Ricardo Opens New Power Electronics and Vehicle Laboratories in California

With Silicon Valley rapidly becoming the new capital of automotive technology and innovation in North America, Ricardo is further investing in facilities at its Santa Clara Technical Center, enabling the company to support its clients with the latest in electrified and autonomous vehicle design and development projects. 

The state of California – and Silicon Valley in particular – is increasingly attracting automakers establishing local advanced technology and R&D activities, in addition to many technology start-ups and completely new market entrants drawn from outside the traditional ecosystem of automotive development. The core focus of this activity is upon the transition away from mechanically biased powertrains based on traditional fully manual control and fossil-based fuels, to electrified architectures and autonomous driving capabilities.

Ricardo’s Santa Clara Technical Center is already a key partner providing new automotive technology and innovation to customers in California, such as Peloton Technology. “Improved driver safety is one of the cornerstones of driver-assistive truck platooning and Ricardo’s expertise in vehicle safety has been invaluable to Peloton as we apply the best industry standards to our commercial-grade trucking technology,” says Dr. Josh Switkes, Founder and CEO of Peloton Technology. “Ricardo’s expanded footprint in Silicon Valley enables us to work together even more effectively. Through our partnership with Ricardo, we are using industry-leading best practices to bring enhanced safety and performance to our driver-assistive truck platooning system.”

The new investment in power electronics and vehicle build facilities at its Santa Clara Technical Center further underscores Ricardo’s commitment to supporting and catalyzing innovation in the next generation of clean, electrified and increasingly autonomous vehicles.

“We are very pleased to open our electrification and vehicle laboratory in Silicon Valley,” comments Ricardo Inc. President Paul Rivera. “These new facilities build upon our already well-equipped base in California, and will enable us to support our west coast clients with services from hardware- and software-in-the-loop testing through to full vehicle development builds for advanced driver assistance and autonomous vehicle systems. We look forward to using our expanded capability in California, to provide engineering expertise and innovative solutions, as we help our clients to shape the future of mobility.”