The List Of Automotive Proving Grounds For Vehicle Testing

This article provides an interactive list of automotive proving grounds for vehicle testing around the world. It will provide useful information to:

• Learn what are proving grounds and why we need them
• See an interactive world map of different proving grounds
• Find useful information about each proving ground

Are you ready to get started? Let’s go!

Introduction

Before any new vehicle – whether a car, race car, tank, ship, or a motorcycle, driven by gas, diesel, EV/HEV, or alternative fuels - can be launched to the market, it has to be thoroughly tested. Proving grounds or test tracks serve the automotive industry for on-road and off-road vehicle testing. 

In the development process, the performance of a vehicle is put to test in a variety of environments and driving situations. Usually, test cases focus on the dynamic properties of vehicles. Safety is a priority and vehicles are often tested under extreme conditions and speeds.

Until the 1920s, automotive testing was done on city streets and country roads. Proving grounds move vehicle testing from the public roads to controlled, secure, and safe testing environments while simulating a wide range of road types and events, all reflecting or relating to the customers' usage of the vehicle.

World Map Of Automotive Proving Grounds

What Is a Proving Ground

Proving ground is an area where the performance of a vehicle is put to the test. Proving grounds generally spread over large areas and roads (usually several kilometers) and facilities to assess the working of various systems and parts of the vehicle.

Mostly, proving grounds are situated far from populated areas. They maintain maximum possible diversity in drive conditions.

Big automobile OEMs in the auto industry such as General Motors, FCA, Daimler, and several others usually have their in-house proving grounds and test centers to test their own vehicles. But there are several privately owned proving grounds where everyone can reserve their seat for testing.

Types of Proving Grounds

There are several different types of proving grounds, depending on the type of vehicle being tested. We can classify proving grounds as:

• Aeronautical Applications
• Military Applications
• Automobile Testing
• Marine Performance Testing
• Aerospace Applications (For test-firing missiles and drones)

This article will focus on Automobile Testing and Proving Grounds.

Vehicle Development and Testing

Proving grounds enable and support the engineering tasks of validation or verification, inspection, and certification or homologation, and are an efficient means of qualifying the durability of vehicles and their components.

These test facilities are used to expose industry prototypes to the conditions that the final product will experience either in extremes or during its whole life-time. They achieve this by accelerating damage accumulation rates, so failures are detectable in a short period of time.

Proving grounds are used by manufacturers of the automotive and automotive supplier industry, companies of technical monitoring, providers of engineering services, institutes and universities, as well as providers of driver safety training. Most automakers own and manage one or more proving grounds, but such services are also supplied by independent companies.

Proving grounds often encompass large and remote areas. They have a range of tracks and facilities to assess the functions of various systems of the automobile in the maximum possible diversity in drive conditions, including testing and development in:

• Durability testing, 
• Corrosion testing, 
• Functional performance, 
• Brake testing, 
• Ride and handling (Vehicle Dynamics), 
• NVH - Noise, Vibration, and Harness, 
• Powertrain testing.

All proving grounds uphold a high level of discretion and security due to protect the commercial interests of their customers. Generally, public access is not permitted and the facilities are hidden from outside view.

Autonomous or Driverless Cars

All modern vehicles are now being equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The development of such systems requires complex testing, including the ability to control and calculate relative positions between multiple vehicles and objects in real-time.

The next step is an autonomous vehicle that can guide itself without any human conduction. Computers take over the actual driving, known as a driverless car, driving robots, self-driving car, ADAS targets, or autonomous vehicle (AV). 

Their testing has to ensure that they can drive the roads and keep people inside them as well as that outside safe. The human driver is getting out of the control loop, and new algorithms, e.g. machine learning, are introduced.

The advent of such autonomous vehicles (AVs) or connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) require new proving grounds specially dedicated to self-driving cars. Traditional test tracks are transformed and adopted for highly automated or autonomous vehicle tests. 

AD functions require much more intense testing and validation procedure than traditional vehicle functions. This demands a complete and consistent verification of the functional specifications. Simulations are becoming more and more relevant and proving grounds are used for verification of the simulations results.

These new testing and validation methods require redesigned and dedicated proving grounds - proving grounds that are similar enough to the real-world to do a satisfactory form of testing. Vehicle dynamics testing in itself is no longer enough. Testing of vehicle environment perception capabilities and of vehicle interaction to other vehicles and the infrastructure is in demand, and communication technologies have to be tested as well. 

Proving Ground Test Tracks and Facilities

Proving grounds for automobiles most often include:

• High-speed tracks specially made for performance testing of automobiles at high speeds.
• Slow lane tracks designed to evaluate the performance of the vehicle during city driving and low-traction driving.
• Off-road tracks ranging from second class roads to wild terrains.
• Custom tracks, specially made to impose special conditions for which a vehicle is designed.

However, no proving ground or test track is designed the same way. The most general principle adopted is to design the track to suit specific company demands, fit local conditions, and to conform to national rules.

Handling Courses

Providing a variety of different curve radii, curve slopes, climbing gradients, and downhill slopes for testing the vehicle’s handling in extreme curvy situations.

• Vehicle behavior
• Vehicle maneuverability
• Technical settings under controlled no-traffic circumstances

Comfort Roads or Ride Tracks

Comfort road tracks simulate public road surfaces with conditions that may vary from slightly indiscrete to very severe

• Comfort and vibration evaluation 
• Durability verification
• Assessment of vehicle suspension

High-speed or Highway Tracks

These are often long (more than 10 km) and have smooth and banked turns and parabolic curves with an inclination of up to 50 degrees, and installations which can generate side wind. Testing is carried out at speeds of up to above 200 km/h (124 mph) depending on the car. While the vehicle is driving the tracks, these data can be obtained.

• Braking performance
• Engine performance
• Coast down data
• Dynamic response
• Durability

Slow Tracks

These may have potholes, pits, speed breakers, water pits, ambient fog, etc., Cars traveling on these tracks travel at about 10-30kmph. Tests on slow tracks yield the following data:

• Endurance of body structure
• Performance of suspension at low speeds
• Vehicle’s performance in a corrosive environment.

Rough Road

Rough road tracks are used to test suspension and electronics providing different road surfaces. Off-road often cross terrain ranging from mud to hill rocks.

• Internal noise
• Comfort and vibration evaluation
• Low-speed handling
• Endurance of body structure

Steep or Uphill Tracks

Tracks with different gradients – varying from 5% to up to 30% for the testing of traction control systems and for tests on downhill braking.

• Durability
• Braking performance

Off-road tracks

Tracks are used to test off-road vehicles with all-wheel drive and differential locking.

• Traction
• High-grade performance
• Suspension performance
• Steering stability

Noise tracks

Test tracks used for evaluating the external noise of vehicles. The shape, flatness, and sound absorption properties of the track affect how the sound propagates away from the vehicle. The ISO 10844 standard specifies the design of noise test tracks to minimize the variation of vehicle noise measurements made at different testing locations.

• Pass-by noise testing

Braking tracks

Tracks with various road surfaces and friction coefficients for simulating all conceivable road conditions – some are floodable. The coefficient of friction of the track varies with different road paving.

• ABS and tires development and homologation
• Road driving under low grip conditions

Winter tracks

In some countries, e.g. Sweden and Norway, special tracks or proving grounds are made for testing vehicle prototypes, components, or tires in cold climate conditions.

• Performance on snow and ice surfaces
• Whirling snow handling

Most often proving grounds will also provide services such as engine dynamometers, low-temperature chambers, kinematics, and compliance rigs, or climatic chambers.

Data Acquisition and Sensors

Vehicle data acquisition (DAQ) systems are used in the vehicle testing environment for measurements of vehicle performance, vehicle dynamics, vehicle durability, combustion, electric and hybrid engine testing, components testing, and more. 

Such systems typically measure a wide range of parameters like temperature, pressure, velocity, voltage, current, power, loads, and strains, consumption, and emissions, while monitoring the vehicle data bus such as Controller Area Network (CAN, CAN FD) channels.

During testing, sensors are attached to various critical portions of the vehicle, such as:
 

• Aerodynamic forces and crash forces - capacitive and resistive pressure gauges attached externally on bonnet and tail.
• Dynamic loads – accelerometers and vibrometers at suspension linkage (or) wheel hub.
• Engine revolutions - tachos mounted on the crankshaft or camshaft.
• Current and power – AC/DC current clamps and transducers on batteries or cabling.
• Tire loads – pressure sensors in the tire.
• Structural loads – strain gauges on body and frame.
• Sounds - microphones mounted onboard or situated along the drive path 
• Vehicle statistics – onboard sensors.

List Of Automotive Proving Grounds With Basic Information

Name	Contact	Services
Australia
Australian Automotive Research Centre	445 Gum Flats Road Wensleydale, Victoria +61 3 5288 7306	Proving ground research & development workshops product launches
Holden Proving Ground	Bass Hwy Lang Lang VIC 3984 +61 1800 033 349	High-speed circular tack Ride and handling road Rough tracks Hill route Twist course
Belgium
Ford Lommel Proving Ground	Oude Diestersebaan 135 3920 Lommel +32 11 50 68 00	Durability tracks Corrosion facilities Funct. Performance tracks Brake tracks Root Cause Investigations Tracks Ride & Handling tracks NVH tracks
Automotive Proving Grounds in Brasil
Cruz Alta Proving Ground	Indaiatuba State of São Paulo +55 19 3934-4297	Development and validation Different types of pavement Climate and traffic Emission analysis laboratory Vehicle safety laboratory Noise and vibration laboratory Structural testing laboratory Air conditioning ventilation Cooling development laboratory Electronics lab Accelerated durability Level straight Dust Durability Torture Corrosion Circle External noise and side Acceleration Off-road Urban traffic Internal noise Ramps Vehicle dynamics testing area
Bridgestone	São Pedro	Feld tracks Baking and hydroplaning lane Vehicle dynamics track, vibration, and roughness track Noise and comfort surface applications Braking and hydroplaning lane Aquaplaning evaluations
CTR - Centro Tecnológico Randon	Estrada Arziro Galafassi Linha Palmeiro Farroupilha - RS 95180-000 +55 54 3239 1000 [email protected]	Engineering Data analysis  Confidential area Freight State-of-the-art technology Dirt road Ramps Pass-by noise level High-speed track Circular track with bumps Circular track Slalom Durability tests
Ford's Tatui Proving Ground (TPG)	Rodovia Antônio Romano Schincariol (SP 127) Km 124,5 Bairro Pederneiras - Tatuí - São Paulo	High-speed track Special surface/low-speed track Handling course Grades Salt bath Environmental exposure area Performance, ride, and handling environmental simulation corrosion testing
Mercedes Benz Iracemapolis Proving Ground	Santo Antonio, Iracemápolis - State of São Paulo, 13495-000	Vehicle safety Energy efficiency High-speed testing Vehicle dynamics Noise measurements
FCA Fiat Chrysler Automóveis Brasil Ltda. Campo de Provas de GoiAna - GPG	Rodovia ROD. BR-101 NORTE, KM 13 AO KM 15 NOVA GOIANA GOIANA 55900000 [email protected]	Speed track Comfort track Visibility track Test track
IVECO SETE LAGOAS Proving ground	Rodovia Mg 238 Km 74 Sete Lagoas Minas Gerais +55 3779-2000	Testing for commercial, transport, and defense vehicles  Resistance and durability tests Brake testing Noise testing Accelerated structural fatigue track
MAN  Resende Proving Ground	Rua Volkswagen 100 Bairro Polo Industrial Resende Rio de Janeiro +55 (24) 33811081	Testing for trucks and buses Ramps with inclines of 20%, 40%, and 60% Noise level testing Driving on off-road terrain Tests on roads and under severe weather conditions
Canada
Magna Steyr	337 Magna Drive Aurora Ontario +1 905 726 2462	Body exteriors & structures Power & vision Seating systems complete vehicles
PMG Technologies	100 du Landais street Blainville Quebec J7C 5C9 450 430 7981	Certification and homologation Complimentary services  Filming and promotional events Instrumentation Intelligent mobility Research
Automotive Proving Grounds in Finland
Arctic Driving Center	Ainonkatu 4-6 96200 Rovaniemi +358 400 341 671 [email protected]	Testing in cold conditions  Durability testing  BEV and PHEV services
Asta Zero	Alakorkalontie 18 Box24 96300 Rovaniemi +358 16 321 0000 [email protected]	Customized testing environment  Durability testing
Test World Millbrook proving ground	Testitie 1 99800 Ivalo  +358 (0)44 778 8800 [email protected]	Tires testing Vehicle testing
Lapland Proving Ground Oy	99300 Muonio +358 400 800 996 [email protected]	Maintenance and preparation of the tracks Safety and security services Durability testing
Automotive Proving Grounds in France
Jules Verne climatic wind tunnel	+33 (0)1 64 68 82 76 [email protected]	Energy & environment  Health & comfort  Digital technologies  Urban development Major structures Transportation Life cycle assessment  Solar energy Energy management Sustainable water management Energy performance Energy renovation Heat transfer Acoustics and vibration Lightning Socio-environmental crisis Management Indoor air quality Aerodynamics Climatology  Fire safety Earthquakes Economy
TRANSPOLIS	620 Route des Fromentaux  01500 Saint-Maurice-de-Rémens	Infrastructure safety Vehicle testing Urban mobility lab Sensors
UTAC CERAM	Avenue Georges Boillot   91310 Linas +33 (0)1 69 80 17 00	Regulation & homologation Qualification Testing & expertise Proving grounds Certification Training & consulting
MICHELIN Engineering & Services	Domaine de Fontange RN 569 Chemin Chante Perdrix 13300 +33 4 63 21 56 94	Tracks  Test and measurement Training
Automotive Proving Grounds in Germany
ACTS GmbH & Co.	Kurfürst-Eppstein-Ring 11  63877 Sailauf +49 6093 9942 0 [email protected]	Crash testing Endurance & function  Safety Dummy services Automotive Motorsport
ATC - Aldenhoven Testing Center  RWTH Aachen University GmbH	Industriepark Emil Mayrisch 52457 Aldenhoven +49 2464 9798310 [email protected]	Oval circuit Rough road Vehicle dynamic area Sensor duct Hill section Multi-functional area  Intersections/straights  Parking area  Autobahn Braking test track Handling track
ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg GmbH	Johann-Bunte-Straße 176  26871 Papenburg +49 (0) 4961 975 0	Test tracking Engineering services Workshops Driving seminars Safety & security
Bosch proving ground worldwide	Robert-Bosch-Platz 1  70839 Gerlingen-Schillerhöhe	Passenger cars and light commercial vehicles Commercial vehicles Off-highway and large engines Two-wheelers and powersport
mm-labs	Stammheimer Straße 10 D-70806 Kornwestheim +49 7154 827 0	Consulting Engineering Testing Project management Training
Nürburgring	Otto-Flimm-Straße 53520 Nürburg +49 (0) 2691 302-630 [email protected]	Co-pilot rides Drift training Driving  Formula training
Opel proving grounds Dudenhofen	Am Opelprüffeld 3 63110 Rodgau	High-speed circuit Full electrification of the control and measurement
Hungary
ZalaZone	Honvéd u. 13-15 1055 Budapest     +36 92 900 117 [email protected]	Proving ground tracks  Modules Dynamical test Automated vehicle use cases Technical services - Engineering support Electric charger and fuel station Vehicle repairing Mechanical and electrical workshop An accredited vehicle inspection station
India
Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC)	Plot E1, SIPCOT Industrial Growth Centre Oragadam Mathur Post Sriperumputhur Taluk Kanchipuram – 602 105 Tamil Nadu +91 44 27143500 [email protected]	Testing and research center for automotive certification and testing Vehicle evaluation laboratory Certification lab  Fatigue lab Advanced, passive safety lab Powertrain laboratory Infotronic & CAD/CAE EMC & EMI End of the live vehicle (recycling unit)
National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project	NBCC Place South Tower 3rd Floor Bhishma Pitamah Marg Pragati Vihar Lodhi Road New Delhi - 110003 +91 11 4921 5555 [email protected]	Testing centers
Automotive Proving Grounds in Italy
Nardò Technical Center A Porsche Engineering	Localita Fattizze I-73050 Santa Chiara di Nardo (LE) +39 0833 877 111 [email protected]	Development process Competence testing Engineering
Balocco	Cascina Bella Luigina 3040 Balocco VC +39 0161 873111	Road testing track Club and racing events
New Zeland
Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground	PO Box 350 Wanaka 9343 +64 3 443 0344 [email protected]	BAS & brake system development  ESC, ESP, VSC & Chassis Handling development AWD chassis and electronic Traction control development EPS & steering system development HV/EV/PHEV motor control & Electrical system development High-speed snow dust ingress testing/cooling test  NVH development R&H and chassis development HVAC and sub-system development Engine calibration and drive train development Icing durability and chassis Component strength testing Tire development and Certification testing (ASTM, UN/ECE)
South Africa
Gerotek Test Facilities	370 Nossob St Erasmuskloof Pretoria 0048 +27 12 428 1911 [email protected]	Acquisition Research and development Dockyard  Defense disposal solutions AB logistic
Automotive Proving Grounds in Spain
IDIADA proving ground	PO Box 20 Santa Oliva L'Albornar Tarragona +34 977 166 000 [email protected]	Engineering services Homologation and Product Certification Proving ground
Automotive Proving Grounds in Sweden
Arctic Falls AB	Box 30 942 21 Älvsbyn +46 929 47 47 00 [email protected]	Various proving grounds Vehicle testing Tire testing in a cold climate
AstaZero Hällered	Göksholmen 1 SE-504 91 Sandhult +46 (0)10-516 61 40	Safety test  Research and development Vehicle dynamics Driver behavior V2V and V2I Functional reliability Communications technology
Colmis Proving Ground	STORKÅLMIS 11 930 90 Arjeplog +46 (0)961 720 100 [email protected]	Land and ice tracks Workshops
Icemakers	Maskinvägen 11 SE-938 32 Arjeplog +46 961 329 00 [email protected]	Test tracks Endurance testing Cold chambers  Testing facilities Charging infrastructure  Event facilities
Rajd Systech	Box 107 SE-941 23 PITEÅ +46 911 152 00	Safety solutions for proving ground management to the global automotive testing industry Standard and customized solutions
Autoliv Test Center	Wallentinsvägen 22 447 37 Vårgårda +46 322 626279 [email protected]	Dynamic Testing Full Scale Testing Sled Testing Electric Vehicle Battery Testing
Switzerland
Wabco	Giacomettistrasse 1 3006 Bern 31	Truck solutions Trailer solutions Bus solutions Car solutions Off-highway solution fFeet solutions
Taiwan
Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC)	No.6, Lugong S. 7th Rd.  Lukang Changhua County 50544 +886 4 781 1222 [email protected]	Vehicle & energy Proving ground Domestic certification Homologation service  Vehicle performance testing Emission & fuel economy testing Automotive light testing  Electromagnetic compatibility testing Crash testing, fatigue, and durability  Vehicle specification testing Safety testing Component testing CAE Center Calibration
Automotive Proving Grounds in the United Kingdom
Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground	Bath Ln Lutterworth LE17 5QS FVR9+8G Gilmorton Lutterworth 0116 279 9300 [email protected]	Various proving grounds Vehicle testing Tire testing in a cold climate
MIRA	Watling Street Nuneaton +44 (0)24 7635 5000	Mobility campus and proving grounds Vehicle development and Attribute engineering Electrification and powertrain and emissions Connected and autonomous vehicles Vehicle resilience Safety systems engineering Body and interiors Unmanned ground vehicles
Millbrook	MK45 2JQ Bedford +44 1525 404242 [email protected]	Propulsion systems Safety Interior systems Tires  Special vehicles Type approval Tack and facilities
Automotive Proving Grounds in the United States
AET	1420 County Road 1 SW PO Box 458 Baudette MN 56623 1-218-634-2041 [email protected]	A low-temperature test facility  Track driving programs
American Center for Mobility	2701 Airport Dr Ypsilanti MI 48198 844-226-7178	ACM Freeway Loop Willow run bypass tunnel Planet M boulevard Urban arterial ITS and mobility infrastructure Testing support equipment  Intertek services  Evaluating standards  Engineering support services Vehicle evaluation and validation Vehicle garages
Cooper Tire and Vehicle Test Center	701 Lima Ave. Findlay OH 45840 419-423-1321 [email protected]	Tire testing Safety
Fowlerville Proving Ground FT Techno of America	1750 Smith Road Fowlerville MI 48836 517-223-6777 [email protected]	Straightaway Low μ Dynamic pad Oval track NVH & special surfaces  Wavy & gavel road  Brake hills ADAS pad ADAS city Operations Vehicle evaluation
Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation	1020 Lotus Alton VA 24520 (434) 766-6644	Provides accurate and affordable models to support virtual development for the transportation industry tire testing services vehicle development & verification
Gomentum	[email protected]	Urban, rural settings  Underpasses, overpasss  Tunnels and railroad  Multiple lane types including One-way, two way Merge and round-about Shared and separated bike lanes  Remotely programmable Trafic signals
GS Engineering Inc.	47500 US Hwy 41 Houghton MI 49931 906 482 1235	Product development Structural optimization Weight reduction Cost reduction Technology integration  Failure analysis Advanced materials  Intelligent systems Obsolescence engineering Testing - validation
Michigan Technical Resource Park	8000 Yankee Rd. Ottawa Lake Michigan 49267 (419) 367-7066 [email protected]	On and off-road vehicle testing Vehicle & product Development Technical labor services Logistics/warehousing
Navistar	32104 State Road 2 New Carlisle IN 46552 +1 (574) 654-4034 [email protected]	Bake testing Structural durability testing Specialized vehicle testing Instrumentation & data acquisition
Nevada Automotive Test Center	P.O. Box 234 Carson City NV 89702 775-629-2000 [email protected]	Engineering Testing  Custom solutions markets
Ride Solutions	PO Box 234 West Yellowstone MT 59758 406-646-0566	Snow traction testing Tire calculation Vehicle/tire handling  Track lease/test support  Private winter driving instruction Snow drag races
Smithers Winter Test Center            +44 (0) 1372 802000            USA    ""	Brimley, MI North America: +1 (330) 762-7441 Europe: +44 (0) 1372 802000 Asia Pacific: +86 512 6253 5569	Test by industry-standard and capability Winter testing Ice track
Transportation Research Center	10820 OH-347 East Liberty OH 43319 (937) 666-2011	Durability testing Dynamic and Performance testing  Active and passive safety Emissions laboratory
Chrysler Arizona Proving Grounds	1 Proving Ground Rd Yucca AZ 86438 +1 888-614-4328	Development and validation testing of new vehicles Vehicle dynamics facility Wet traction surfaces Corrosion/humidity chambers Variety of concrete test surface Variety of gravel and dirt roads Water ingestion test area Vehicle corrosion test chambers - humidity and dying  Special test Roads/surfaces for vehicle durability testing Water leak test facility ABS testing
Caterpillar Peoria Proving Ground	28194 Caterpillar Ln  Washington IL 61571
Milford Proving Ground	3300 General Motors Rd Milford MI 48380	VDTA (vehicle dynamics test area) Oval tack Circle tack Straightaway Tight curves Vehicle safety & crashworthiness