mechanical assemblies to set up test facilities for clients. According to MD Sushil Berry, FEV India has already established four test benches in the three years since it was set up. The company is also advanced in research into exhaust aftertreatment systems, Franz Pischinger said. Half of FEV’s business worldwide at the moment consists of engine development for trucks to meet the impending EPA 2010 and Euro 6 emissions regulations.