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Ricardo is to extend its factory in Shoreham, West Sussex, after signing a £40 million-a-year agreement to supply engines to McLaren Automotive. The contract, which will start in 2016 and run until at least 2020, is the biggest ever signed by sports car manufacturer McLaren.
The expansion will triple the size of Ricardo’s manufacturing facility to 4,884m2 and enable it to assemble 5,000 engines a year.
The building will also house the logistics operation and allow a 100% running engine quality check at the end of the production line.
The workforce will double in size, as the company adds about 30 semi-skilled, engineering and quality assurance roles.
The relationship between the two companies started in mid-2009 when Ricardo provided engineering support for the development of McLaren’s V8 engine. Since 2011, Ricardo has built engines for McLaren’s MP4-12C sports car, 12C Spider and P1 hypercar.
Jason March, McLaren programmes director, said: “Our engine makes the best use of downsizing technologies – making the best use of a low-capacity engine, but with high levels of turbocharging to give high performance and good emissions performance. This has been a central strand of the engine strategy. It has already been through several iterations for the 12C and P1. It is proving to be very flexible in how it can be applied.”
Meanwhile, Ricardo will lead a consortium to research how platooning technology – which enables road vehicles to move as a group – might benefit UK business, the transport network, road safety and the environment.
The other members of the consortium are the Transport Research Laboratory and Transport & Travel Research.
The group will report back to the Department for Transport by April, with a view to conducting a road trial later in the year.