Africa is preparing to open its first automotive development and testing centre, with operations scheduled to begin in the second half of 2021. The facility is a joint venture between FEV, a provider of vehicle and powertrain development for hardware and software, and UTAC CERAM, an independent service provider in all areas of land transport.
The centre will be situated in Oued Zem in Morocco, 150km south-east of Casablanca. The facility will include a full range of capabilities including vehicle dynamics development and testing; endurance and reliability tests on rigs and test tracks; coastdown tests on a 4km track (unique in Europe and Africa); rigs for powertrain development; acoustics development and testing; pedestrian impact development and testing; real driving emissions (RDE) cycles; ADAS development, validation and testing; and driver training / event planning services.
Since the launch of its Industrial Acceleration Plan (IAP) in April 2014, Morocco has been implementing a sustainable development strategy for various industries and hopes to become a global hub for the automotive industry.
“Morocco has not only been our gateway to Africa, but also to our European customers ever since we opened our engineering office in Casablanca in 2018”, said Nadim Andraos, EVP for FEV in France, Spain and North Africa. “The country provides great access base to other regions, with a quick connection to Europe, which means we are able to develop genuine synergies. Through our cooperation with UTAC CERAM we’ll take the next logical step.”
