Around 50 million euros were invested in the competence center for truck development work - including a new test bench building for system and complete vehicle tests and an office and workshop building. An additional 20 million euros were invested in the ultra-modern truck chassis dynamometer for comprehensive testing of Mercedes-Benz trucks in real time. The facility is another key component of the Mercedes-Benz Truck Testing Campus and was put into operation in 2019.

Stefan Buchner: "The new development and testing capacities perfectly complement the activities of our truck production in Wörth. By bundling the scope of development, Mercedes-Benz Trucks' largest site is becoming even more important and offers attractive, long-term job security in the Southern Palatinate."

Prof. Dr. Uwe Baake, Head of Product Development Mercedes-Benz Trucks, adds: "Our new truck chassis dynamometer is one of the most modern in Europe. Thanks to its precise driving simulation for conventional and alternative drivetrains, we have taken tests and measurements off the road and into the test hall, making an important contribution to sustainability and relieving congestion on public roads."

Malu Dreyer: "The state government is very aware of the importance of the automotive industry for the Rhineland-Palatinate economy. It has grown to become one of the most important industries in the state. For me and my state government, one thing is certain: together with manufacturers and research clusters, we want to make the commercial vehicle industry in the state a winner of the digital transformation."

Dr. Volker Wissing adds: "Rhineland-Palatinate is increasingly becoming the pacemaker for new developments in the vehicle industry. Whether autonomous driving, new drives or state-of-the-art test areas - innovations are being made in Rhineland-Palatinate. The investments made by companies show that the conditions in Rhineland-Palatinate are excellent. We can look to the future with optimism. The development work carried out here will secure Rhineland-Palatinate a place as a permanent fixture in the vehicle industry in the long term."

"With the commissioning of the expanded development and testing center, over 100 additional attractive jobs will be anchored in Wörth. Most of the positions in Wörth will also be newly filled. They therefore offer attractive job opportunities, as we are bringing state-of-the-art and future-oriented technologies to our site," says Thomas Zwick. "The new workstations are also highly interesting from other points of view: the design of the new premises takes into account the individual activities of our colleagues and focuses on the resulting needs of people. The aspect of 'ergonomics at the workplace' has also been consistently taken into account."

The Development and Test Center (EVZ) is the competence center for the development work of Mercedes-Benz Trucks and plays a role in the development and testing of networked, automated and electric driving.

In June 2008, the ECC was opened in the immediate vicinity of the Wörth production plant, enabling very close cooperation between development and production. The proximity to production offers clear advantages, for example in procurement/parts logistics or cooperation with the work preparation workshop (link between development and production). By bundling the scope of development in Wörth, significant synergy effects are realized.

The ECC has rough tracks and various road profiles that replicate the roads of the world. In this way, the same conditions can be created for test vehicles as exist in South America, South Korea, Africa and Europe, for example. The ECC also includes a driveway with inclination angles of up to 49 percent for functional testing. The ECC also has office, workshop and service areas, which also house test benches for truck component tests, for example.

From the road to the rollers: Sustainable and ultra-modern implementation of test scopes at Mercedes-Benz Trucks

In addition to the opening, Prof. Dr. Uwe Baake presented one of the most modern truck chassis dynamometers in Europe. In 24/7 operation, powertrains ranging from classic diesel drives, gas engines and hybrid drives to battery-electric and fuel cell drives can be simulated on the test bench under realistic driving conditions and developed to series maturity.

Instead of on public roads, measured test drives or legally prescribed test cycles are now carried out automatically and very precisely in the test hall using a driving simulation. The truck is connected to the test bench computer via a control line and all the necessary functions are controlled from there. This means that many complex fuel consumption measurements, which were previously carried out exclusively on the road, can be carried out on the test bench under comparable boundary conditions and with even greater repeat accuracy. Mercedes-Benz Trucks thus makes a significant contribution to sustainable transportation.

The test bench has a large air blower with an air flow of over 800,000 m³/hour, which corresponds to a maximum inflow speed of 90 km/h. The entire test chamber can be continuously adjusted in the temperature range from -7°C to +50°C to represent extreme ambient conditions.

Various vehicle combinations with up to four driven axles can be driven on the new test bench. The tractor unit stands in the test hall on four drums with a diameter of three meters. Each roller is fitted with a large, water-cooled electric motor with an output of 600 kW. These electric machines enable the simulation of all driving resistances that act on the vehicle from the outside during real driving. This includes, for example, extreme uphill driving under full load with maximum payload or braking during downhill driving. The speeds that can be driven on the test bench cover all maximum speeds permitted on freeways in Europe.