Welcome to the Automotive Research Centre.

 

The Centre was established by the University of Bradford in January 2010 to build on the School of Engineering, Design, & Technology's research expertise in Mechanical Engineering, bringing together staff knowledge, expertise and experience over a broad range of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering related topics with a focus on CO₂ reduction in the road transport sector. The Centre has recently completed an extensive investment programme to provide a unique set of world class experimental facilities with associated instrumentation, hardware, and software for Automotive Engineering research including Engines, Powertrain, Quality, Design, Modelling, Simulation, and Manufacturing.

Alongside our academic research, we work with industry on a wide range of research and 'knowledge transfer' projects mainly associated with automotive engineering, systems, and manufacturing. We have found over 25 years that much of our work has application in other industries where efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and optimisation are business drivers. Our partners over the years have included Ford, Cummins Turbo Technologies, Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors European Technical Centre, BAE Systems, Honda R&D (Europe), MCB International, BP, and many more.

We also provide university-based and in-house short courses for companies who are looking to improve and update their knowledge in specific technical areas.

Click the links on the left-hand side of the page to find out more about what we offer.

History

Automotive Engineering has a long history in the Bradford area of West Yorkshire. 100 years ago in 1910 the first Jowett car was sold, having been designed and built in Bradford. Although the Jowett car company, founded in 1904, has long since gone, the School of Engineering, Design, & Technology is privileged to have Benjamin Jowett Memorial Scholarships which are awarded by members of the Jowett family every year to high-performing students on its Mechanical, Automotive and Design courses.

The teaching of Automotive Engineering at the University of Bradford first began as part of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers' accredited Mechanical Engineering course in 1987.  This was followed over the next few years with specialist teaching in areas such as Engine and Powertrain, Chassis Engineering, and Automotive Manufacture. In 1998 this culminated in the introduction of a dedicated Mechanical and Automotive Engineering Automotive BEng course, by which time research in Automotive Engineering was very well established.
In 1994 the MSc programme in Engineering Quality Improvement (EQI) was started as a partnership with Ford of Europe to increase the understanding and ability of selected members of its engineering staff in Quality Engineering. In 1995 Ford sponsored the first Professor in Engineering at the University of Bradford, the Ford Professor of Quality Engineering. Since then over 120 Ford engineers from all over the world have gained Bradford MSc degrees which have underpinned their subsequent senior careers in the Industry. In 2009 a prestigious partnership with Cummins Turbo Technologies on advanced turbocharger engineering was launched with the installation of a 500MW regenerative engine dynamometer experimental facility at its core. This is now part of the Hybrid Powertrain and Engineering Research Centre, HyPER-C, in the Automotive Research Centre.