A new facility at The Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research (CAR) is providing researchers with specialized spaces to advance battery and hydrogen fuel cell testing for commercial vehicles.
The Commercial Vehicle Innovation Laboratory (CVIL) is a 10,000-square-foot building designed to support cutting-edge research in emerging vehicle technologies. Facilities Design and Construction (FDC) began design services for the project in March 2023, with construction taking place from May 2025 through August 2026.
CAR Director and Professor Giorgio Rizzoni has been leading programs in advanced vehicle technologies for more than 30 years. “Ohio is a logistics crossroads and home to commercial vehicle manufacturers and suppliers,” he said. “Passenger and freight commercial vehicle operations are very important to the economy of the state, and the new facility will enable applied research aimed at improving the next generation of commercial vehicle technologies.”
The facility includes dedicated research laboratories for hydrogen fuel cells and lithium-ion batteries, along with a large vehicle testing bay where commercial vehicles, including buses, can be equipped and tested.
The new building expands the Center for Automotive Research’s research capabilities by providing specialized spaces that were not available within the center’s existing footprint.
Designed to put research on display, the facility features light-filled spaces that showcase the work taking place inside. The building also incorporates active and passive safety features designed to mitigate the risks associated with potential hydrogen off-gassing and deflagration events, helping protect occupants and maintain safe building operations.