Auburn University in Alabama has approved $15m for a vehicle research and innovation laboratory to address challenges faced by transit vehicle manufacturers.

The Auburn University (www.auburn.edu) board of trustees approved the beginning phases of the $15m research lab for the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

The laboratory will act as a testing facility to address problems faced by transit vehicle manufacturers in adopting low- or no-emissions technologies. The project will have a multi-axle dynamometer, designed for full-sized transit vehicles within an environmental chamber, along with areas for component and engine testing, data analytical space, and general office space.

Mario Eden, dean of engineering, said the design plans for the facility were underway.

“This lab is going to allow us to make transit vehicles more efficient, with increased levels of safety and reduced emissions,” Eden said. “Our research and expertise in this area is another example of how Auburn Engineering is addressing pressing issues with real-world solutions.”

The lab will be financed in part by a $14m grant from the US Federal Transit Administration. The facility will facilitate research on commercial vehicles, such as trucks and transit vehicles, along with components that are used in those vehicles.

The board of trustees also selected David Baker Architects of Birmingham, Alabama, as the project architect for the laboratory. The location of the lab has not yet been selected.