Ricardo Forms Electrified Propulsion Group

As the development of new products based on hybrid and electrified propulsion systems gathers pace, the U.K. company Ricardo has announced a new group to serve several sectors including commercial and off-highway vehicles.

The Shoreham-by-Sea, England-headquartered engineering and environmental consultancy has created the new Ricardo Global Automotive Group.

“With the rapid increase in electrified powertrains and autonomous vehicle operation, these strong synergies are a particular and unique strength for Ricardo — and one that will enable us to provide a competitive edge to our automotive clients in an increasingly technology-driven market,” said Ricardo Chief Executive Officer Dave Shemmans.

The group will serve customers in four key market sectors: passenger cars and high-performance vehicles; commercial and off-highway vehicles; motorcycles, and industrial and defense vehicles. Defence is one of the sectors the new Group will serve. 

Ricardo, which has 48 offices and technical centers worldwide and 2900 employees, said that the overall vehicular industry “is arguably facing a situation of more profound technological change than at almost any point in its history.”

 The regulatory imperatives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, increase fuel economy, reduce noxious exhaust emissions and improve air quality — especially in the world’s urban centers — are providing a significant impetus for product innovation. In parallel with this, the rapid emergence of autonomous vehicle technology and of new models of shared transportation are spurring completely new entrants to the market, the company said.

Ricardo said it is well placed “to assist the existing automotive manufacturers and their supply chains, and equally well positioned to work with new electrified vehicle producers and technology companies attempting to gain traction within the automotive sector.”

The new organization will include the operations of the company’s automotive teams based at its technical centers in Europe, China and North America. In the United States there are centers in Chicago, Ill.; Detroit, Mich.; and Santa Clara, Calif.  Throughout Europe there are several centers including bases in Prague, Czech Republic and Turin, Italy, and also in the U.K. such as Shoreham-by-Sea and Derby, England. In China, technical centers include one located in Shanghai.

Ricardo said the global integration and coordination in the new group, which will be headquartered at Shoreham-by-Sea, will enable the company to “seamlessly deliver” large, technically challenging programmes using an international team.

“In configuring this new automotive-focused organization, we are able to align our technologies, development resources and team in a manner that is best suited to the needs of our customers, from the established players to new market entrants,” said Mark Garrett, Ricardo chief operating officer and head of the new division.

“By this means, we are ready both to help our customers with the most exacting challenges they face today, as well as helping them prepare for the cleaner, more electrified, technology-rich future of transportation.”