German 
English 
French 
Walk-in Test Chambers: The “Polar Gatekeepers” of NEV Quality
As the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry advances at full throttle, a silent battle is unfolding inside test labs. Behind each EV that starts effortlessly at -40°C and runs stably at 70°C lies the rigorous testing defense built by walk-in chambers. These seemingly ordinary metal boxes are becoming the ultimate proving ground for NEV quality.
Extreme Condition Proving Grounds: The “Alchemical Furnace” of NEV Reliability
Power batteries experience a 40% capacity drop at -30°C, motor windings suffer insulation degradation under high temperatures, and solder joints of electronic components crack under thermal shock… These alarming data reveal the harsh environmental challenges NEVs must withstand. Walk-in chambers simulate extreme global climate conditions with precision, building a test matrix that spans from -70°C to 150°C.
In terms of test protocol design, GB/T 31467 Test Specifications for Lithium-ion Battery Packs and Systems for Electric Vehicles requires battery systems to pass 12 rigorous environmental tests. A domestic brand’s latest battery pack was placed in a walk-in chamber for 48 hours of -40°C cold storage, then successfully completed a ramp-up from -40°C to 25°C within 30 minutes—validating the reliability of its low-temperature thermal management system.
Multidimensional Testing Systems: Addressing the “Achilles’ Heel” of NEVs
For power batteries—the core component—walk-in chambers build a safety net through multi-phase testing: verifying electrolyte fluidity at -40°C, testing separator thermal stability at 55°C, and simulating day-night temperature fluctuations through 1,000 thermal cycles. One automaker’s solid-state battery project maintained 95% capacity retention after 2,000 thermal cycles.
Full-vehicle level tests present even more complex scenarios. A next-generation carmaker, during development of its heat pump HVAC system, used a walk-in chamber to simulate abrupt temperature changes from -30°C to 50°C. After 300 cycles of thermal shock testing, the system’s heating efficiency degradation was controlled within 15% under extreme conditions.
Technological Evolution: The “Genetic Mutation” of Intelligent Test Equipment
The fifth-generation walk-in chamber now achieves 0.01°C temperature control precision and ±0.5°C temperature uniformity. Through multi-zone independent temperature control, a gradient temperature field can be constructed in a single space, simulating thermal differentials among components while the vehicle is in motion. A joint venture brand used this feature in motor testing to simulate a 15°C temperature difference between stator windings and the bearing area.
The introduction of digital twin technology marks a new testing era. Tesla’s virtual test platform synchronizes physical chamber data with digital models in real time, enabling 70% of validations to be conducted in the digital domain.
DHT® Walk-in Chambers: The “European Standard Answer” for High-Precision Testing
Among many testing solutions, DHT® (Duohe Test) walk-in chambers have become the preferred choice for NEV testing, thanks to the combined strengths of European technology and Chinese manufacturing:
-
Military-grade Performance Assurance
-
Temperature range from -70°C to +180°C and humidity control accuracy of ±1.5%RH meet the extreme testing needs of power batteries and energy storage systems.
-
Equipped with German BOCK compressors and Finnish VAISALA sensors, enabling 720 hours of continuous operation with no performance degradation and a failure rate below 0.3%.
-
-
Intelligent Operation Experience
-
A 10.1-inch industrial-grade touchscreen supports storage of 1,000 program steps. With a remote monitoring system, unattended operation is achievable.
-
The proprietary fresh-air system (0.7m³/s) is specially designed for EV cold starts, simulating high-altitude, low-pressure environments.
-
-
Full Lifecycle Service
-
Modular design supports future upgrades (e.g., salt spray and sand-dust composite testing modules).
-
A nationwide 48-hour emergency response network offers value-added services such as CNAS laboratory construction consulting.
-
From Lab to Global Market: A “Quality Passport” for NEVs
Walk-in chambers are not only the gatekeepers of product quality but also accelerators of technological innovation. As NEVs evolve toward longer ranges and higher safety, selecting high-precision, intelligent, and scalable test equipment like DHT® will be key for companies to break through technical barriers and seize early market advantage. In the future, the deep integration of virtual and physical testing will further drive the performance evolution of NEVs under extreme conditions.