BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

Jaguar Land Rover has just opened a new, world-class winter testing facility in International Falls, Minnesota. Craig Hopkins, Team Leader for Jaguar Land Rover US Test Operations explains what goes on during a -40◦F day.

Why International Falls?

It’s known to be one of the coldest places in the continental US. In January and February, temperatures will usually drop to around - 40◦F, though I think the record is -55◦F. That kind of extreme temperature is vital for real-world testing of our latest powertrains and climate control systems. We also have history here - Land Rover did cold weather testing in the area back in the ’80s.

As Jaguar recently unveiled Instinctive All Wheel Drive™ technology for XF and XJ, it’s also hugely beneficial to have a winter testing facility in the U.S. to utilize and test out our latest models. In the northern half of the United States, more than 80% of Jaguar’s competitors’ luxury sedan sales are All Wheel Drive equipped and more than 90% have either All Wheel Drive or V6 power. With Instinctive All Wheel Drive™, Jaguar will now be competing in a luxury marketplace that is up to 10 times larger and will transform the relevance of this iconic brand and business potential in the U.S.

Talk about the new Jaguar Land Rover facility

The main building features a giant cold box. Imagine a massive domestic freezer that can accommodate nine vehicles. We can essentially freeze vehicles overnight to controlled temperatures. The engineering teams from the UK will then perform cold-start tests and a/c system evaluations. The beauty of the facility is that we also have access to a long test track right alongside the building which we use for performance testing.

How many months of the year is the facility open?

We’re open for business for four months; essentially from mid-November to mid-March. Usually teams of 12 or so engineers will be working on rotation at the facility. The day will usually start at around 6 a.m. when the climate control engineers come in and head straight out into the frigid Minnesota countryside to do their tests.

What kind of tests does the facility carry out?

It’s a really long list. We’ll have two separate teams here at the same time, one powertrain team, the other climate control. The climate control guys have it tough because they’re getting into frigid-cold cars. They’re timing how long it takes to defrost windshields and side windows; how quickly warm air comes through the vents and how hot the air blows.

How do the test vehicles get to International Falls?

Time is of the real essence in any vehicle development program. We can’t afford to have test vehicles sitting in a container on a ship for weeks on end, so they’re flown from the UK into Chicago - at a cost of around $20,000 each way - then trucked the 640 miles to the test center.

What’s your role at the testing facility?

My role is essentially running all of Jaguar Land Rover’s US test facilities. In addition to International Falls, we have facilities in Phoenix, Death Valley, and Colorado. One of my jobs is to buy the fuel - of course we can’t go to the local gas station in International Falls and fill-up; you just can’t guarantee the quality - so we buy and ship-in what’s called ‘Reference Fuel’ which has a known, consistent formula. That’s the good news; the bad news is that it costs around $23 a gallon.

Why does Jaguar Land Rover need to test vehicles in such extreme conditions?

For our owners in every place where temperatures plummet during winter-time, it’s providing the knowledge that their vehicle is going to fire-up first time and run perfectly even though it’s -40◦F outside.