HORIBA MIRA relies on ChargePoint to keep EVs on track

About HORIBA MIRA

HORIBA MIRA is a global provider of automotive engineering, research and test services, with 75 years of experience in developing some of the world’s most iconic vehicles. Working in collaboration with vehicle manufacturers and suppliers around the world, they provide comprehensive support ranging from technology development and individual product tests through to full-vehicle design, development and build programmes.

Whilst traditionally known for its vehicle test services – including over 40 major facilities and more than 60 miles of Proving Ground – HORIBA MIRA is so much more than this. Over the last ten years it has invested heavily in the evolution of its engineering capability and in the development of MIRA Technology Park, Europe’s leading mobility R&D location for developing the latest automotive technology. The unique combination of engineering expertise, advanced testing facilities and prime location of MIRA Technology Park in the heart of the UK automotive industry, enables customers to develop and validate their technology, or vehicle, in one place.

What they needed

For more than 75 years, HORIBA MIRA has been committed to providing its clients with access to the latest engineering, test and research capabilities. With the growth of electric vehicles (EVs), the company has been investing in advanced and versatile new facilities to accelerate its clients’ automotive electrification projects.

HORIBA MIRA saw a need to provide fast-charging stations onsite to complement its proving ground facilities and support customer development programmes. The charging stations needed to work with a wide range of vehicle types and models, providing customers with the ability to charge their vehicles quickly and efficiently.

To offer best-in-class EV competencies to its clients, HORIBA MIRA wanted a charging partner that could provide a scalable, networked, turnkey solution with back-end data and analytics.

What ChargePoint offered

The ChargePoint UK team presented the Express 250, which is specially engineered to fast charge current and next-generation electric cars, buses and trucks. In addition, they proposed the Alpitronic Hypercharger range of fast DC chargers, which integrate with the ChargePoint Operator Network. The charging stations' minimal moving parts increase reliability while minimising maintenance. And the modular components can be installed in the field without any specialised tools or expertise.

“ChargePoint pulled out all the stops to monitor the installation and activation of the Express 250 and hypercharger stations,” Mark Rogers, Facilities and Maintenance Manager at HORIBA MIRA said. ChargePoint Activation and Configuration services ensure the stations are configured to the company’s charging policies and access control settings for customers and employees. The cloud-based, centralised station management and turnkey offering also provides better control and reduces operational costs.

How the ChargePoint solution helped

Future-proof investment
Because universal compatibility is key for HORIBA MIRA’s proving ground, the charging stations support battery packs from 200V to 1000V. The company’s initial investment in charging infrastructure will serve both legacy and future electric vehicles, in addition to supporting current and future connectors. The ChargePoint solution also easily scales, allowing for additional charging stations to be connected as needed.

Greater customer experience
The Express 250 and hypercharger stations’ seamless integration to the ChargePoint Cloud Dashboard, the ChargePoint mobile app, vehicle in-dash systems and radio-frequency identification (RFID) cards provide flexibility in charging options while offering premium services to HORIBA MIRA’s customers and employees. “ChargePoint makes charging a pleasure by giving users real-time station availability and lets them ‘get in line’ for charging spots with the waitlist functionality,” Rogers said.

Cloud-based station management
The industry-leading ChargePoint cloud-based management solution lets the proving ground monitor the stations remotely, tailor pricing to different driver groups, and configure power to manage power costs and meet site-specific power requirements.

Fast-charging capabilities
The Express 250 and Alpitronic hypercharger stations’ fast charging capabilities offer a speedier turnover. Because they charge more rapidly than slow charging stations, fast charging solutions can recharge many more vehicles over the course of a day, serving more customers and employees.

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