Vehicle test specialist opens offices in Japan and Detroit

Automotive test systems specialist AB Dynamics has opened new offices in Detroit and Japan.

The opening of the Detroit office – at the heart of the US automotive industry – follows the recent acquisition of Dynamic Research Incorporated.

It will enable AB Dynamics to provide additional product support, engineering and manufacturing capabilities for the company’s range of driving robots that can drive cars on testing tracks, driving simulators, and soft crash targets that can be used to test vehicles’ resilience under crash conditions without damaging them irreparably.

Phil DeBerry, who will manage AB Dynamics Inc, said: “On the back of the increasing demand for high-quality automotive test and verification equipment in the US we’re delighted to open an office in the Midwestern USA and are well placed to support future growth in this important market.”

The group has also opened an office in Yokohama, Japan – one of the major markets for its automotive testing products.

Koichiro Munemura has been appointed as managing director of AB Dynamics GK. The firm will will take on full and exclusive responsibility for future sales of AB Dynamics’ products in Japan and will also provide first-line after-sales and support services to the Japanese customer base, utilising existing AB Dynamics employees already based in Japan.

AB Dynamics’ CEO Dr James Routh said: “Japan is one of the automotive powerhouses and is home to some of the world’s leading OEMs and Tier 1s. We are continuing our strategy of locating regional offices within our key markets, and this will allow us to develop closer relationships with our key customers in Japan.”

Bradford on Avon-based AB Dynamics was founded in 1982 as a vehicle engineering consultancy. Today the company is one of the world’s most trusted suppliers of automotive test systems, with clients including the the top 25 global vehicle manufacturers, all seven Euro NCAP laboratories, and numerous government test authorities.

Last year the firm opened new offices in Frankfurt.

Worldwide around £65 billion a year is spent by the motor industry on research and development to make cars safer and more comfortable.