Auburn Hills, Mich. – Where in North America can you go from testing the 4×4 capabilities of a 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk at minus 40 degrees with snow whipping by at 100 mph, while at the same time baking a Renegade Limited just a few steps away at 130 degrees?

Answer: The Chrysler Technology Center (CTC) at the FCA US headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich.

FCA US LLC is using its all-new 4×4 dynamometer (dyno) at CTC to bring another industry-leading capability in house. The existing drive cell that houses the new dyno can be chilled to 40 below zero and create wind speeds up to 100 mph. Testing is done in blizzard-like conditions in order to evaluate, among other things, how a vehicle performs when dense snow clogs its air intakes.

FCA US invested $2.5 million to upgrade the existing climatic test cell. The upgraded drive cell consists of a new front dyno that can handle loads of up to 350 horsepower with a rear dyno operating up to 650 horsepower. The cell also received a significant upgrade in ductwork and exhaust capabilities to accommodate high-output engines such as the 2016 Ram 2500’s 6.7-liter Cummins High-Output Turbo Diesel with a segment-topping 900 lb.-ft. of torque.

“Our world-class environmental test center provides dynamic and static testing conditions to simulate the climatic environments that are experienced by our customers around the world,” said John Nigro, Vice President-Product Development, FCA-North America. “With more 4×4 and all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicles in our fleet than ever, this investment will go a long way to providing the durable cars and trucks our customers expect from us.”

FCA’s Climatic Test Facilities are used to simulate and control environmental conditions. The climatic cells are capable of simulating the most frigid conditions in mid-winter to the extreme heat of the Gulf Coast countries. Development in climatic chambers allows FCA to design and develop products to survive the harshest environments.

The extreme climate test is one of thousands performed daily at CTC, located at the FCA US headquarters. It is the auto industry’s only headquarters building where a vehicle design can go from a napkin sketch to production prototype to advertising campaign – and everything in between – under one roof.

CTC’s 5.4 million square feet of floor space makes it the largest headquarters of any kind in North America, except for the Pentagon. Among its features:

–   The aerodynamics testing facility generates the highest wind speeds (160+ mph) of any domestic OEM’s wind tunnel
–    Its 129 dynamometer cells run 24 hours a day, seven days a week
–    The facility has been running 24/7 since it opened in 1991
–    CTC’s current employment numbers (14,000+) represent its historic peak
–   The site produces no landfill waste