E-Paper
ARAI showcases achievements in mobility domain on 58th annual day
The proposed facilities at ARAI’s new mobility research centre (MRC) in Takwe include the ADAS smart city test track, cylinder test facilities and certification centre, hydrogen test facility, and high energy impact test (HEIT) facility
The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) – an autonomous body with the ministry of heavy industries, Government of India, for close to six decades – on its 58th annual day on December 10 showcased its achievements in the mobility domain and its contribution in making the industry safe, smart and sustainable through various activities like certification, standard formulation, and development of technology solutions through research and development.
The proposed facilities at ARAI’s new mobility research centre (MRC) in Takwe include the ADAS smart city test track, cylinder test facilities and certification centre, hydrogen test facility, and high energy impact test (HEIT) facility. The HEIT facility (ISO 17025 accredited) will be the first of its kind in India/Asia. Also, MRC will be the first of its kind in the country to enable cylinder manufacturers to test products indigenously to support ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. An advanced battery safety testing facility is also being established at ARAI’s Chakan centre to ensure the safety of electric vehicles in India as per futuristic standards.
ARAI, in the recent past, has undertaken various research and development projects in the domain of electric vehicles, autonomous driving and engine development. Some of these projects prominently include: AC/DC charging station, LEV AC charge point, acoustic vehicle alerting system (AVAS), battery management systems, drive-by-wire platform, 600 hp engine, seat validation, BS-VI HCV CNG engines for heavy duty application, lightweight aluminium extrusion profiles, dummy kinematics assessment based on ergonomics (SIZE India – Indian anthropometry database), hydrogen PEM based electric 3W for range extension, battery management system (BMS) training trainer kit and diesel engines for tractor application. ARAI has established an alternate fuel centre to cater to alternative fuels like methanol, hydrogen, HCNG, DME, ethanol, LNG, bio-CNG, biodiesel, bio-CNG, diesel-CNG in addition to CNG and LPG.
Reji Mathai, director, ARAI, on the occasion said, “We at ARAI constantly endeavour to address the growing requirements of the automotive industry. The transformation has been the essence of ARAI’s progress. Apart from automotive, ARAI is also diversifying and offering its services to the aerospace and railway sectors.”
“ARAI offers various platforms such as TechNovuss (technology innovation platform), ARAI-AMTIF - a section 8 company of ARAI, along with a technical support cell for providing service support to MSMEs and startups. Skill development is one of the prime objectives of ARAI; through the ARAI Academy, we conduct various programmes for students and industry professionals. We try to disseminate research knowledge through our flagship event SIAT. Initiatives like mobility hackathons and BAJA are also vital tools for us to promote innovation,” he said.
Established on December 10, 1966, ARAI has grown from a testing agency to a technology deployment research organisation. ARAI offers integrated services spanning three areas – research and development, certification, and skill development. Some of the recently established facilities at ARAI are the airbag deployment facility, advanced accelerated sled, advanced photometry and optics laboratory, and advanced noise vibration and harshness development centre. To promote vehicular safety with global standards, ARAI is equipped with comprehensive facilities for the evaluation of vehicles as per new car assessment programme (NCAP) protocols.
