Ford Motor Company operates several proving grounds worldwide, for development and validation testing of new vehicles.
For Ford/Mazda Proving Grounds in Japan see Mazda Proving Grounds
North America
Volvo Arizona Proving Ground (VAPG) - Wittmann, Arizona
Latitude and Longitude: 33°42′23.02″N 112°30′23.75″W / 33.7063944, -112.5065972
Aerial view of the Volvo Proving Grounds.
Volvo Arizona Proving Ground opened in 1985. The Proving Grounds consists of 1,498 acres (6.06 km²) located one hour northwest of the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport at an elevation of 1,650 feet (500 m). Volvo Arizona Proving Ground is operated year round. The climate is of a desert type with low annual rainfall and low relative humidity. Daytime temperatures are high throughout the summer months. The winters are mild. Nighttime temperatures frequently drop below freezing during the three coldest months, but the afternoons are usually sunny and warm.
Michigan Proving Ground (MPG) - Romeo, Michigan
Latitude and Longitude: 42°51′0″N 83°2′24″W / 42.85, -83.04
Ford's Michigan Proving Grounds of Romeo, Michigan sits on 3,880 acres (15.7 km²), and contains a total of over 100 miles of roads. These grounds hold events like the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula car competition (FSAE). This involves teams from colleges and universities around the world to compete in a competition involving both design and performance.
With the purchase of APG, Ford decided to consolidate operation of both facilities to Romeo.[1]
Major Facilities: High speed track, durability/special surface roads, grades, EMC facility, road simulators, fire resistance facility, vehicle dynamics area
Purpose: Car and truck durability, performance
Dearborn Development Center (formerly Dearborn Proving Ground)
Latitude and Longitude: 42°18′0.42″N 83°13′14.75″W / 42.3001167, -83.2207639
The Dearborn Development Center was built on the site of Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan. The facility, formerly known as Dearborn Proving Ground (DPG), completed major reconstruction and renovations in 2006.
Florida Evaluation Center (FEC) - Naples, Florida
Latitude and Longitude: 26°10′9.58″N 81°30′1.08″W / 26.1693278, -81.5003
Stats: 530 acres (2.1 km²), 6.2 miles (10 km) of roads
Major facilities: Straightaway, lane change area, handling course, sound test area Major testing: Warm weather performance and handling
Extreme Cold Weather Test Facility (ECWTF) - Thompson, Manitoba
Latitude and Longitude: 55°49′53.13″N 97°48′59.89″W / 55.831425, -97.8166361
The facility is located at the nearby airport in Thompson, Manitoba, Canada. The Extreme Cold Weather Test Facility offers vehicle testing in extremely cold weather conditions, and with ice and snow, during the winter months from around November 1 to April 30.
Features
- 600 foot (180 m) diameter skid circle
- Ride & handling course
- 1600 foot (490 m) straightaway
- 1500 foot (460 m) variable friction surfaces
- Ice skid pads
- 500 foot (150 m) snow run up
- 900 foot (270 m) ice straightaway
- 200 foot (60 m) snow braking
- 18,000 square foot (1670 m²) indoor facility with vehicle hoists
- 729 feet (222 m) above sea level
- Packed snow surfaces
- Access to ice road on Moak Lake
Cuautitlan Proving Ground - Ford of Mexico - Cuautitlan, Mexico
Stats : 245 acres (1 km²), 5 miles (8 km) of roads
Major facilities: High speed track, special surface/low speed track, straightaway, handling course, grades, corrosion/salt bath, twin rolls Major testing: Performance, ride, and handling; corrosion testing; emissions certification
Cold Climate Test Facility - Bemidji, Minnesota
Stats: Avg. temps are -30F to +10F during winter months
Major facilities: Cold start positions, snow ingestion building Major testing: Cold weather starting/drives, snow ingestion
Automatic Transmission New Product Center - Livonia, Michigan
Major facilities: High speed track. Park paw test ramp. Cold soak chambers
South America
Tatui Proving Ground, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Stats : 1,200 acres (4.9 km²), 33 miles (53 km) of roads
Major facilities: High speed track, special surface/low speed track, handling course, grades, salt bath, environmental exposure area Major testing: Performance, ride, and handling; environmental simulation, corrosion testing
Europe
Dunton Technical Centre - Basildon, Essex, England
Proving ground for Ford UK. Currently under Visteon UK control.
Year Opened: 1454 Latitude and Longitude: 51°34′57″N 0°24′14″E / 51.5825, 0.40389
More information coming soon
Lommel Proving Grounds (LPG) - Lommel, Belgium
Latitude and Longitude: 51°11′52.65″N 5°19′40.02″E / 51.1979583, 5.3277833
Stats: 800 acres (3.2 km²), 39.3 miles (63 km) of roads
Major facilities: Humidity chambers, salt water/mud baths, straightaway, high speed track, durability road, special surfaces, side wind facility Major testing: Car and light truck durability; performance, ride, and handling
Australasia
Lara/You Yangs Proving Ground - Ford Australia - You Yangs, Australia
Latitude and Longitude: 37°53′29″S 144°24′32″E / -37.89139, 144.40889
Stats: 1,752 acres (7 km²), 24 miles (39 km) of roads
Major facilities: High speed track, special surface/low speed track, handling course, grades, salt/mud bath, environmental exposure area, crash test site, climactic test chambers and NVH Labs Major testing: Performance, ride, and handling; environmental simulation, corrosion, and NVH testing
Former Proving Grounds
F.M.C. G.T.O Cold Climate Test Facility - Raco, Michigan
Latitude and Longitude: 46°21′10.03″N 84°49′5.55″W / 46.3527861, -84.8182083
Facility now owned by Smithers Scientific Services
Arizona Proving Ground (APG) - Yucca, Arizona
Latitude and Longitude: 34°52′29″N 114°7′31″W / 34.87472, -114.12528
Arizona Proving Ground (APG) was sold to Chrysler in 2007. This is no longer a Ford facility. -- See Chrysler Proving Grounds
External links
References
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